How Wyoming DFS Calculates Your Benefit Amount
The formula is federal, not state specific. DFS takes your household's gross monthly income, subtracts the deductions you qualify for to reach net income, then subtracts 30 percent of that net income from the maximum allotment for your household size.
| Deduction | FY2027 Amount |
|---|
| Standard deduction, households of 1 to 3 | $217 |
| Standard deduction, household of 4 | $229 |
| Standard deduction, household of 5 | $268 |
| Standard deduction, households of 6 or more | $308 |
| Earned income deduction | 20% of earnings |
| Excess shelter deduction cap (no elderly or disabled member) | $769 |
| Medical expense threshold (elderly or disabled members only) | costs above $35 |
Dependent care costs you pay so you can work or attend training are deductible with no cap, as is court ordered child support paid out of the household. Households with a member who is 60 or older or who has a disability get an uncapped excess shelter deduction instead of the $769 ceiling, plus a deduction for out of pocket medical costs above $35 a month. Wyoming also uses a standard medical deduction: an elderly or disabled member who shows more than $35 a month in medical costs can take a flat $140 deduction ($175 minus the $35 threshold) without itemizing, or can verify actual costs instead if they run higher than $175.
One change worth knowing: since July 4, 2025, internet and broadband costs no longer count toward the shelter or utility deduction anywhere in the country. If an older guide told you to report your internet bill, that is no longer part of the math. Heat, electricity, water, sewer, trash, and phone still count, and DFS applies standard utility allowances rather than asking most households to itemize bills. The current allowance figures are published in the state SNAP and POWER Policy Manual on dfs.wyo.gov.
A worked Wyoming example
A Cheyenne household of two with $1,500 a month in wages and $900 a month in rent and utilities:
- Gross monthly income is $1,500, under Wyoming's gross limit of $2,345 for two people, so the household passes the gross test.
- Subtract the 20 percent earned income deduction ($300): $1,200.
- Subtract the standard deduction for two people ($217): $983.
- Shelter costs of $900 exceed half of $983 ($491.50) by $408.50, which is below the $769 cap, so subtract $408.50. Net income is $574.50, under the $1,804 net limit for two people.
- Thirty percent of net income, rounded up, is $173.
- $562 maximum allotment minus $173 equals an estimated $389 a month.
Change one input and the answer moves. Higher rent raises the benefit, a raise lowers it, which is why two Wyoming households with identical paychecks can receive different amounts.
Wyoming Income and Asset Limits That Set the Benefit
Wyoming does not use broad based categorical eligibility (BBCE). That matters in two concrete ways. First, the gross income limit stays at the federal floor of 130 percent of the poverty guidelines rather than the 200 percent that BBCE states use. Second, most households must pass a separate net income test at 100 percent, and the asset test still applies.
These monthly figures use the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, which SNAP applies for all of fiscal year 2027.
| Household Size | Gross Limit (130% FPL) | Net Limit (100% FPL) |
|---|
| 1 | $1,729 | $1,330 |
| 2 | $2,345 | $1,804 |
| 3 | $2,960 | $2,277 |
| 4 | $3,575 | $2,750 |
| 5 | $4,191 | $3,224 |
| 6 | $4,806 | $3,697 |
| 7 | $5,421 | $4,170 |
| 8 | $6,037 | $4,644 |
| Each additional | add $616 | add $474 |
A household with a member who is 60 or older or who has a disability is exempt from the gross income test and only has to meet the net income test.
The Wyoming asset test
Because Wyoming has no BBCE, countable resources are tested. The federal limits for FY2027 are $3,000 for most households and $4,750 for a household that includes a member who is 60 or older or who has a disability. The DFS "Do I Qualify" page still prints $4,500 as the elderly and disabled figure, which was the FY2026 amount, but the DFS SNAP and POWER Policy Manual applies $4,750 from October 1, 2026.
Two important carve outs from Wyoming's own policy: people who receive SSI, and households receiving POWER (Wyoming's TANF cash assistance) or Tribal TANF, are exempt from the resource limit entirely. Your home and lot do not count. Retirement and most education savings accounts are excluded by federal rule, and Wyoming's SNAP policy manual exempts all licensed and unlicensed vehicles used for transportation.
What the Wyoming EBT Card Covers
Wyoming applies the standard federal definition of eligible food for now. That changes on February 1, 2027, when a USDA-approved restriction on sweetened, carbonated beverages takes effect (details below). Until then you can buy:
- Fruits and vegetables, fresh, frozen, or canned
- Meat, poultry, and fish
- Dairy products
- Bread, cereal, rice, and pasta
- Snack foods and non alcoholic beverages, including candy, and soda through January 31, 2027
- Seeds and plants that produce food for your household
You cannot buy alcohol, tobacco or nicotine products, vitamins and supplements, hot prepared foods, pet food, paper products, cleaning supplies, or hygiene items. The hot foods line causes the most confusion at checkout: a cold rotisserie chicken from the deli case is eligible, the same chicken sold hot is not.
