“Upcoming SNAP Changes: What the New COLA Increase Means for Benefits”
According to Vibes.okdiario, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has officially announced the upcoming Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase for SNAP benefits across the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Alaska.
Impact of COLA on SNAP Benefits
While recipients in Alaska, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will see significantly higher payments due to the higher cost of living in those areas, Hawaii will not receive a COLA increase, resulting in a reduction of benefits for its residents.
Effective Date of the New COLA
The new COLA will take effect on October 1, 2024. Recipients who qualify for benefits on that date should check their EBT cards to see the increase in their monthly payments, although the adjustment is expected to be small. Therefore, many SNAP recipients may not notice a significant difference between their September and October payments. Still, this increase is preferable to the reduction in Hawaii.
October SNAP Payment Schedule
The timing of SNAP payments varies by state and U.S. territory, with some states issuing payments as early as October 1 and others taking up to 28 days to distribute funds, such as Florida and Texas. Below is the SNAP payment schedule for October:
State Payment Dates
- Alabama: October 4-23
- Alaska: October 1
- Arizona: October 1-13
- Arkansas: October 4-13
- California: October 1-10
- Colorado: October 1-10
- Connecticut: October 1-3
- Delaware: October 2-23
- Florida: October 1-28
- Georgia: October 5-23
- Hawaii: October 3-5
- Idaho: October 1-10
- Illinois: October 1-10
- Indiana: October 5-23
- Iowa: October 1-10
- Kansas: October 1-10
- Kentucky: October 1-19
- Louisiana: October 1-23
- Maine: October 10-14
- Maryland: October 4-23
- Massachusetts: October 1-14
- Michigan: October 3-21
- Minnesota: October 4-13
- Mississippi: October 4-21
- Missouri: October 1-22
- Montana: October 2-6
- Nebraska: October 1-5
- Nevada: October 1-10
- New Hampshire: October 5
- New Jersey: October 1-5
- New Mexico: October 1-20
- New York: October 1-9
- North Carolina: October 3-21
- North Dakota: October 1
- Ohio: October 2-20
- Oklahoma: October 1-10
- Oregon: October 1-9
- Pennsylvania: Over the first 10 business days
- Rhode Island: October 1
- South Carolina: October 1-10
- South Dakota: October 10
- Tennessee: October 1-20
- Texas: October 1-28
- Utah: October 5, 11, and 15
- Vermont: October 1
- Virginia: October 1-7
- Washington: October 1-20
- West Virginia: October 1-9
- Wisconsin: October 1-15
- Wyoming: October 1-4
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Other Territories
- Guam: October 1-10
- Puerto Rico: October 4-22
- District of Columbia: October 1-10
- U.S. Virgin Islands: October 1
In summary, while the COLA increase may be minimal for most states, the USDA’s adjustments still provide a necessary boost for many SNAP recipients. It’s important to be aware of your state’s payment schedule and monitor your EBT card to see your updated benefits starting October 1, 2024.
