Colorado will begin sending payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income residents in nine days.

In the Centennial State, SNAP households will receive food stamps from Feb. 1 through Feb. 10. Those who join the SNAP program for Colorado after Feb. 10 can still receive benefits for the month and will not need to wait until March. Benefits are distributed on the date that matches the last digit of a household’s Social Security number.

The SSN will correspond to the date the benefits are received. For example, those with SSNs ending in 2 will receive payments on Feb. 2. Those with SSNs ending with 8 will collect on Feb. 8, and so on.

A household of one can receive a maximum amount of $291, a household of five can receive a maximum of $1,155, and a household of eight can receive a maximum of $1,751. For each additional person, a household can receive a maximum of $219. These amounts are based on the recent cost-of-living adjustments for 2023-24.

The average payment per household member per month in Colorado is $181. Approximately 540,300 people, 9% of Colorado’s population, receive SNAP benefits in the state.

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Benefits are loaded on a prepaid electronic benefits transfer card each month, which, in Colorado, is the “Colorado Quest Card.” The Colorado Quest Card works like a debit card and can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers.

The money is intended for purchasing groceries, snacks, fresh food, seeds, and plants. SNAP benefits cannot be used to purchase nonfood household items, tobacco products, alcohol, pet food, or prepared foods.