SNAP beneficiaries received an average of around $190 monthly per person as of November 13, 2025.
November 13, 2025
high
statistical
Average monthly benefit amount per person under SNAP.
SNAP benefits are typically delivered by loading funds onto electronic benefit cards used by program beneficiaries.
November 13, 2025
high
operational
Common method for distributing SNAP benefits to participants.
SNAP benefits are delivered to recipients using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
November 12, 2025
high
process
Typical delivery mechanism for SNAP benefits
Nearly 42 million Americans receive SNAP benefits.
November 12, 2025
high
statistic
Scale of SNAP participation
State agencies submit benefit issuance files to EBT vendors for processing, and resubmitting those files can take several additional days, which can delay benefit disbursement.
November 12, 2025
high
operational
Operational steps that affect timing of SNAP benefit disbursement
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a federal food assistance program in the United States.
November 11, 2025
high
definition
SNAP provides nutritional assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families.
Government shutdowns can delay full distribution of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, temporarily freeze paychecks for many federal employees, and cause disruptions at airports when air traffic controller staffing is reduced.
November 10, 2025
high
operational
Operational impacts commonly associated with lapses in government funding.
As of November 2025, more than 20% of New Mexico residents participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), representing the highest state participation rate in the United States.
November 10, 2025
high
statistical
State-level participation rate in the federal food-assistance program.
As of November 2025, approximately 16% of West Virginia residents relied on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program.
November 09, 2025
high
temporal
Statistic about SNAP reliance in West Virginia mentioned during a November 2025 interview.
The term 'food stamps' refers to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal program that provides food assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families.
November 09, 2025
high
temporal
Definition/terminology clarification about SNAP.
As of 2025, approximately one in eight Americans participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps.
November 09, 2025
medium
statistical
Prevalence estimate for SNAP participation cited in the article.
Approximately 42 million Americans received SNAP benefits in 2025.
November 09, 2025
high
statistical
Participation figure for the SNAP program in 2025.
SNAP benefits are commonly provided to recipients via payment cards (electronic benefit transfer or EBT cards) that state agencies load with benefits.
November 09, 2025
high
procedural
EBT cards are the standard mechanism for delivering SNAP benefits to beneficiaries.
State agencies administer SNAP benefits and typically seek federal reimbursement for those benefits through the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
November 09, 2025
high
procedural
State-level administration of SNAP involves authorizing benefits and obtaining federal funds to cover those disbursements.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves about one in eight Americans, mostly people with lower incomes.
November 07, 2025
high
statistical
Broad participation rate and demographic character of SNAP beneficiaries.
Full monthly SNAP benefit payments cost between $8.5 billion and $9.0 billion per month.
November 07, 2025
high
statistical
Estimated total monthly cost to provide full SNAP benefits nationally.
An emergency federal reserve fund for SNAP contained more than $4.6 billion available to be used for SNAP payments.
November 07, 2025
high
statistical
Size of a designated emergency reserve fund that can be tapped for SNAP benefit payments.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served about 42 million Americans, roughly 1 in 8 people.
November 06, 2025
high
statistical
Program enrollment scale (approximate beneficiary count).
As of 2025, one in eight Americans used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
November 02, 2025
high
temporal
National-level participation rate in the U.S. food assistance program SNAP.
As of 2025, Black people made up 12.6% of the U.S. population but accounted for more than one quarter of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.
November 02, 2025
high
temporal
Racial distribution of SNAP participation compared with population share.
As of 2025, non-Hispanic white people represented 58.1% of the U.S. population but comprised 35.4% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients.
November 02, 2025
high
temporal
Comparison of non-Hispanic white population share with their share among SNAP recipients.
Approximately 42 million Americans receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
November 02, 2025
high
statistical
SNAP (commonly called food stamps) is a federal program that provides nutrition assistance to eligible low-income individuals and families.
The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) served about 42 million people as of 2025.
November 01, 2025
high
statistical
Scale of participation in the U.S. federal food assistance program.
SNAP provides benefits to recipients on a monthly basis.
November 01, 2025
high
descriptive
Frequency of benefit distribution for the federal food assistance program.
Many SNAP recipients access their benefits using debit cards that are periodically reloaded with program funds.
November 01, 2025
high
descriptive
Typical method of benefit access and distribution for SNAP participants.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal agency responsible for administering SNAP benefit payments.
November 01, 2025
high
descriptive
Administrative authority over the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) distributes benefits electronically through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), and participating vendors such as farmers markets can accept EBT benefits.
October 31, 2025
high
procedural
Describes how SNAP benefits are delivered and where they can be used.
As of 2025, approximately 42 million Americans were enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 29, 2025
high
statistical
Approximate scale of SNAP participation reported in 2025
A federal government shutdown can cause temporary lapses in appropriations that may interrupt funding and payments for federal benefit programs such as SNAP.
October 29, 2025
high
process
General effect of government shutdowns on federally funded benefit programs
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is commonly referred to by the acronym SNAP.
October 28, 2025
high
definition
Standard shorthand name for the federal food-assistance program.
Approximately 42 million people nationwide receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 27, 2025
high
statistical
National participation estimate for SNAP recipients.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been in existence for roughly 60 years.
October 27, 2025
high
temporal
Historical duration of the federal nutrition assistance program.
SNAP provides nutrition assistance to low-income populations, including children, seniors, and veterans.
October 27, 2025
high
temporal
Primary beneficiary groups served by the federal nutrition assistance program.
