The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known in the U.S. as food stamps, distributes its benefits in Texas through the Lone Star Card. This card functions like a debit card, allowing eligible households to purchase food at authorized establishments.
SNAP benefits are not “discretionary”: they cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcohol, non-food items, or to pay off food debt. Additionally, starting April 1, 2026, an additional restriction was implemented prohibiting the use of these benefits to purchase sweets and sugary drinks. Beverages containing milk and juices with more than 50% fruit or vegetable content will be exempt from this ban.
Upcoming SNAP benefit payments in Texas
The distribution of monthly benefits is phased in between the 1st and 28th of each month. The deposit schedule is determined solely by the last two digits of the Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number assigned to each household. In situations where benefits are prorated at the beginning of a household’s application, the prorated amount and the subsequent full monthly allocation may be deposited together.
A rule states that SNAP benefits are not issued more than 40 days after the previous deposit. Households certified before May 1, 2023, retain their existing deposit schedule unless they experience a gap in benefit receipt lasting at least six consecutive months.
The following table details the SNAP benefit issuance schedule in Texas, applicable every month, including August 2025, and which remains unchanged year after year.
Households certified before June 1, 2025, will receive their benefits between August 1 and 15, as follows:
- 0- 1st of the month
- 1- 3rd of the month
- 2- 5th of the month
- 3- 6th of the month
- 4- 7th of the month
- 5- 9th of the month
- 6- 11th of the month
- 7- 12th of the month
- 8- 13th of the month
- 9- 15th of the month
Then, those households certified after June 1, 2020 have other payment dates:
- 00-03- 16th of the month
- 04-06- 17th of the month
- 07-10- 18th of the month
- 11-13- 19th of the month
- 14-17- 20th of the month
- 18-20- 21st of the month
- 21-24- 22nd of the month
- 25-27- 23rd of the month
- 28-31- 24th of the month
- 32-34- 25th of the month
- 35-38- 26th of the month
- 39-41- 27th of the month
- 42-45- 28th of the month
- 46-49- 27th of the month
- 50-53- 28th of the month
- 54-57- 16th of the month
- 58-60- 17th of the month
- 61-64- 18th of the month
- 65-67- 19th of the month
- 68-71- 20th of the month
- 72-74- 21st of the month
- 75-78- 22nd of the month
- 79-81- 23rd of the month
- 82-85- 24th of the month
- 86-88- 25th of the month
- 89-92- 26th of the month
- 93-95- 27th of the month
- 96-99- 28th of the month
Maximum SNAP benefit amounts for 2025
SNAP benefit maximums are federally determined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). These amounts are reviewed and updated annually in October, based on changes in the cost of the basic food basket.
For the period from October 2024 to September 2025, and therefore applicable throughout 2025, the State of Texas adopts the standard federal maximum amounts applicable to the 48 contiguous states.
(Household size, and maximum allotment)
- 1- $292
- 2- $536
- 3- $768
- 4- $975
- 5- $1,158
- 6- $1,390
- 7- $1,536
- 8- $1,756
- For each additional person- +$220
The actual benefit received by an individual household is calculated based on its size, its monthly net income after mandatory deductions (such as housing, utilities, or dependent care expenses), and other factors.
The average amount, which is closer to what most recipients will receive in 2025, is $768, up just $2 from last year’s average of $766. The average SNAP benefit amount per person is estimated to be between $1.50 and $2.00 per meal. Texas does not provide state supplements beyond these federal amounts.
