Note: One-time $300 Gift Cards available at local Community Action Agencies as of Tuesday, August 4th! Please give callers who are eligible their local Community Action Agency.

$300 grocery benefits are being distributed as prepaid virtual grocery cards—not loaded onto existing EBT cards—through a partnership the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) arranged with Connecticut’s network of community action agencies, Eligible residents are expected to be able to begin accessing the benefits starting on Tuesday, 8/4/26.

Who qualifies for the grocery benefit

**Any individual in a household who lost SNAP eligibility due to the new federal changes—commonly referred to as ABAWD, or Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents requirements—since December 1, 2025, and who is no longer receiving SNAP, qualifies for the benefit.

**The benefit is available per individual, not per household, and the amount is the same for every eligible recipient.

**Connecticut residents who received a DSS notice stating they do not meet the ABAWD requirements and who are identified in that notice as having reached their three-month SNAP benefit limit should reach out to their local community action agency about how to request the benefit.

Eligibility will be confirmed at the time of request.

How the grocery benefit works

The grocery benefit functions like a prepaid Mastercard or Visa and can be used at any food retailer that accepts standard credit cards. It does not expire, and any unused balance remains on the card until spent. The benefit is intended for SNAP-eligible food purchases.

Community action agencies will lead outreach, verify eligibility, distribute the cards, and connect individuals with wraparound supports to help them work toward regaining SNAP eligibility. The state and its administrative partners are also establishing processes to prevent duplicate payments.

+++++++++++++++++++

New Work Requirement Changes due to the "Big Beautiful Budget Bill" (HR1):

Starting December 1, 2025, all towns in Connecticut will now follow special SNAP work rules for adults. Please use this SNAP Work Rules Pre-screener to understand if these new rules apply.

Work Requirement Changes

• Began November 2025
• Increases the age limit of Able Bodied Adults subject to work requirements from 55 to 64
• Changes the exemption for adults with children under the age of 18 to adults with children under the age of 14
• Removes exemptions for veterans, those experiencing homelessness, young adults under the age of 24 and those who have aged out of foster care. Limits waivers to towns/areas that have an unemployment rate greater than 10%

Non-citizen Eligibility

• Began November 2025
• Restricts non-citizen eligibility to legal permanent residents, Cuban/Haitian entrants, and Compacts of Free Association (COFA) citizens
• Individuals such as refugees, asylees, trafficking victims, humanitarian parolees and more who currently qualify for SNAP will no longer be eligible due to their immigration status

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• Began November 2025
• Limits the SNAP-LIHEAP (Heat & Eat) connection to only apply to households with an older adult or disabled member

To see if individuals may be affected: SNAP Work Rules Pre-screener

For more details on the program, visit the link below. Individuals with questions should call DSS Benefits Center at 1-855-626-6632.