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CT Offers $300 Grocery Cards to 35,000 Who Lost SNAP. Not All Qualify.

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Connecticut’s $300 Grocery Card: Who Qualifies and How to Apply

Connecticut announced on August 5, 2026, that some residents who lost food stamp benefits can now receive $300 in grocery store gift cards. The offer comes from the state Department of Social Services (DSS) and targets a specific group.

The grocery card is available only to people who lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits because of new federal work requirements for “Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents,” a category federal policy refers to as ABAWDs. People who lost SNAP for other reasons do not qualify.

35,000 Connecticut residents have lost SNAP since July 2025, according to the CT Department of Social Services.

That figure includes nearly 18,900 children, according to CT Mirror reporting from July 30, 2026. Children themselves do not face work requirements, but losing a household’s SNAP eligibility removes benefits for everyone in that household.

Federal Work Requirements Are Driving Connecticut Families Off SNAP

The ABAWD rules require adults ages 18 to 54 who have no dependents and are deemed physically able to work to meet specific work, job training, or volunteering minimums each month. Adults who do not meet those hours lose SNAP. The rules do not account for inconsistent work schedules, lack of transportation, or the difficulty of finding qualifying job-training programs.

Connecticut’s $300 grocery card is a state-level bridge, not a replacement for lost federal benefits. A single $300 card covers roughly one to two weeks of groceries for an individual, based on USDA Thrifty Food Plan estimates. People who remain ineligible for SNAP will continue to face the full gap after the card is used.

What You Can Do Now

  1. Check your eligibility and apply through the CT DSS online portal at connect.ct.gov or call DSS at (855) 626-6632. Tell them you lost SNAP due to ABAWD work requirements and ask about the grocery card program. Have documentation of your SNAP termination notice ready.

  2. Call your Connecticut state legislators and ask them to expand the grocery card program to all households that lost SNAP, not just those affected by ABAWD rules. Find your state rep and senator at cga.ct.gov/asp/content/cgafindlegbyadd.asp.

  3. Call your U.S. senators at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to oppose further SNAP work requirement expansions. The Big Beautiful Bill, signed in 2025, extended ABAWD rules to more age groups. A follow-up rulemaking is expected in fall 2026.

  4. Help a neighbor apply. DSS estimates tens of thousands of eligible Connecticut residents have not yet claimed benefits they qualify for. Share the DSS number, (855) 626-6632, with anyone in your community who may have lost SNAP in the past year.

Sources

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