Food Supplement Program · FY2027
Maine Food Stamp Calculator
Maine’s Office for Family Independence calls SNAP the Food Supplement Program; you apply through My Maine Connection. Maine’s heating and cooling allowance, $1,096 in USDA’s latest table, is tied with Vermont’s for the highest in the 48 states. One person can get up to $306.
Your estimate
Maine · 1 person.
- Likely eligible
- Figures verified October 5, 2026
Winter heating drives Maine benefits
An allowance that size means that for anyone 60+ or disabled — whose shelter deduction has no cap — paying a heating bill can push net income close to zero. A Lewiston retiree living alone on $1,400 of Social Security, paying $900 rent plus heat with $60 in medical bills, would receive about $306. Maine lists no separate phone-only standard, and its limited allowance for non-heating utilities is $598. Both amounts are last year’s; we found no October 2026 figure from the state.
Maine’s calendar
Benefits arrive between the 10th and 14th of the month, set by the last digit of your day of birth — later than most states. Maine excludes child support you pay from income, does not disqualify people for past drug felonies, pays transitional benefits to families leaving cash aid, and can skip the recertification interview for elderly and disabled households. Its FY2025 payment error rate was 10.81%.
Renewals and reporting
Maine certifies most households for 12 months and uses simplified reporting: between renewals, report only if your gross income goes above the limit, $4,554 a month for three. New Hampshire, Maine’s only neighbor, uses the same 200% line but pays every household on the 5th.
By household size
| People | Max | Gross limit | Senior† |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $306 | $2,660 | $306 |
| 2 | $562 | $3,608 | $386 |
| 3 | $808 | $4,554 | $419 |
| 4 | $1,023 | $5,500 | $427 |
| 5 | $1,217 | $6,448 | $425 |
| 6 | $1,463 | $7,394 | $476 |
| Pay‡ | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $3,000 | $3,500 | $4,000 | $4,500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ME | $808 | $743 | $623 | $503 | $383 | $244 | $64 | $0 |
† 60+ or disabled, income at the poverty line, $700 rent. ‡ Family of 3, $900 rent. How these are worked out.
Utility allowances
| Type | Oct 2025* |
|---|---|
| Heating & cooling allowance | $1,096 |
| Basic utility allowance | $598 |
Where to apply
| Apply | mymaineconnection.gov |
|---|---|
| Program | Food Supplement Program |
| Card | Maine EBT Card |
| Phone | 800-442-6003 |
| Offices | maine.gov |
| Deposits | 10th–14th, by the last digit of the birth day |
Next door
| State | Gross, 3 | Assets | Heat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | $4,554 | none | $1,096* |
| New Hampshire | $4,554 | none | $1,018* |
Sources
FY2027 COLA memo · BBCE chart · FY2026 SUA table · issuance schedule · State Options Report · FY2025 error rates · USDA directory · all sources
* not yet verified for Oct 2026.