A one-person household can receive as much as $298 a month in SNAP through September 2026 in the contiguous 48 states and Washington, D.C. That number is a maximum allotment, not a flat benefit, and it belongs to a specific federal fiscal-year table. Location, countable income and allowable deductions can all pull the actual deposit below the headline amount even when the applicant qualifies. The maximum is therefore a boundary, not a promise.
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The $298 ceiling has a geographic border
The USDA’s fiscal 2026 SNAP table sets the one-person maximum at $298 for the contiguous states and the District of Columbia. The table applies through September 30, 2026, the end of the federal fiscal year. Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands use separate maximums because their food-cost adjustments differ. USDA lists each of those jurisdictions in its own column.
That calendar is why “through September” belongs in the title. SNAP maximums are updated for a new fiscal year beginning in October, so $298 should not be projected into later months without a new USDA table. It is also not a nationwide figure that can be quoted without the contiguous-state and D.C. limitation.
The maximum defines the upper edge of the calculation, not a universal payment. SNAP generally subtracts a portion of a household’s net income from the maximum allotment. Two people living alone in the same state can therefore receive different benefits because their earned income, Social Security, housing costs, utilities and qualifying deductions do not produce the same net figure. The formula matters.
Net income turns the ceiling into a household benefit
The USDA eligibility guidance explains that households generally face gross- and net-income tests, with special rules where an elderly or disabled member is present. Deductions can include the standard amount and, when conditions are met, certain earned-income, dependent-care, shelter and medical expenses. Because those deductions change net income, omitting one can reduce the benefit even if it does not change basic eligibility.
Household composition is equally important. SNAP does not always define a household as everyone sharing an address; purchasing and preparing food together can determine who must be included. At the same time, spouses and many children living with a parent generally must be treated together. Calling an application “one person” requires more than pointing to one name on a lease.
Older adults frequently assume Social Security prevents eligibility, but the program evaluates the amount under its income rules rather than excluding recipients categorically. Out-of-pocket medical costs above the applicable threshold may matter for a household with an elderly or disabled member. Accurate rent, utility and medical documentation can therefore be as consequential as the initial income statement.
The state agency makes the individual calculation
SNAP is federally funded and governed, but state agencies process applications, verify facts and issue EBT benefits. USDA’s state directory points applicants to the correct office. An official state portal or local agency—not a paid enrollment site—should handle the submission and any follow-up request for proof.
An applicant should report the current household, income and expenses rather than trying to reverse-engineer a $298 result. The agency’s notice will show approval, benefit amount and certification period. If the calculation appears to omit a documented deduction or misstate a household member, the notice also provides the route and timing for correction or appeal.
Certification is not permanent approval at a fixed amount. State agencies can require periodic recertification and reporting when income or household circumstances change. A recipient whose rent rises, who begins receiving wages or who starts buying food with another person may need a new calculation. The $298 maximum remains the federal ceiling through September, but the household’s place beneath it can move as verified facts change.
The headline maximum is useful as a boundary check: no qualifying one-person household in the covered area should receive more than $298 under the fiscal 2026 table, but many will properly receive less. The meaningful comparison is between the state’s calculation and the household’s verified facts, with October reserved for the next federal table rather than an assumption that today’s ceiling continues.
Disclosure: This article was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed against primary sources.
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