Arkansas EBT and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Arkansas keeps the federal name, SNAP. The Department of Human Services runs it through its Division of County Operations and the DHS county offices1,18. You apply and manage your case in Access Arkansas, the same portal used for Medicaid and TEA cash assistance17. For most households in FY2027 Arkansas keeps the federal 130% gross income limit and an asset test instead of a broader state limit3, and since July 1, 2026 SNAP cannot buy candy, soda (diet soda included) or sweetened ready-to-drink coffee and tea12,13.
Official links and numbers
| Apply, report changes or upload documents | Access Arkansasaccess.arkansas.gov |
|---|---|
| Check your EBT balance, lock your card or change your PIN online | ebtEDGE cardholder portal (FIS)ebtedge.com |
| Lost, stolen or damaged card, PIN and balance (24 hours) | 1-800-997-9999 |
| Questions about your SNAP, Medicaid or TEA case | 1-855-372-1084 |
| Check whether an item is allowed under the 2026 food rule | AR SNAP Companion app (DHS)humanservices.arkansas.gov |
StateEBT is an independent guide, not a government website. Applications, logins and balances are handled only on the official sites above, run by Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of County Operations (DCO) and its EBT contractor.
Access Arkansas: one account for SNAP, health care and TEA
Access Arkansas takes online applications for SNAP, health care (Medicaid, ARKids First, ARHOME), TEA cash assistance and Summer EBT. With an account you can check your benefits, report changes and upload documents DHS asks for, and you can save an application and finish it later17. Have Social Security numbers, income, the value of cars and other property, and your monthly bills ready17.
To skip the hold on the statewide line, 1-855-372-1084, DHS's Access Anywhere form takes a written question about a SNAP, Medicaid or TEA case, and a Division of County Operations worker will reach back out18.
The Arkansas EBT card after the July 2026 switch to FIS
In late July 2026 Arkansas moved EBT from Conduent to FIS, with accounts opening in the new app on July 27, and retired the ConnectEBT app. Existing cards kept working; DHS says chip cards will come later, with no date given10,9. Sign up for the free ebtEDGE New app or ebtedge.com with a phone number or email; you can add your card number then or later22. There you can see your balance and purchases, lock the card, and block purchases outside Arkansas. Get the app only from the app stores or DHS links, since fake EBT apps are used to steal benefits10.
Cards come by mail only, usually within three to five business days. Call 1-800-997-9999 to pick a four-digit PIN; four wrong tries lock the account until the next day7,8. The same line replaces lost or damaged cards free, and your PIN stays the same. The Help Desk cannot change your address, so fix an old address in Access Arkansas or at your county office first7,6.
Arkansas does not replace SNAP stolen from an EBT account; the manual says such benefits "cannot be replaced." The only exception is a county worker failing to send you to the Help Desk, so the card was never shut off6. DHS asks you to change your PIN before deposits start on the 4th, and right away if you see a charge you did not make11.
- Card customer service: 1-800-997-9999
- Cardholder website: ebtEDGE
- Cardholder app: ebtEDGE New (iPhone, Android)
- EBT processor: FIS
Arkansas SNAP and EBT phone numbers
| For | Number | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EBT Help Desk (card, PIN, balance, last 10 transactions) | 1-800-997-99998 | 24 hours, 7 days |
| Division of County Operations, statewide (Access Arkansas hotline)Questions about SNAP, Medicaid or TEA cases | 1-855-372-108418 | — |
| Division of County Operations, Little Rock | 1-501-682-837518 | — |
| DCO TDD | 1-501-682-882018 | — |
| Summer EBT Call CenterSummer EBT card replacement goes through 1-800-997-9999 | 1-800-482-898816 | — |
| Arkansas WIC (State WIC Office) | 1-800-235-000221 | — |
Applying for SNAP in Arkansas
- File online, on paper or at a county office. Apply in Access Arkansas, or print form DCO-0004 (English, Spanish or Marshallese) and take or mail it to your DHS county office2,17. Benefits are figured from the day DHS receives it; an online application sent after close of business, on a weekend or on a holiday counts from the next workday6.
- Do the interview, usually by phone. A DHS worker interviews every applicant, by phone or video unless you ask to meet in person, with the appointment set within 20 days of your application. If you miss it, you must call to ask for another6.
