It's one of the most anticipated changes in the state of Texas each year. A chance to be able to get a little extra money for food and necessary items, and a chance to be able to qualify for the program.

Yes, I'm talking about the SNAP program.

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Unfortunately, more and more people have been needing SNAP benefits to make it through, especially with the downturn in the economy. Rising food costs have made it difficult for fixed-income families to get everything they need.

As of today, Oct. 1, some changes have been made that are effective immediately.

WHAT IS CHANGING

This year, we are seeing two changes made to the program. They aren't HUGE changes, but they are enough to be able to help. Furthermore, you may be able to qualify now if you previously couldn't.

The first change being made is the amount received. There is an increase coming to each household level this year to help cope with the rising costs of food.

The other thing being changed is the amount of money you can make from working in order to qualify. That number rises with each person in your household.

HOW MUCH MORE AM I RECEIVING

It all comes down to how many people are living in your household. Obviously the more people living in the household, the more you'll receive in SNAP benefits. For Oct. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025, the amount received is below.

Household size of 1 – $292
Household size of 2 – $536
Household size of 3 – $768
Household size of 4 – $975
Household size of 5 – $1,158
Household size of 6 – $1,390
Household size of 7 – $1,536
Household size of 8 – $1,756

If you have MORE than eight people in your household, you would add on $220 per person. So for example, a 10-person household would receive $2,196.

WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN ORDER TO QUALIFY

There are two different qualifications here you have to meet. They include gross and net income. We'll start with gross monthly income. These numbers are based on 130% of the current poverty level.

Household size of 1 – $1,632
Household size of 2 – $2,215
Household size of 3 – $2,798
Household size of 4 – $3,380
Household size of 5 – $3,963
Household size of 6 – $4,546
Household size of 7 – $5,129
Household size of 8 – $5,712

Each additional member beyond eight in the household adds on $583 you can make towards the gross monthly income. This represents approximately a 3.2-4% increase in how much you can make from last year.

When taking a look at the net monthly gross income, which is based on 100% of the current poverty level, these are the amounts you can be taking home in order to qualify.

Household size of 1 – $1,255
Household size of 2 – $1,704
Household size of 3 – $2,152
Household size of 4 – $2,600
Household size of 5 – $3,049
Household size of 6 – $3,497
Household size of 7 – $3,945
Household size of 8 – $4,394

Each additional member beyond eight in the household adds on $449 you can make towards the gross monthly income. This also represents approximately a 3.2-4% increase in how much you can make from last year.

WILL EVERYONE QUALIFY FOR SNAP

The obvious answer here is no as some households simply make more than enough money. However, if you've been teetering on that line for a year or two now, you may want to check again as this could be the time you are able to qualify for those benefits.

Those that are already on SNAP will get to enjoy the extra breathing room now that the rise in grocery prices is being reflected and properly compensated to cover those increases.

If you need more clarification on how the system works, you can check out the SNAP Food Benefits site. You can also watch the video below on how it all works.

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