Each month, eligible households in the District of Columbia (Washington DC) receive a total benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), determined by factors such as income, deductions, and the household’s size. Referred to as an allotment, this monthly benefit is loaded onto an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Recipients can use their SNAP benefits to buy food at nearby stores and online retailers that participate in the program.
Households that receive food stamps are anticipated to contribute approximately 30% of their own funds towards food expenses. The allotment calculation involves multiplying your household’s net monthly income by 0.3 and deducting the outcome from the maximum monthly allotment allocated for your specific household size.
Maximum SNAP Benefits to Claim in January 2024
The maximum monthly allotment for SNAP, determined by household size, is established by the Federal government and undergoes revisions annually on October 1. The figures below, effective from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, outline the maximum monthly allotments:
- 1 person: $291
- 2 persons: $535
- 3 persons: $766
- 4 persons: $973
- 5 persons: $1,155
- 6 persons: $1,386
- 7 persons: $1,532
- 8 persons: $1,751
- Each additional member: $219
The deposits of the food stamps in Washington DC are made during the first ten days of each month. Each beneficiary group is established by the first letter of their last name:
- A or B: January 1, 2024
- C: January 2, 2024
- D, E, or F: January 3, 2024
- G or H: January 4, 2024
- I, J, or K: January 5, 2024
- L or M: January 6, 2024
- N, O, P, or Q: January 7, 2024
- R or S: January 8, 2024
- T, U, or V: January 9, 2024
- W, X, Y, or Z: January 10, 2024
Using Your SNAP Benefits in Washington
SNAP benefits offer a broad range of eligible items for purchase, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages, and even seeds and plants for home food production.
However, certain restrictions apply, preventing the use of SNAP benefits for alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, vitamins, medicines, and live animals, except for specific exceptions like shellfish or pre-slaughtered animals. Additionally, prepared hot foods for immediate consumption and nonfood items like pet food, cleaning supplies, and hygiene products fall outside the scope of SNAP-eligible purchases, ensuring a focus on essential food items for households in need.
In District Columbia, these online retailers accept your food stamps’ EBT card:
- ALDI (via Instacart)
- Amazon
- Giant of Maryland
- Safeway
- Target
- Wegmans
- Whole Foods
Use the USDA retail locator to find the closest store that accept EBT card, here.
In the event that you’ve experienced a household misfortune resulting in the loss of food purchased through SNAP benefits, you have the option to request a replacement of those benefits. It’s crucial to promptly report the loss, ideally within 10 days, and furnish a written attestation detailing the circumstances.
Household misfortunes inclues scenarios like severe storms, flooding, fire, power outages lasting a minimum of 4 hours, or failures in refrigerator/freezer equipment. To streamline this process, you can utilize the DHS-1696 form, officially titled “Replacement of SNAP Benefits,” to report the loss and fulfill the necessary written attestation.