September 30 marks the end of the current SNAP eligibility year, which means October 1 brings a fresh set of income standards, deductions, benefit amounts, and other program rules. For a household that sits close to an eligibility line, even a routine annual update can matter.
This year also brings something more complicated than the usual calendar flip. Federal changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have altered SNAP work requirements and immigrant eligibility, while states handle implementation and verification in their own systems.
