The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will begin sending out January benefits to Rhode Island residents in four days.

Rhode Island is one of four states that sends out SNAP benefits to all participating households on the first of the month. Other states send out food stamps based on the last digits of a Social Security number, SNAP case number, or last name.

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The average payment per household member per month in Rhode Island is $183. Approximately 619,000 people, or 12% of the population, receive food stamps in Rhode Island.

A household of one can receive a maximum amount of $291, a household of five can receive a maximum of $1,155, and a household of eight can receive a maximum of $1,751. For each additional person, a household can receive a maximum of $219. These amounts are based on the recent cost-of-living adjustments for 2023-24.

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SNAP benefit recipients will see the amount transferred to a prepaid electronic benefits transfer card. In Rhode Island, the EBT card is called the Rhode Island Electronic Benefits Transfer Card.

The Rhode Island EBT Card works similarly to a debit card and can be used at grocery stores and farmers markets or at some online retailers. The money is intended for purchasing groceries, snacks, fresh food, seeds, and plants. SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase nonfood household items, including tobacco products, alcohol, pet food, or prepared foods.