Any store that takes SNAP benefits has until Nov. 4 to show it keeps a fuller shelf of everyday food, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture will cut it from the program. USDA’s stocking standards page says a store that does not meet the new requirements “will be withdrawn from participating in SNAP.” The final…

A SNAP card will not pay for hot foods, vitamins, medicines, supplements, alcohol or tobacco. Those items are on USDA’s federal no-buy list, and a cashier’s register will reject them at checkout. Some states have since added to the list, and a few shoppers can use SNAP for hot meals under a separate program. For…

A college student between 18 and 49 who is enrolled at least half time generally cannot get food stamps without an exemption. USDA’s eligibility page puts it this way: students ages 18 through 49 who are enrolled in college at least half time are not eligible for SNAP unless they meet certain specific exemptions. The…

When a community care provider asks VA for more care for a veteran, the answer took about 12 days to reach the veteran or the provider, on average. VA’s standard is three business days, so the notice came roughly four times later than required. The VA inspector general reported the figure in a Sept. 24…

No state has a statewide waiver of the food stamp work time limit this quarter. Twelve states keep partial waivers that cover only certain areas: Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Wisconsin. That is the picture in USDA’s waiver status list for the first quarter of…

VA decided only about 1.2 million of nearly 2.6 million requests from community care providers for added services on time between October 2024 and January 2026, the VA inspector general found. That is 45 percent. The audit, issued Sept. 24, 2026, measured decisions against VA’s own rule of three business days, and the inspector general’s…

Anyone can tell USDA what they think of Idaho’s ban on buying soda and candy with food stamps until Oct. 15, 2026. A Federal Register notice published Sept. 15 invites public comment on the State of Idaho’s demonstration project, which removes soda and candy from what SNAP benefits can buy. Written comments must be received…

Iowa will start requiring certain adults in its Medicaid expansion plan to meet monthly work or activity rules on Dec. 1, 2026. That is a month ahead of the federal deadline of Jan. 1, 2027. Iowa Medicaid says certain members enrolled in the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan must meet monthly Community Engagement Requirements to…

Pennsylvania’s Money Match law lets the state Treasury send unclaimed property to its owner without a claim form, as long as the property belongs to a single owner and is valued at up to $500. Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s office announced the first batch of 2026 Money Match checks on March 27, 2026: more than 100,000…

November 9 is the date federal employees and annuitants can start choosing their 2027 health, dental and vision coverage, and December 14 is the last day. The Office of Personnel Management states in its 2027 plan-year highlights that the Federal Benefits Open Season runs “from November 9 through December 14, 2026.” The window falls in…