FNS Documents & Resources

The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 required USDA to re-evaluate the Thrifty Food Plan by 2022 and every 5 years thereafter based on current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns and dietary guidance. By law, the June TFP is the basis for SNAP maximum allotments for the following fiscal year.

This memorandum provides the FY 2022 Cost-of-Living Adjustments to SNAP, income eligibility standards, and deductions for the 48 contiguous states and D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2021.

FNS intends to issue updated SNAP – Emergency Allotments guidance to provide benefits to certain eligible households, including those receiving SNAP benefits at the statutory maximum, that were previously deemed ineligible for emergency allotments by USDA.

This memorandum replaces the memo issued on Dec. 28, 2020, entitled SNAP – Temporary Increase in Maximum Allotments due to COVID-19. For ease of reference, FNS is reissuing the revised maximum SNAP allotment amounts by household size for the 48 states and D.C., Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Virgin Islands.

The purpose of this memorandum is to advise you of Food and Nutrition Service’s decision to offer state agencies the opportunity to participate in a demonstration project to exclude earned income from temporary employment in the 2020 Census.

This memorandum outlines the approach FNS will begin to take to work with state agencies as they request approval for new demonstration projects or renewal of existing projects, to ensure all active demonstration projects are testing innovative approaches with appropriate evaluations. 

The Agricultural Act of 2014 set the Quality Control tolerance level for excluding small errors at up to $37 for FY 2014. In addition, the Act requires FNS to adjust the tolerance level for future years by the percentage by which the Thrifty Food Plan is adjusted under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

This memorandum provides the FY 2015 Cost of Living Adjustments to the SNAP maximum allotments, income eligibility standards, and deductions. Under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, COLAs are effective as of Oct. 1, 2014.

The attached questions and answers are intended to address state agency concerns about the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on SNAP. 

Questions and Answers for the 2008 Farm Bill