- Send the proof the worker asks for. Mail missing proof in the business reply envelope, bring it in, or upload it in Access Arkansas6,17. If a document is hard to get, the worker must help without being asked6.
- Watch the mail for your card. If you are approved, the card arrives by mail. Call 1-800-997-9999 to choose your PIN before you shop7,8.
DHS must decide within 30 days. Expedited benefits come by the seventh calendar day if your household has $100 or less in cash and bank accounts and under $150 in monthly gross income, or if income and cash together are less than rent or mortgage plus utilities6.
Under Arkansas's Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), for households where everyone is 60 or older or disabled with no earnings, the worker gathers the verifications for you6.
Arkansas income and asset limits for FY2027
| Household size | Gross income limit (130%) | Net income limit (100%) | Maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,729 | $1,330 | $306 |
| 2 | $2,345 | $1,804 | $562 |
| 3 | $2,960 | $2,277 | $808 |
| 4 | $3,575 | $2,750 | $1,023 |
| 5 | $4,191 | $3,224 | $1,217 |
| 6 | $4,806 | $3,697 | $1,463 |
| 7 | $5,421 | $4,170 | $1,616 |
| 8 | $6,037 | $4,644 | $1,841 |
| Each additional person | +$616 | +$474 | +$225 |
Gross limit: as published by Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of County Operations (DCO)3. Net limit and maximum benefit: USDA FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments. All states compared.
Arkansas does not raise the gross limit or drop the asset test the way many states do, so savings and extra vehicles count3. The figures above come from DHS's October 2026 to September 2027 chart, which also lists $6,653 for 9 people and $7,269 for 103.
For the same period, the maximum benefit is $306 for one person and $1,023 for four, with a $25 minimum for one or two people. The standard deduction is $217 for one to three people and the shelter cap is $7694.
Net income test. A household with no member who is 60 or older or disabled must pass both the 130% gross test and the 100% net test, from $1,330 a month for one person from October 1, 2026. A household with an elderly or disabled member only has to pass the net test3,4. Households where everyone gets SSI, or where someone gets TEA cash, are categorically eligible and skip the income and asset limits3,6.
Assets. From October 1, 2026 the limit is $3,000, or $4,750 with a member who is 60 or older or disabled. Any household may instead use a $5,500 limit for 12 months, but only once in any five-year period3,4. Your home, retirement accounts, one vehicle and vehicles used for work or for a disabled member do not count. Arkansas excludes $4,650 of a vehicle's value for each household member who works or attends school3.
Arkansas SNAP deposit days: the 4th through the 13th
Monthly benefits post at 12:01 a.m. Central time on a fixed day between the 4th and 13th, set by the last digit of the recipient's Social Security number.
| Last digit of SSN | Benefits available |
|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | 4th |
| 2 or 3 | 5th |
| 4 | 8th |
| 5 | 9th |
| 6 | 10th |
| 7 | 11th |
| 8 | 12th |
| 9 | 13th |
No deposits fall on the 6th or 7th. The DHS appendix lists calendar dates and says nothing about weekend changes. A first payment, or any benefit approved mid-month, posts the same day at 9 p.m. Central time5.
Unused benefits carry over. An account with no use for six months goes dormant but still works. The manual says benefits are removed 12 months after they were made available, even after a case closes6; DHS's EBT FAQ says one full year from the date authorized or last used, whichever is later8.
Six-month certifications and limited reporting
Most households are approved for six months. Households with an adult under the work time limit, and homeless households, get four months. Households of members who are all 60 or older or disabled, with no earnings, get 36 months6. DHS mails a renewal packet on the 16th of the month before your last month. The manual says to return it by mail, in person or by fax, not through Access Arkansas. For households certified four or twelve months, the 15th of the last month counts as on time; ESAP households must return theirs by the 15th of the month they receive it6. An interview follows, though 36-month ESAP households usually skip it unless they ask for one or the renewal looks like a denial6.
Between renewals, "limited reporting" means you report only two things: gross income over your household's limit, or a member under the work rule dropping below 20 hours a week. Report within 10 calendar days of the end of the month, on the Change Report (DCO-234), in Access Arkansas or at your county office6,2,17.
