Updated July 29, 2026. SNAP Emergency Allotments (EA) were a temporary pandemic measure — not a permanent program feature — and they ended nationwide after the February 2023 issuance. They are not active in 2026. This is a historical explainer of what EA were, when and why they ended, and what benefits look like now. SNAP is administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA), formerly the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).
What Emergency Allotments were
During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress authorized SNAP Emergency Allotments to help families afford food. EA temporarily raised every participating household to the maximum benefit for its household size, regardless of income, so households that normally received less than the maximum saw their benefits rise to that ceiling. Later, a change ensured households already at or near the maximum still received a meaningful boost by adding a minimum supplement of at least $95 per month. EA was always described as temporary emergency relief tied to the pandemic.
When and why they ended
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, signed December 29, 2022 (Division HH, Section 503(b)), set a firm end date. Under that law, the final EA issuance was for February 2023 benefits, after which benefits returned to standard amounts based on each household’s income and size. Federal guidance was explicit that no Emergency Allotments would be issued for March 2023 or later under any circumstance. Some states had already ended EA earlier, in 2021 or 2022, on their own.
For many households, the end of EA meant a noticeable drop in monthly benefits, since they returned to their regular calculated amount. Understanding this history helps explain why 2026 benefits look different from the pandemic years. To see how regular benefits are determined, review our SNAP income limits by household size (2026) guide.
Emergency Allotments timeline
| Period | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2020–2021 | EA introduced; households raised to the maximum benefit for their size |
| Later in program | Minimum monthly supplement of at least $95 added for households near the maximum |
| December 2022 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 set the end of EA |
| February 2023 | Final nationwide EA issuance |
| 2026 | EA not active; standard FY2026 rules apply |
What benefits look like in 2026
Without EA, SNAP benefits in 2026 follow the normal formula: your benefit equals the maximum allotment for your household size minus about 30% of your net income. For FY2026 (48 states and DC; Alaska and Hawaii are higher), the maximum monthly allotment is $298 for one person, $546 for two, $785 for three, $994 for four, and $1,789 for eight, with $218 added for each additional person. The minimum benefit for a one- or two-person household is $24. There is no active nationwide Emergency Allotment and no scheduled return of one; unless Congress authorizes a new temporary increase, these standard FY2026 amounts are what current recipients receive.
If your benefits dropped after EA ended, you may still qualify for other help, such as WIC (2026) for young children or TANF (2026) cash assistance. For the complete overview of current rules, see the SNAP 2026 guide and our SNAP application guide (2026).
Sources
- FNA (formerly FNS) — SNAP EA Provision, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (.gov)
- FNA — SNAP FY2026 COLA Memo (.gov, PDF)
- FNA — SNAP COLA / Allotments (.gov)
Last fact-check: July 29, 2026
Editorial status: Independent subject-matter review has not been completed.