✅ Key Takeaways for Texas SNAP 2025
- Food restriction ban on sugary drinks and candy starts April 2026
- 33 counties approved for hot food purchases after flooding
- 138,000 application backlog leaving families waiting months
- USDA pressing Texas to fix delays and improve timeliness
- Use the Texas SNAP Calculator and check Texas SNAP Income Limits FY 2026 to understand eligibility and benefits
Texas has seen major SNAP program changes in 2025, from new food restrictions to emergency waivers and a growing application backlog crisis that is hurting families. These updates affect the state’s 3.5 million recipients across 1.6 million households.
In August 2025, Texas won federal approval for its new SNAP food restriction waiver, which starts on April 1, 2026. This makes Texas one of the first 12 states to ban certain foods with EBT cards.
The rules block the purchase of:
- Sweetened drinks with 5+ grams of sugar or any artificial sweetener (except milk, soy/rice substitutes, or juices with 50%+ fruit/vegetable)
- Candy such as bars, gum, drops, taffy, chocolate-covered nuts, glazed fruit, or yogurt-coated snacks
Cooking products like chocolate chips or sprinkles are still allowed.
The rollout plan includes:
- Dec 2025 – Feb 2026 → staff training, social media campaigns, retailer prep, and shopper education
- Full start on April 1, 2026
- Two-year approval period until March 31, 2028, with possible yearly extensions
Texas must submit quarterly reports tracking:
- Shopper behavior and restricted food purchases
- Retailer compliance
- Household surveys on meals, shopping, and spending patterns
Meanwhile, storms and flooding in July 2025 led to another big change: the Texas SNAP hot food waiver. Normally, SNAP can’t be used for hot meals, but USDA granted approval after Governor Abbott’s request.
- July 8, 2025 → Waiver started for 7 counties hit hardest
- July 15, 2025 → Expanded to 26 more counties, covering 33 total counties
- Families could buy hot food through August 14, 2025
- Reporting rules for lost food were suspended in disaster areas
But the biggest ongoing issue is the SNAP application backlog.
- In January 2025, more than 119,000 applications were stuck in the system
- By November 2025, the backlog grew to 138,000 applications
- Only 87% of cases were processed on time (federal law requires 95%)
- Families faced months of waiting for food help
The USDA warned Texas in February 2025 about the crisis. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Governor Abbott that delays were unacceptable and hurting families.
To respond, HHSC reassigned 250 staff and began training 600 new workers, but many insiders doubt if this will fix the problem. Federal officials suggested:
- Extending SNAP certification periods beyond 6 months
- Asking for emergency waivers to auto-renew benefits for families until the backlog is cleared
The delays are especially hard on children, seniors, people with disabilities, and pregnant women, who may go hungry or skip medical care while waiting for food benefits.
For families trying to plan ahead, the Texas SNAP Calculator can help estimate monthly benefits, while the official Texas SNAP Income Limits FY 2026 chart explains the maximum income allowed to qualify.
Texas SNAP families are now dealing with a triple challenge:
- Upcoming food restrictions that limit what can be bought with EBT
- Natural disaster impacts requiring hot food waivers
- A severe application backlog leaving families without timely help
Advocates warn these changes will make it harder for low-income Texans to keep food on the table as grocery prices remain high.
