May is almost here, and many families are anticipating their fifth SNAP benefit payment of 2025.
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest and most effective federal nutrition assistance program in the U.S. According to a January 2025 report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, in 2024, nearly 41.7 million people (12% of the population) participated in SNAP, which provides food-purchasing assistance for eligible low-income individuals and families. Here’s some more info on what you can get with SNAP and when you will see your benefits.
Items You Can Get With SNAP
Foods that are eligible for SNAP include:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat, poultry and fish
- Dairy products
- Breads and cereals
- Snack foods
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- Food-producing seeds and plants
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The following items are ineligible for SNAP:
- Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
- Vitamins, medicines, and supplements: If an item has a Supplement Facts label, it is considered a supplement and is not eligible for SNAP purchase.
- Live animals (except shellfish, fish removed from water and animals slaughtered prior to pick-up from the store).
- Foods that are hot at the point of sale
- Any nonfood items such as pet foods, cleaning supplies, paper products and other household supplies.
- Hygiene items and cosmetics
When To Expect Your SNAP Benefits
SNAP benefits are most commonly paid out through an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card, but some states may give this program a different name. State agencies are responsible for the administration and integrity of the program, and each has its own monthly SNAP payment schedule.
To find out the exact date (or, more likely, date range) in May that you’ll receive your SNAP benefits, you have to visit your state’s specific SNAP program/provider website. Just enter the name of your state and SNAP into your search engine. For example, if you live in California, head to Google and enter “California SNAP” and you’ll see links to CalFresh, the agency that administers benefits to California. Each state has its own agency.
An even simpler way to find out when you’ll get your SNAP benefits this May: Visit Propel.app, where you can access a breakdown of payment schedules in each state. Just click on “Resources” and scroll down two tabs to “State guides.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: SNAP Schedule 2025: May Payments
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