Confirmed SNAP Final Payments of Up to $1,750 to Be Issued Before Year’s End for Eligible Recipients
Any time is a key moment for the State to lend a hand, and that is what is happening this month with the SNAP credit, which is going to help many families keep their tables full during these Christmas days.
This aid, which for some will be just another number in the state budget, makes the difference for many families between having access to fully healthy food or facing weeks of pure uncertainty and hunger. With this last payment of the year, many families and many homes will be able to face these days of celebrations (and the following days) with a little more peace of mind. So we are going to explain everything you need to know for December and the SNAP credit.
What is the snap program and how does it work?
Okay, we are talking about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP), which was previously known as the Food Stamp Program. This is a very important tool for many families so that they can access healthy foods.
In this article we are going to explain how it works, mainly in the State of Texas; this credit is administered at the federal level by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and managed locally in Texas by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. With this program, low-income households are helped to maintain food well-being.
How is payment received?
Families who are eligible for this program receive their monthly benefits through an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, which in Texas is known as ‘Lone Star’. This card works in a very similar way to a debit card and allows beneficiaries to buy essential food products. However, it has a peculiarity and that is that this card can only be used in stores and businesses that are part of the SNAP program. What does this mean? You won’t be able to spend the credit on whatever you want, but it is only intended for food. Don’t worry, later we will leave you here a list of the products that are allowed and those that are not.
Delivery date of the SNAP credit this last month of December
SNAP payments are distributed from the 1st to the 28th of each month depending on the beneficiary’s eligibility determination group (EDG) number, this means that the number on your application will be the one that marks the day that you receive the payment. The credits that remain to arrive from now on are the following:
- December 23: Beneficiaries with EDG number 79-81
- December 24: Beneficiaries with EDG number 82-85
- December 25: Beneficiaries with EDG number 86-88
- December 26: Beneficiaries with EDG number 89-92
- December 27: Beneficiaries with EDG numbers 93-95
- December 28: Beneficiaries with EDG number 96-99
What is the amount of money that SNAP can give you?
Snap amounts vary depending on the size of the household, that is, the number of people living in that household. For this last month of 2024, the established limits are as follows, although there is an option starting at 8 members, in which an additional amount of $220 is received for each additional person up to a maximum of $4,832.
- 1-person household: $292
- 2-person household: $536
- 3-person household: $768
- 4-person household: $975
- 5-person household: $1,158
- 6-person household: $1,390
- 7-person household: $1,536
- 8-person household: $1,756
What foods can you buy with SNAP?
As we have already told you, this money is intended so that you can buy healthy and balanced food, so it includes fruit, fresh vegetables, proteins such as meat and fish, and dairy products such as cereals or bread. You could even buy seeds to plant at home.
However, there are other products that you will not be able to buy with this benefit. It is clear that products such as alcoholic beverages, tobacco, vitamin supplements, or prepared foods (for example, fast food) are products that are not included in this program and you will not be able to buy them with this card. The same goes for cosmetics or cleaning products. As we have said, this credit is very strict when it comes to making payments because it is intended for people who do not really have an economic base to support them, so they take it very seriously that the money goes directly only to (healthy) food.