Wyoming does not operate a Restaurant Meals Program. Nine states run one, letting elderly, disabled, or homeless recipients buy prepared restaurant meals with EBT. Wyoming is not among them, so hot restaurant food is not SNAP eligible anywhere in the state.
Soda restriction starting February 1, 2027
USDA approved Wyoming's request on March 4, 2026. Starting February 1, 2027, SNAP will not pay for sweetened, carbonated beverages in Wyoming. In its request, DFS defined these as nonalcoholic drinks made with carbonated water and flavored and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners, so regular and diet soda are both covered. Drinks that contain milk, milk products, soy, rice, or other milk substitutes, drinks that are more than 50% fruit or vegetable juice, and unsweetened sparkling water are not affected. Candy stays eligible. DFS has said it plans to seek a candy restriction later, targeting February 1, 2028, but USDA has not approved one. The June 2026 federal court ruling that stopped similar rules in five other states did not cover Wyoming. Questions go to dfs-healthysnap@wyo.gov.
Online grocery orders
Wyoming SNAP EBT cards work online at retailers USDA has approved for Wyoming, including Walmart, Amazon, Albertsons, Safeway, Smith's, Target, and Sam's Club Scan and Go. The DFS website still names only Walmart and Amazon, but USDA's Wyoming list is longer. SNAP pays for the eligible food only. Delivery fees, service fees, and tips must be paid with another method, so you need a debit or credit card on file to complete an order.
A Wyoming rule most guides miss: out of state blocks
DFS blocks Wyoming EBT cards from being used in California, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Georgia. This is an anti trafficking measure, not a mistake at the register. If you are traveling to or moving through one of those states and need your card to work there, call DFS at 307-777-6082 before you go. Your card works normally in every other state.
Deposits, Balances, and Card Problems
Wyoming loads benefits on the 1st through the 4th, assigned by the first letter of the last name on the case: A to D on the 1st, E to K on the 2nd, L to R on the 3rd, S to Z on the 4th. Full detail, including what Wyoming does and does not publish about weekends and holidays, is in the Wyoming EBT deposit schedule guide.
| Task | How |
|---|
| Check balance | ebtEDGE app, ebtedge.com, or 1-877-290-9401 |
| Lost, stolen, or damaged card | 1-877-290-9401, or your local DFS field office |
| Card blocked in another state | 307-777-6082 |
| SNAP and POWER interviews only | 1-307-777-8550 |
| Questions about your SNAP case | Your local DFS field office |
| DFS general line | 1-800-457-3659 |
Stolen benefits. The federal program that required states to replace SNAP benefits stolen by card skimming or cloning ended December 20, 2024, and Congress did not renew it. Benefits stolen on or after December 21, 2024 cannot be replaced with federal funds, and DFS does not publish any state funded replacement program. That makes prevention the only real protection: change your PIN often, especially right before your deposit date, lock the card in the ebtEDGE app between purchases, and inspect card readers for loose or bulky attachments.
Spoiled food. Separately from theft, federal rules let a household get a replacement when food bought with SNAP is destroyed in a household misfortune, such as a power outage, a flood, or a fire. You must report the loss to DFS within 10 days and sign a statement describing it. The replacement cannot exceed one month's allotment.
Unused benefits roll over month to month. Under federal rules, benefits left unused for 274 days (about nine months) can be removed from the account, so do not let a balance sit for months.
SUN Bucks: Wyoming's Summer EBT Status
Wyoming's Summer EBT position has changed, so the year matters. A 2025 bill to fund the program failed in the Legislature. Governor Mark Gordon then signed Executive Order 2026-02 on April 15, 2026, directing DFS to implement a Wyoming SUN Bucks program for summer 2026. More than 36,500 children were automatically enrolled, cards carrying $120 per child began mailing in early July 2026, and the application window closed August 31, 2026. The benefits expire 121 days after issuance, so the first and largest batch, issued July 2, 2026, expires November 1, 2026.
For summer 2027, DFS states plainly that the program has not been funded in Wyoming, adding that if the state renews it, eligible children might receive benefits on the same card. Do not throw away a 2026 SUN Bucks card. Questions go to 307-777-8786 or ask-sunbucks@wyo.gov.
Children were enrolled automatically if they attended a school in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program and received SNAP or POWER, had household income at or below 185 percent of the poverty guidelines plus Medicaid, or had an approved free and reduced price meal application.
Stretching the Benefit Further in Wyoming
Farmers markets. Many Wyoming farmers markets are authorized SNAP retailers and accept EBT at the manager's booth in exchange for tokens. Wyoming does not have a statewide produce matching program. Double Up Food Bucks operates in more than 25 states and Wyoming is not one of them, so any match you find is run by that individual market or a local sponsor. Ask at the information booth what the match is and whether there is a daily cap before you swipe.
Food pantries. DFS works with Food Bank of Wyoming to supply pantries statewide, and the Food Bank's Find Food map at wyomingfoodbank.org lists pantries near you. Pantry food does not reduce your SNAP allotment.
