Texas runs one of the biggest SNAP benefits programs in the country. Over 3.5 million residents get food assistance every month. Working families, elderly folks, people with disabilities, you name it.
The benefits land on your Lone Star Card, which you use like a regular debit card at any store that takes SNAP. You can buy the basics with it: produce, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, that kind of thing.
The aid initiative is managed at a state level by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC). The federal government puts up the money, but HHSC coordinates everything on the ground, from taking applications to deciding who qualifies and making sure benefits actually get out to people across the state.
SNAP Payment Dates in Texas in March 2026
When your benefits hit depends on the last digits of your EDG (Eligibility Determination Group) number. There are two separate schedules based on when you were first certified.
Group 1: Households certified after June 1, 2020 (Last two digits of your EDG number)
- March 16: EDG ends in 00-03 or 54-57
- March 17: EDG ends in 04-06 or 58-60
- March 18: EDG ends in 07-10 or 61-64
- March 19: EDG ends in 11-13 or 65-67
- March 20: EDG ends in 14-17 or 68-71
- March 21: EDG ends in 18-20 or 72-74
- March 22: EDG ends in 21-24 or 75-78
- March 23: EDG ends in 25-27 or 79-81
- March 24: EDG ends in 28-31 or 82-85
- March 25: EDG ends in 32-34 or 86-88
- March 26: EDG ends in 35-38 or 89-92
- March 27: EDG ends in 39-41, 46-49 or 93-95
- March 28: EDG ends in 42-45, 50-53 or 96-99
Group 2: Households certified before June 1, 2020 (Last digit of your EDG number)
- March 1: EDG ends in 0
- March 3: EDG ends in 1
- March 5: EDG ends in 2
- March 6: EDG ends in 3
- March 7: EDG ends in 4
- March 9: EDG ends in 5
- March 11: EDG ends in 6
- March 12: EDG ends in 7
- March 13: EDG ends in 8
- March 15: EDG ends in 9
Maximum SNAP Amounts in Texas
How much you can get depends on your household size. A single person tops out at $298 a month. Two people, $546. Three people, $785. Four people, $994. Keep going: five people can get up to $1,183, six up to $1,421, and seven up to $1,571. Got more than seven people in the house? Add $218 for each person after that.
Now, those are the top amounts, not what everybody actually gets. Your real benefit comes down to your income, your expenses, and a few other things HHSC looks at. The average in Texas works out to roughly $184 per person a month, or around $401 per household. If there’s only one or two of you, the lowest benefit you’d receive is $24.
Where to Apply for SNAP in Texas
Easiest option is online at YourTexasBenefits.com. If you’d rather talk to someone or hand in paperwork in person, find your nearest HHSC office and go from there. You can also call 800-777-7328 to apply, check your Lone Star Card balance, or introduce changes to your case.
If everyone in your household is 60 or older, or has a disability, look into the Texas Simplified Application Project (TSAP). The application itself is shorter, and if you’re approved, your benefits get certified for three years instead of the usual six months, a lot less back-and-forth.
And if English isn’t your first language or you have a disability, HHSC is required to provide free language assistance and any accommodations you need to get through the process.
