Jennifer Leeper

A new one-time grocery benefit of $300 each is being distributed to low-income Connecticut residents who have been pushed out of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to federal changes.

The grocery benefits, through a partnership the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) arranged with Connecticut’s network of community action agencies and with support provided by the Connecticut Association for Community Action (CAFCA), will be distributed as prepaid virtual grocery cards—not loaded onto existing EBT cards.

Eligible residents should already be able to access these benefits. For more details, please visit the Department of Social Services website here.

While this one-time benefit will not fully blunt the impact of the federal changes, it will provide immediate relief for those who are in need.

Please read below for more information on this benefit.

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.

Losing SNAP eligibility due to ABAWD does not necessarily mean an entire household loses benefits—other household members may still be eligible.

Receiving the $300 grocery benefit will not affect a resident’s eligibility for any other assistance program.

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.

In Connecticut, we will continue to push back against the federal administration’s relentless attacks on the most vulnerable among us.

Connecticut’s minimum wage will adjust to $17.48 per hour beginning January 1, 2027—an increase from the 2026 rate of $16.94 per hour.

The change is required under a state law Governor Lamont enacted in 2019 requiring the minimum wage to receive annual adjustments at the start of every calendar year based on economic indicators from the prior fiscal year. This law ensures that as the economy grows, the minimum wage grows with it.

According to the Current Population Survey as calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 60% of minimum wage earners in Connecticut are women and people of color.

Continuing forward under this law, Connecticut workers and employers can anticipate that announcements declaring the adjustment in the minimum wage that will become effective on January 1 of the approaching year will be made during the second half of each calendar year.