Connecticut EBT Card Balance
Program: SNAP · Administered by Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS)
Updated August 2026
Connecticut doesn't brand its SNAP program with a special name — residents simply know it as SNAP, run by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). Approved households receive their monthly benefit on an EBT card that works at grocery stores and other authorized retailers around the state.
Because the month's benefit loads all at once, checking your EBT balance before heading to the store is a quick way to know exactly what you have to spend.
How to Check Your Connecticut EBT Balance
Check online
Log in with your card number to view your balance and transaction history.
https://www.connectebt.comUse the mobile app
ConnectEBT is the official app for Connecticut EBT cardholders, available on iOS and Android.
Check your last receipt
Your remaining balance is printed at the bottom of the receipt from your most recent EBT purchase.
Where You Can Use Your Connecticut EBT Card
Your EBT card works like a debit card at any USDA-authorized retailer nationwide — major grocery chains and big-box stores such as Walmart, Target, Kroger, Costco, Sam's Club, Aldi, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and most local and regional supermarkets, plus many convenience stores and farmers markets. A growing number of retailers, including Walmart.com and Amazon, also accept SNAP EBT for online grocery orders in many areas, though delivery and service fees usually can't be paid with benefits.
SNAP benefits cover food and food-producing seeds or plants, but not hot prepared foods, alcohol, tobacco, or non-food items — some states also restrict specific items like soda or candy, noted below if it applies to Connecticut.
Connecticut SNAP Income Limits
Connecticut uses Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility to raise SNAP's gross income limit to 200% of the federal poverty level, above the standard federal minimum of 130%.
In plain language, that means many more working and moderate-income Connecticut households can qualify for SNAP than the base federal rule alone would allow, typically without a separate asset or savings test standing in their way.
| Household Size | Max Monthly Gross Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,660 |
| 2 | $3,607 |
| 3 | $4,553 |
| 4 | $5,500 |
| 5 | $6,447 |
| 6 | $7,393 |
| 7 | $8,340 |
| 8 | $9,287 |
For each additional household member beyond 8, add about $947/month. Based on 2026 federal poverty guidelines at 200% — figures update annually and individual eligibility depends on more than gross income, so confirm your exact amount with Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS).
EBT Fraud & Card Skimming Protection
Protect your benefits from theft
EBT skimming — where thieves plant hidden devices on point-of-sale card readers to capture card numbers and PINs — became a serious problem nationwide, and Connecticut was no exception: DSS has reported more than $6 million in SNAP and cash EBT benefits stolen between 2023 and 2025. Congress's temporary federal reimbursement program covered theft between October 2022 and December 20, 2024, but that authority expired at the end of 2024 and hasn't been renewed as of mid-2026.
If you suspect your Connecticut EBT card has been skimmed or phished, call the DSS Benefit Center at 1-855-626-6632 and file a report with your local police, and call DSS EBT Customer Service at 1-888-328-2666 to change your PIN. Connecticut has also added a lock/unlock feature through the DSS app and online portal that lets you freeze your card between purchases and block out-of-state transactions — worth turning on for extra protection, along with never sharing your PIN and checking your balance often.
Connecticut-Specific EBT Information
In response to a reported 1,800% surge in EBT theft, Connecticut DSS rolled out a card lock/unlock feature and an option to block out-of-state transactions through its app and online portal — giving cardholders a direct, self-service way to shut down unauthorized use between shopping trips, rather than relying only on after-the-fact fraud reports.