Pennsylvania EBT and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

COMPASS and the myCOMPASS PA app

COMPASS is the DHS site for applying for SNAP, cash assistance (TANF), Medical Assistance, CHIP and LIHEAP heating help. With a My COMPASS account you can finish a saved application, read eNotices, and complete your six-month report online^31,14. Uploaded documents are checked for legibility as you send them¹³. The free myCOMPASS PA app does the same from a phone: look up benefits, check an application, upload documents and report changes¹⁸. DHS says the app also shows your EBT balance and transactions².

After you apply, the Track My Benefits site shows the status of a SNAP, TANF, Medicaid or LIHEAP application¹. For login trouble, call the COMPASS Helpline at 1-800-692-7462, 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday to Friday¹⁸. A text that claims to be from DHS is real only if it comes from short code 69217. DHS never asks for your PIN, card number or COMPASS password¹¹.

COMPASS · myCOMPASS PA: iPhone, Android

The ACCESS card, Card Lock and stolen benefits

One ACCESS card holds SNAP and cash assistance. Doctors and pharmacies also use it to confirm Medical Assistance⁹. Check your balance on ConnectEBT, in the myCOMPASS PA app, or through the EBT Recipient Hotline, 1-888-EBT-PENN (1-888-328-7366), which is open 24 hours². The PIN has four digits. Three wrong tries lock the card until the next day unless you choose a new PIN by phone⁹. To report a lost or stolen card, call the hotline so the card is canceled. A mailed replacement takes 7 to 10 days. Your first lost or stolen replacement is free while the account is active. After that, $2.50 comes out of your cash balance, or out of SNAP if you have no cash. Damaged cards are replaced free at the CAO^9,10.

ConnectEBT's Card Lock blocks purchases until you unlock. Choose "Lock My Card Everywhere," or "Lock My Card Outside PA," which still allows Pennsylvania stores and online orders. Auto Re-Lock can lock the card again 30, 60 or 90 minutes after you unlock it. DHS says ConnectEBT is the only app authorized to lock Pennsylvania cards^12,21. DHS also suggests changing your PIN at least once a month, just before your payment date¹¹.

DHS's scam page says benefits stolen by skimming or other electronic theft "cannot be reissued" because Congress's authorization has ended¹¹. The handbook lets a CAO replace SNAP only for food lost in a household disaster or a card fee charged by mistake¹⁰. If you spot a skimmer, tell the store, call police and call the OSIG fraud hotline, 1-800-932-0582¹¹. The ACCESS card has a magnetic stripe⁹. On September 17, 2026, DHS said the 2026-27 budget includes $7 million for chip cards, to be mailed free to every SNAP household starting in late spring 2027¹².

• Card customer service: 1-888-328-7366
• Cardholder website: ConnectEBT
• EBT processor: Conduent

Pennsylvania SNAP and EBT phone numbers

Applying for SNAP in Pennsylvania

1. Apply on COMPASS. One COMPASS application can cover SNAP, cash assistance, Medical Assistance and LIHEAP³¹. If everyone in the household is 60 or older or disabled and nobody has earnings, COMPASS gives you a shorter form. DHS calls it the Simple SNAP application²².
2. Or use the paper PA 600 FS. Print the SNAP application (PA 600 FS) in English or Spanish from the DHS SNAP page. Mail it to your county assistance office or drop it off there. A relative, neighbor or agency you trust can apply as your authorized representative¹.
3. Do the interview, usually by phone. Every applicant has an interview. Pennsylvania's state plan lets the CAO hold it by telephone, but you get a face-to-face interview if you ask for one, and you may bring anyone you like¹⁷.
4. Send the proof on your PA 253 checklist. The caseworker lists the proof needed on form PA 253¹⁷. Since February 9, 2026 that includes a lease, rent receipt or mortgage statement and a utility bill, unless DHS already has them on file. Without them your benefit is figured without those costs³.
5. Watch for the decision and your card. DHS must let eligible households use benefits within 30 days of the filing date³⁴. Track the application at Track My Benefits¹. New cards are mailed and take 7 to 10 days to arrive⁹.

Pennsylvania's expedited deadline is shorter than the federal seven days. If you qualify, the first benefit must be on your card within five calendar days. The count starts the day after you file, and weekends and holidays count¹⁶. For expedited cases the CAO can make the card at the county office and mail it from there, instead of ordering it through the central card system⁹. Once a card has a PIN, the benefit is available at 6:00 a.m. the next day⁹.

