Quick answer: In Alabama, the Department of Human Resources (DHR) runs SNAP, which it calls the Food Assistance Program.
Most households qualify with gross income up to 130% of the poverty line, $3,575 a month for a family of four from October 1, 2026. Benefits post between the 4th and the 23rd. Apply online on MyDHR or on paper at your county DHR office.
Eligibility
DHR's gross income test for Alabama Food Assistance
Gross monthly income (before taxes) must be at or under the gross limit for your household size. Net income (after deductions) must be under the net limit. Maximum benefits apply from October 1, 2026.
| Household | Gross limit (130%) | Net limit | Max benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $1,729 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 people | $2,345 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 people | $2,960 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 people | $3,575 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 people | $4,191 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 people | $4,806 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 people | $5,421 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 people | $6,037 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
Each extra person adds $616 to the gross limit, $474 to the net limit and $225 to the maximum benefit.
Gross limit rule: USDA FNA FY2027 income standards. Net limits and maximum benefits: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration FY2027 standards. Verified October 9, 2026.
A household with someone 60 or older, or a disabled member, only has to meet the net income limit.
Meeting the income limit does not guarantee benefits. Your amount is figured from net income after deductions, so a household near the limit may get a small benefit or none.
Your amount is the maximum for your household size minus 30% of your net income. See the math with examples.
| Gross income vs. the limit | $1,500 (limit $2,960) |
|---|---|
| After the 20% earnings deduction | $1,200 |
| After the $217 standard deduction | $983 net (limit $2,277) |
| 30% of net income | $295 |
| Monthly benefit | $808 max minus $295 = about $513 |
The card pays for groceries and seeds or plants that grow food, not alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, hot prepared food, pet food or household supplies.
Payment schedule
Alabama EBT dates move one day per five case numbers
Alabama posts benefits on the same date every month, between the 4th and the 23rd. The last two digits of your case number set the date, in groups of five: 00 to 04 on the 4th, up to 95 to 99 on the 23rd. New or restored benefits are available the day after DHR enters them.
| Last two digits of case number | Benefits arrive |
|---|---|
| 00 to 04 | 4th |
| 05 to 09 | 5th |
| 10 to 14 | 6th |
| 15 to 19 | 7th |
| 20 to 24 | 8th |
| 25 to 29 | 9th |
| 30 to 34 | 10th |
| 35 to 39 | 11th |
| 40 to 44 | 12th |
| 45 to 49 | 13th |
| 50 to 54 | 14th |
| 55 to 59 | 15th |
| 60 to 64 | 16th |
| 65 to 69 | 17th |
| 70 to 74 | 18th |
| 75 to 79 | 19th |
| 80 to 84 | 20th |
| 85 to 89 | 21st |
| 90 to 94 | 22nd |
| 95 to 99 | 23rd |
The digits are the last two of your case number. DHR's new ACES computer system, in a pilot since October 5, 2026, does not change issuance dates.
Interview and processing time
After you apply, DHR gives or mails you an appointment for an interview with a worker, by phone or in person.
Your county DHR office has up to 30 days from the day you turn in your application to tell you if you qualify.
Alabama SNAP application: MyDHR or paper Form 2116/1942
Apply online through MyDHR after you register for an account, or fill out the combined paper application (Form 2116/1942) and turn it in at the DHR office in your county. Questions can go to the Food Assistance Division by email at fs@dhr.alabama.gov.
Your application date counts from the day DHR gets it. DHR then sets up your interview and has up to 30 days to decide. If you live in a drug or alcohol treatment center, DHR splits the monthly benefit, with half on the 4th and half on the 16th.
Source: official page.
Need food now? Alabama expedited SNAP
DHR acts on your application within 7 calendar days if your monthly gross income is under $150 and you have less than $100 in cash and bank accounts, or if your rent or mortgage and utilities cost more than your income and cash combined.
Destitute migrant or seasonal farmworker households with less than $100 in cash also qualify. Tell DHR you have little or no money when you apply.
Source: official page.
Alabama EBT cards: chip cards, balance and the online block
Alabama mailed chip EBT cards to every cardholder in 2026, and each new card must be activated within 180 days. Check your balance, change your PIN and manage the card in the ConnectEBT app or at connectebt.com. For card problems, call EBT customer service at 800-997-8888.
Since January 22, 2026, every Alabama EBT card blocks online and out-of-state purchases by default. To shop online or outside Alabama, unlock the card in ConnectEBT or by calling EBT customer service.
Source: official page.
AESAP: a shorter application for Alabama seniors 65 and older
The Alabama Elderly Simplified Application Project (AESAP) is for households where every member is 65 or older and no one has earned income.
It uses a two-page application, certifies benefits for three years, and skips the face-to-face interview unless you ask for one. Income limits are the same as for other households.
Source: official page.
SUN Bucks: summer food money for Alabama kids
Alabama ran SUN Bucks in summer 2026 with the State Department of Education: a one-time $120 for each eligible school-age child, on an Alabama SUN Bucks card.