Rules specific to Arkansas
Candy, soda and sweetened drinks off the list since July 1, 2026
USDA approved Arkansas's waiver for a July 1, 2026 start14. It covers all SNAP and Summer EBT purchases, in stores and online12. Not allowed: candy and gum, regular and diet soda, energy drinks, drinks with 50% or less real juice, chocolate and malt drinks, and ready-to-drink coffee and tea with sugar or sweeteners. Still allowed: 100% juice, milk, chocolate milk, unsweetened sparkling water, black coffee, sugar-free tea, baking chocolate, formula and nutrition supplement drinks12,13.
AR SNAP Companion app for checking items
DHS's free AR SNAP Companion app, separate from ebtEDGE, scans a barcode to show whether an item can be bought with SNAP19. Pay for anything that is not allowed separately at checkout12.
Work time limit for ages 18-64, with no waived areas
The time limit returned on July 1, 20232. Since the 2025 federal law it covers able-bodied adults 18 through 64 with no child under 14 at home: 3 months of SNAP in 3 years unless they work, volunteer or train 80 hours a month. Exemptions include pregnancy, caring for a child under 6, working 30 hours or earning $217.50 a week, and school at least half time15. USDA's fiscal year 2027 first-quarter list, dated October 5, 2026, puts Arkansas among the states without time limit waivers23.
Summer EBT 2026: one card per child
Arkansas paid $120 per eligible child in 2026 on a separate card for each child, reloading a card from an earlier summer. SNAP and TEA households were eligible, and many did not need to apply. Benefits expire 122 days after loading, and appeals are due by November 23, 202616.
No Restaurant Meals Program
Arkansas is not on USDA's August 7, 2026 list of states running a Restaurant Meals Program, so SNAP does not pay for restaurant meals here20.
Other assistance in Arkansas
| Program | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) and Work Pays | Short-term cash help for families with a child under 18, plus job training, child care and transportation help; apply in Access Arkansas |
| Arkansas Medicaid (Health Care programs) | ARKids First, coverage for older and disabled adults, pregnancy coverage and more; apply in Access Arkansas |
| ARHOME | Medicaid coverage for eligible adults 19-64, delivered through private health plans (Blue Cross Blue Shield or Ambetter) |
| Health insurance marketplace (HealthCare.gov) | Private coverage with income-based savings for people who do not qualify for Medicaid |
| LIHEAP (Arkansas Energy Office) | Help with heating and cooling bills; apply through the community-based organization that serves your county, typically January to April 30 and July to September 30 |
| WIC (Arkansas Department of Health) | Food, nutrition help and breastfeeding support for pregnant women, new mothers and children under 5; apply at a local health unit |
Sources
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Overview and How to Apply, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Quick Reference Guide: SNAP Eligibility, October 2026 - September 2027, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Basis of Issuance, October 2026 - September 2027 (PDF), Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Certification Manual Appendices, October 2, 2026 (Appendix BB, Availability of Benefits) (PDF), Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Certification Manual, Sections 100-900, July 1, 2026 (sections 8200, 8700, 9200, 9400, 10100-10210, 11340, 14360, 14400) (PDF), Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of County Operations. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Electronic Benefits Transfer System (EBT), Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Electronic Benefits Transfer Card FAQs, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- ebtEDGE, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- New EBT app to offer additional fraud protections for Arkansas SNAP beneficiaries (July 23, 2026), Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Fraud: PIN and protection tips, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Nutrition Waiver and SNAP Nutrition Waiver FAQ, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP beneficiary flyer: Soda, Other Beverages, Candy/Confectionery (PDF), Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 13, 2026; read via the agency CDN), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Requirement to Work and Time Limit Rules, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Summer EBT Frequently Asked Questions, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Access Arkansas: Learn about benefit programs, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Contact DCO (Access Anywhere and contact information), Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Companion App, Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (page updated August 7, 2026; read via the agency CDN), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Arkansas Department of Health. Checked 16 October 2026.
- ebtEDGE Cardholder Portal and Mobile Application User Guide (PDF), FIS, posted by the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
- Status of State ABAWD Time Limit Waivers, Fiscal Year 2027, 1st Quarter (PDF; read via the agency CDN), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.