Pennsylvania's 200% income chart for FY2027

Gross limit: as published by Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS), Office of Income Maintenance³. Net limit and maximum benefit: USDA FY2027 cost-of-living adjustments. All states compared.

Pennsylvania uses expanded categorical eligibility. Every household that applies gets the DHS brochure "Help for Pennsylvanians in Need," which makes the 200% chart the main test⁵. DHS published the FY2027 chart on September 29, 2026, effective October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027³. It runs a dollar or two above a straight 200% calculation for some sizes, and this table uses DHS's figures. DHS's income-limits web page still showed the October 2025 chart ($2,610 for one person) on October 16, 2026, so use the newer figures^32,3. For 9 people the limit is $10,236, and for 10 people $11,184³.

The same release raised the minimum benefit from $24 to $25³. Since the 2025 federal law, receiving LIHEAP gets you the heating allowance automatically only if the household has an elderly or disabled member. Other households need to show they pay heating or cooling separately from rent²⁰.

Net income test. Pennsylvania runs no gross income test in its system for households with a member who is 60 or older or disabled. If their gross income is over 200%, they can still qualify by passing the 100% net income test ($1,330 a month for one person from October 1, 2026)^5,6. A household loses the 200% rule if a member is disqualified for an intentional program violation, a missed six-month report, a probation or parole violation, or, for the head of household, an employment and training sanction. It then faces the 130% gross limit^5,6.

Assets. Households under the 200% line have no asset limit, with or without an elderly or disabled member⁶. The limits apply only in two cases. A household with a disqualified or sanctioned member has a $3,000 limit. An elderly or disabled household over 200% has a $4,750 limit, and $4,750 is also the threshold for counting large lottery or gambling winnings^6,4.

Payment days by county and case number

Over the first ten business days of each month. Your county decides whether the last digit of your seven-digit case record number changes the day.

Each county uses one, two or all ten payment-day cycles⁷. Sixteen counties use all ten, so your cycle is the last digit of your case number. They are Allegheny, Blair, Bucks, Cambria, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Lancaster, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York. One-cycle counties pay everyone on the same day: Beaver uses cycle 3, Adams cycle 5 and Indiana cycle 0. Two-cycle counties split by digit. In Berks, case numbers ending 1 to 5 are paid on cycle 4 and those ending 6 to 0 on cycle 9⁷. The dates above come from DHS's 2026 schedule, form PA/FS 855. The 2027 version is in Appendix B of the SNAP Handbook^8,7. Benefits post by 6:00 a.m. on your date³³.

SNAP does not expire as long as you make at least one purchase every 274 days (9 months). After 8 months without use, DHS mails a warning. Benefits removed for inactivity cannot be put back¹⁰.

Six-month reports, renewals and changes

Most households file a Semi-Annual Report (SAR, form PA 564) six months after applying or renewing, even if nothing has changed. Include proof of income for the month printed on the form. If DHS does not get it by the due date, it mails a Late/Incomplete Notice and a new form. If that deadline also passes, benefits are suspended and then closed. Sending the SAR or reapplying within 30 days of closing restarts benefits if you still qualify¹⁴. Households where everyone is 60 or older or disabled with no earnings skip the SAR¹⁴. Between reports, tell DHS within 10 days if your income goes above the limit for your household size, if someone moves in or out, or if a member with work rules drops below 80 hours a month¹⁴.

Certification periods run 12 months for most working households. They run 24 months when all adults are elderly or disabled, and 36 months when everyone is elderly or disabled with only unearned income. Zero-income households get 6 months¹⁵. Renew in COMPASS or with the packet your CAO mails. Caseworkers also check work hours at each six-month review¹³.

Rules specific to Pennsylvania

Work rules for PEERs since November 1, 2025

Pennsylvania calls adults under the SNAP time limit PEERs (Pennsylvanians with Employment or Engagement Requirements). The time limit returned on September 1, 2025. From November 1, 2025, it covers able-bodied adults aged 18 to 64 with no child under 14 in the household, including veterans and former foster youth. Each PEER must work, volunteer or train 80 hours a month, or earn at least $217.50 a week, and report it. Otherwise SNAP is limited to three months in three years. DHS says Pennsylvania no longer qualifies for county or municipal waivers under the new federal law. Programs that count include KEYS at community colleges, EARN and SNAP JETS. If you have a health condition, the Medical Exemption Form PA 1921 is on the DHS work page¹³.

