SNAP Navigator

If you’re currently receiving SNAP benefits you have heard of work requirement and ABAWD (Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents) requirements and/or exemptions.

You also received Notices of Action that mention these and when you applied, or recertified your benefits they were mentioned again. 

Work Requirement guidelines

For most SNAP recipients between the ages of 16 and 59, the following work-related rules apply:

• Registering for work: Individuals must register for work at the time of their application and recertification.
• Accepting a suitable job offer: If a suitable job is offered, a SNAP recipient is required to accept it.
• Not voluntarily quitting or reducing hours: Recipients cannot voluntarily quit a job or reduce their work hours below 30 per week without a good reason.
• Participating in an employment and training program: If assigned by the state, individuals must participate in a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program.

Failure to comply with these general work requirements can result in disqualification from the SNAP program. (USDA.gov)

ABAWD guidelines

More rigorous work requirements apply to ABAWD’s, who are individuals aged 18 to 52 (note: this age limit is scheduled to increase to 54 on October 1, 2025) who do not have dependents and are not disabled. To maintain SNAP benefits for more than three months in a three-year period, ABAWDs must:

• Work at least 80 hours per month. This can be paid employment, unpaid work experience, or volunteering.
• Participate in a qualifying work program for at least 80 hours per month. This includes programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Trade Adjustment Assistance Act programs, or state-approved employment and training programs.
• A combination of work and participation in a work program for a total of 80 hours per month.

If an ABAWD fails to meet these requirements, their SNAP benefits will be terminated after three months. (USDA.gov)

Exemptions from the Work Requirements and the general ABAWD rules are as follows (currently)

Key exemptions include:

• Individuals younger than 16 or 60 years of age or older.
• Parents or guardians of a child under the age of 6.
• Individuals who are physically or mentally unfit to work.
• Pregnant individuals.
• Those caring for an incapacitated person.
• Participants in a substance abuse treatment program.
• Students enrolled at least half-time in a recognized school or training program.
• Individuals who are homeless, veterans, or under 25 and formerly in foster care (these are recent exemptions).

Changes are coming due to the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill…

• Increased work requirements:
  The bill proposes stricter work requirements for SNAP recipients, potentially impacting parents of children aged 14 or older and raising the work requirement age to 64. 
• State cost sharing:
  The bill shifts a portion of SNAP benefit costs to states, potentially jeopardizing eligibility for some beneficiaries. 
• Sunset of exemptions:
  The bill would end exemptions from work requirements for certain groups like veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young people who aged out of foster care. 
• Food restrictions:
  The bill proposes to restrict the purchase of certain items like soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts with SNAP benefits, according to Congress.gov. 
• Potential for cuts:
  The bill is estimated to cut SNAP benefits by nearly $300 billion, according to the Center for American Progress. 

From TheHill.com

“Previously, most adults had to work until age 54 to qualify for SNAP unless they were a parent with dependents. Now, the working age to stay in the program has been raised to 64, and only parents with children younger than 14 are exempt from the requirement, according to the law.  

The law does not specifically state when the updated work requirements will begin to take effect, but a spokesperson for the Senate Republicans said there is no “delayed implementation in the law.” A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Agriculture has yet to respond to questions from The Hill about the new enforcement requirement”

We don’t know when the  SNAP changes will actually take effect but Newsweek.com states that work requirement changes may take effect as soon as 2025. October 1, 2025 is the earliest implementation date that I have found. 

Stay tuned for “Part Two” on what you can do to help yourself!

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