Children in SNAP or TANF households, and some others such as foster children, got it automatically; the last day to apply was August 15, 2026. Watch DHR for news on summer 2027. The call center is 800-443-3536.
Source: official page.
Can Alabama SNAP buy soda? And the Double Up produce match
Yes, for now. USDA lists no Alabama SNAP food restriction waiver, so soda and candy can still be bought with SNAP. A 2026 state law (SB 57) tells DHR to ask USDA for a waiver to bar them, but USDA shows no pending Alabama request. Alabama does not run the Restaurant Meals Program.
Double Up Food Bucks Alabama, run by Auburn University's Hunger Solutions Institute, matches SNAP spent on fruits and vegetables dollar for dollar: up to $40 a visit at farmers markets, $20 at farm stands and $10 at grocery stores.
Source: official page.
Disaster SNAP after hurricanes in Alabama
After a declared disaster, Alabama can open Disaster SNAP (D-SNAP) for households that do not normally get SNAP.
The most recent one on DHR's site followed Hurricane Zeta, for Clarke, Dallas, Marengo, Mobile, Perry, Washington and Wilcox counties in early 2021. Households already on SNAP that month could not apply, because they had already received disaster benefits on their EBT cards.
Source: official page.
If DHR denies or cuts your Alabama SNAP
You can ask for a fair hearing within 90 days of the action you disagree with. Ask orally or in writing at your county DHR office, or contact the Food Assistance Division, 50 N. Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130, at (334) 242-1700.
Free legal help is available from Legal Services Alabama at 866-456-4995 or alabama.legalhelp.org.
Source: official page.
Only in Alabama
Alabama's move to the ACES portal, planned for January 2027
Apply online on MyDHR (create an account first), or file paper Form 2116/1942 at the DHR office in the county where you live. County offices are generally open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; check your county's hours in DHR's office directory.
DHR is moving to a new ACES Self-Service Portal. It is in a pilot in Montgomery, Elmore, Tuscaloosa, Dallas and Talladega counties, and DHR says it will tentatively go statewide in January 2027.
Some Alabama households must send DHR a six-month report on their situation, and benefits post on the same calendar date each month.
Assets: Most Alabama households have no asset limit, because DHR uses broad-based categorical eligibility. A household with a disqualified member can have up to $3,000 in resources, or $4,750 if a member is 60 or older or disabled.
Work rules: Adults 18 to 64 with no children and no disability can be limited to three months of SNAP in the January 2025 to December 2027 period unless they work, train or volunteer 80 hours a month. Having a child under 14 at home or being pregnant are among the exemptions.
Related guides
Other programs that may help your household.
Frequently asked questions
If you're dealing with DHR: Alabama food assistance FAQ
A household with someone 60 or older or a disabled member only has to meet the net income limit. Most other Alabama households qualify with gross income up to 130% of the poverty line, $3,575 a month for a family of four from October 1, 2026.
$1,023 a month for a family of four from October 1, 2026, or $306 for one person. DHR subtracts 30% of your net income from that cap, so most households get less, and eligible one- and two-person households get at least $25. AESAP households are figured the same way.
No. Benefits post on the same date every month, set by the last two digits of your DHR case number in groups of five: 00 to 04 on the 4th, up to 95 to 99 on the 23rd. Case numbers ending 35 to 39, for example, fall on the 11th.
No. Apply online on MyDHR after you create an account, or fill out paper Form 2116/1942 and take, mail or fax it to your county DHR office. To get a paper application mailed to you, call or write your county Food Assistance office.
Only after you unlock it. Since January 22, 2026, every Alabama EBT card blocks online and out-of-state purchases by default. Unlock it in the ConnectEBT app or by calling EBT customer service at 800-997-8888.
Yes, for now. A 2026 state law (SB 57) tells DHR to ask USDA for a waiver to stop SNAP from paying for soda and candy. USDA's waiver list shows no approved or pending Alabama waiver, so SNAP purchase rules in Alabama have not changed.
Households where every member is 65 or older and no one has earned income. AESAP uses a two-page application, certifies benefits for three years, and skips the face-to-face interview unless you ask for one. Income limits are the same as for other households.
Call the DHR Food Assistance information line at 800-382-0499, or (334) 242-0143 in the Montgomery area. For card problems, call EBT customer service at 800-997-8888. Check your balance in the ConnectEBT app or at connectebt.com.
Only if DHR counts you as an able-bodied adult: 18 to 64, with no children and no disability. Then you must work, train or volunteer 80 hours a month, or SNAP stops after three months in the January 2025 to December 2027 period. Pregnancy or a child under 14 at home exempts you.
Official resources
Official links
- Alabama Department of Human Resources
- DHR Form 1942: eligibility requirements, effective 10/1/2026
- DHR: EBT issuance schedule
- DHR: Food Assistance FAQs
- DHR: new ACES system for SNAP and TANF
- USDA FNA: broad-based categorical eligibility
- Auburn Hunger Solutions Institute: Double Up Food Bucks
- Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama SB 57 soda and candy law (June 24, 2026)
- USDA FNA: FY2027 SNAP cost-of-living adjustments
Independent guide
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