Proof of rent and utilities since February 9, 2026

Since February 9, 2026, federal rules require applicants and recipients to prove shelter and utility costs at application and renewal if DHS does not already have proof on file. Accepted proof includes a lease, rent or mortgage receipt, tax or insurance bill, utility bill, or a landlord's statement. Missing proof does not close a case or deny an application, but the costs are left out, which can lower your benefit³. Report a move or a new bill so proof stays current³.

SUN Bucks paid $120 per child for summer 2026

Pennsylvania's Summer EBT program, SUN Bucks, paid a one-time $120 per eligible child for summer 2026. Payments began in early June, either on the family's existing EBT card or on a new card. Children on SNAP, TANF or income-qualifying Medicaid, or approved for free or reduced-price school meals, were enrolled automatically. Children on CHIP had to apply. Applications received after August 31, 2026 are considered for summer 2027. If a SUN Bucks card is lost or stolen, report it in ConnectEBT, then call the Statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-395-8930 for a replacement card¹⁹.

No soda or candy ban, and no restaurant meals

Pennsylvania has no SNAP food restriction waiver. It does not appear on USDA's list of approved waivers updated October 13, 2026, so SNAP still buys soft drinks and candy here²³. Pennsylvania is also not one of the states with a Restaurant Meals Program on USDA's list updated August 7, 2026²⁴. Since June 2025, cash assistance on the ACCESS card can be used for online purchases².

Other assistance in Pennsylvania

Sources

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
2. Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
3. Shapiro Administration Announces Increases to SNAP Benefit Amounts Following Annual Adjustment (September 29, 2026), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
4. SNAP Handbook, Chapter 560, Appendix A: Tables of Maximum Allowable Deductions (effective October 1, 2026), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
5. SNAP Handbook, 512.1 Categorical Eligibility: General Policy, Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
6. SNAP Handbook, 540.1 Resources: General Policy (updated August 27, 2026), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
7. SNAP Handbook, Chapter 580, Appendix B: Payment Date Information and Schedules (county payment-day cycles), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
8. Cash and SNAP Payment Issuance Schedule 2026, PA/FS 855 (11/25), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
9. SNAP Handbook, 580.6 Pennsylvania EBT ACCESS Card, Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
10. SNAP Handbook, 580.5 Replacements, Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
11. Scam and Fraud Alerts, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
12. Shapiro Administration's $7 Million Investment to Modernize SNAP EBT Cards (September 17, 2026), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
13. SNAP Work Requirements, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
14. Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
15. SNAP Handbook, 575.2 Guidelines for Assigning Certification Periods (updated April 10, 2026), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
16. SNAP Handbook, 506.4 Time Frame for Issuing Benefits (expedited service), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
17. SNAP Handbook, 504.4 Application Interview, Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
18. COMPASS and myCOMPASS PA, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
19. SUN Bucks: Pennsylvania's Summer EBT program, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
20. Heating help and SNAP Benefit Changes, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
21. ConnectEBT cardholder portal, Pennsylvania, Conduent (Pennsylvania EBT vendor). Checked 16 October 2026.
22. SNAP for Older Adults, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
23. SNAP Food Restriction Waivers (page updated October 13, 2026), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
24. SNAP Restaurant Meals Program (page updated August 7, 2026), USDA Food and Nutrition Administration. Checked 16 October 2026.
25. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
26. Apply for Home Heating and Energy Assistance (LIHEAP), Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
27. Medicaid / Medical Assistance, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
28. Pennie, Pennsylvania's official health insurance marketplace, Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority. Checked 16 October 2026.
29. Welcome to Pennsylvania WIC, Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of WIC. Checked 16 October 2026.
30. Helpful Telephone Numbers, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
31. Welcome to COMPASS, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
32. SNAP Income Limits, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. Checked 16 October 2026.
33. SNAP Handbook, 580.2 Benefit Issuance Cycles, Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.
34. SNAP Handbook, 504.5 Normal Processing (updated January 14, 2026), Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Income Maintenance. Checked 16 October 2026.