In 2025, nearly 42 million people in the United States received federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 24, 2025
high
temporal
Scale of SNAP participation in the U.S.
In 2025, about one in eight U.S. residents received an average of $187 per month through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 24, 2025
high
temporal
Per-recipient average monthly benefit and prevalence of SNAP participation
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, is the largest federal anti-hunger program in the United States.
October 24, 2025
high
definitional
Program description and relative role in U.S. anti-hunger policy
SNAP is the acronym for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance for low- and no-income people.
October 24, 2025
high
definition
Program name and purpose
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the federal food assistance program formerly known as "food stamps".
October 22, 2025
high
temporal
Official program name and historical name for the U.S. federal food assistance program.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, is a federal program in the United States that provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families.
October 20, 2025
high
temporal
Program definition
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally funded food assistance program in the United States.
October 16, 2025
high
definition
General definition of SNAP
During U.S. federal government shutdowns, access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, commonly called food stamps) can be disrupted, potentially leaving tens of millions of beneficiaries without immediate access to benefits.
October 11, 2025
high
temporal
SNAP benefit distribution and eligibility can be affected when federal agencies lack appropriations during a shutdown.
Over 40 million Americans are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
October 10, 2025
high
statistical
Baseline enrollment statistic for the federal food assistance program.
SNAP recipients receive benefits on prepaid electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, with an average payment of about $187 per month (roughly $6 per day) that can be used to buy produce, meat, dairy, and other household food staples.
October 10, 2025
high
statistical
Typical benefit amount and payment mechanism for SNAP participants.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is federally funded and overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), while state governments are responsible for administering benefits and setting their own disbursement dates.
October 10, 2025
high
process
Description of the federal-state division of responsibilities in SNAP administration.
The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) reported that there was a multiyear contingency reserve of about $6 billion available to cover SNAP costs during the Biden administration.
October 10, 2025
high
policy
Reported size of SNAP contingency funds intended to cover participant benefits and state administrative expenses during funding lapses.
Approximately 42 million people in the United States used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in 2025.
September 29, 2025
high
temporal
SNAP is the federal program that provides food assistance to low-income individuals and families.
Approximately 42 million Americans receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
September 27, 2025
high
statistical
Order-of-magnitude estimate of SNAP enrollment
In January 2019, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidance stated that limited contingency funding was available that could be used to provide SNAP benefits for February during a government funding lapse.
January 01, 2019
high
policy_history
Past USDA guidance on use of contingency funds during a government shutdown.
A 1977 policy change created the Restaurant Meals Program (RMP), a state opt-in program that allows homeless individuals without kitchens to purchase prepared meals using SNAP benefits, with eligibility later expanded to include disabled individuals, the elderly, and their spouses.
January 01, 1977
high
temporal
Creation and intended purpose of the Restaurant Meals Program as an exception to SNAP's hot-food restriction.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) was established in 1964 under the Food Stamps Act to provide basic food needs such as meats, fruits, and vegetables to financially vulnerable Americans.
January 01, 1964
high
temporal
Origins and purpose of the SNAP program.
When SNAP was established in 1964, hot foods or foods ready for immediate consumption were ineligible for purchase under the program, whose main mission was to provide staple foods to be prepared at home.
January 01, 1964
high
temporal
Initial eligibility rules for SNAP purchases.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
high
administration
Federal oversight of SNAP is handled by the USDA, which communicates with state agencies about program operations and funding.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides one in eight people in the United States with money to buy food.
high
definition
Program coverage statistic describing the share of the U.S. population receiving SNAP benefits.
SNAP benefits average about $187 per month per recipient.
high
statistical
Typical monthly benefit amount for SNAP recipients.
SNAP benefits cost the federal government about $8 billion per month.
high
statistical
Aggregate monthly federal expenditure on SNAP benefits.
SNAP maintains a contingency reserve estimated at about $5 billion intended to help cover emergencies and shortfalls, and U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funding for SNAP is intended to provide food assistance in disasters and emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.
high
policy/statistical
Description of SNAP's reserve funds and the intended uses of USDA contingency funding.
SNAP stands for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program that provides food-purchasing assistance to low-income individuals and families.
high
definitional
Definition of the federal nutrition assistance program commonly referred to as SNAP.
SNAP benefits are issued on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) prepaid cards, and unused benefit balances remain on those cards and can be used in subsequent months.
high
temporal
Operational detail about how SNAP benefit delivery and balances work.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) serves on the order of tens of millions of people, approximately 42 million beneficiaries.
high
temporal
Baseline scale statistic describing program participation.
SNAP maintains contingency or reserve funds that the USDA can use to provide or partially provide benefits to eligible households when regular appropriations or normal funding are interrupted.
high
process
Explains a durable funding mechanism used to maintain benefit payments during funding disruptions.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is a U.S. federal program that provides nutrition and food assistance benefits to eligible individuals and households.
high
descriptive
Federal food assistance program referenced in discussions of benefits and public assistance.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
high
administrative
SNAP is a federal nutrition assistance program administered and funded via the USDA.
SNAP benefits are typically distributed electronically to recipients using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards.
high
procedural
EBT is the common mechanism for delivering SNAP payments to individual beneficiaries.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issues guidance and directives regarding SNAP benefit issuance, while individual U.S. states administer and implement the distribution of SNAP benefits to residents.
high
administrative
USDA oversees federal SNAP policy and can direct states on implementation; states operate the program at the level of benefit issuance to participants.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) refers to the federal food assistance program commonly known as food stamps.
high
definition
Clarifies terminology used in discussions of federal nutrition assistance programs.