How to Apply or Report a Change
Wyoming is unusual here: there is no online SNAP application portal. DFS accepts a paper application only.
- Download the application from dfs.wyo.gov, available in English and Spanish, or pick up a paper form at your local DFS field office.
- Submit it to a local DFS office in person, by mail, by fax, or by email to snappowerservice@wyo.gov.
- Complete the interview, by phone on the SNAP and POWER interview line at 1-307-777-8550 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the line is not for case questions) or in person at a field office.
- Send proof of identity, Wyoming residency, Social Security numbers, income, shelter costs, utilities, dependent care, and medical expenses if anyone is elderly or disabled.
- Wait for the decision. Standard processing is up to 30 days. Households with very low income and almost no liquid resources, or whose shelter costs exceed income plus resources, may qualify for expedited service within 7 days.
- Report changes and recertify. Income, household size, address, and shelter cost changes all move the benefit amount, and a missed recertification stops benefits even when you still qualify.
Step by step detail is in our Wyoming SNAP application guide.
Rules That Can Reduce or End Benefits
The three month time limit. Since July 4, 2025, adults 18 to 64 with no child under 14 in the household can usually receive SNAP for only 3 months in any 3 year period unless they work or train about 20 hours a week (80 hours a month), receive unemployment benefits, or meet another exemption. Pregnant women remain exempt. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth are no longer exempt. As of October 1, 2026 there are no statewide waivers anywhere in the country, and Wyoming has no waivered areas, so the limit applies statewide. Ask your DFS field office which exemption you may meet before assuming you are cut off. Our state by state work requirement tracker covers the detail.
Immigration status. Also since July 4, 2025, SNAP is limited to citizens and nationals, green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau. Refugees, asylees, and parolees who do not hold a green card no longer qualify. Many green card holders must wait 5 years first, with exceptions including children under 18, 40 quarters of work history, blindness or disability, and a military connection. In a mixed status family, the members who qualify can still receive SNAP.
Unreported income. Overpayments are collected back, usually by reducing future benefits, so reporting a raise promptly costs less than repaying months of overissued benefits later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum SNAP benefit in Wyoming for 2026?
For fiscal year 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, the maximum monthly allotment is $306 for one person, $562 for two, $808 for three, and $1,023 for four, rising to $1,841 for eight people and adding $225 per additional person. Most households receive less, because the benefit falls as net income rises.
Does Wyoming have an asset limit for SNAP?
Yes. Wyoming does not use broad based categorical eligibility, so countable resources are tested at $3,000 for most households and $4,750 for a household with a member who is 60 or older or who has a disability. People who receive SSI, and households receiving POWER or Tribal TANF, are exempt from the resource limit. The DFS website still shows the older $4,500 elderly and disabled figure, but the DFS policy manual applies $4,750 from October 1, 2026.
Why did my Wyoming SNAP amount go down?
The usual causes are a rise in household income, lower reported shelter or utility costs, a household member leaving, or a deduction change at recertification. The October 1 federal adjustment can also shift amounts. Your DFS notice lists the figures used, and you can request a fair hearing if they look wrong.
Can I use my Wyoming EBT card in another state?
In most states, yes. DFS blocks Wyoming EBT cards from use in California, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, and Georgia. If you need your card to work in one of those five states, call 307-777-6082 before you travel.
Can I buy groceries online with Wyoming SNAP?
Yes, at retailers USDA has approved for Wyoming, including Walmart, Amazon, Albertsons, Safeway, Smith's, and Target. SNAP covers the eligible food only, so delivery fees, service charges, and tips need a second payment method on the account.
Is Wyoming doing SUN Bucks again in summer 2027?
Not as currently funded. DFS states that summer SUN Bucks has not been funded in Wyoming for 2027, while noting that benefits could load on the same card if the state renews the program. Wyoming did run SUN Bucks for summer 2026 under Executive Order 2026-02, paying $120 per eligible child.
Will Wyoming replace SNAP benefits stolen from my card?
No. Federal authority to replace skimmed or stolen SNAP benefits ended December 20, 2024, and DFS does not publish any state funded replacement program. Report a lost or stolen card immediately at 1-877-290-9401 to stop further loss, change your PIN regularly, and lock the card in the ebtEDGE app when you are not shopping.
Can I buy soda with SNAP in Wyoming?
Yes, through January 31, 2027. Starting February 1, 2027, a USDA-approved restriction bars sweetened, carbonated beverages, including diet soda, from SNAP purchases in Wyoming. Drinks with milk or milk substitutes, drinks that are more than 50% juice, and unsweetened sparkling water stay eligible. Candy is not restricted.
Can I use Wyoming EBT at restaurants?
No. Wyoming does not participate in the SNAP Restaurant Meals Program, so prepared hot meals are not SNAP eligible anywhere in the state, including for elderly, disabled, or homeless recipients.
Benefit amounts in this guide are federal fiscal year 2027 figures from USDA, and income limits use the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines. Actual eligibility and amounts are determined by the Wyoming Department of Family Services. Figures here are estimates, not a guarantee of benefits.
