SNAP has two separate sets of work rules. One applies to most adults who can work. The other, a time limit, applies to a narrower group the law calls able-bodied adults without dependents, or ABAWDs. The 2025 budget law, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, made the time limit apply to many more people. Here is how the rules fit together.
The general work requirements
Most SNAP participants aged 16 to 59 who are able to work must:
- register for work;
- accept a suitable job if offered one;
- not quit a job or cut hours below 30 a week without a good reason;
- take part in a SNAP employment and training program if the state assigns them to one.
People already working 30 hours a week, or earning at least the federal minimum wage times 30 each week, meet these rules. So do people caring for a child under 6 or an incapacitated person, students enrolled at least half time, people receiving unemployment benefits, and people in a drug or alcohol treatment program. Breaking the rules without good cause leads to a disqualification period that grows with each violation.
The time limit for adults without dependents
The stricter rule is a time limit. An ABAWD can get SNAP for only three months in any 36-month period unless they spend at least 80 hours a month (about 20 hours a week) on one of these:
- paid work, including work paid in goods or services;
- unpaid or volunteer work;
- a qualifying work program or job training;
- workfare, where a state assigns hours of work in exchange for benefits.
Looking for a job does not count toward the 80 hours on its own, though job search can be part of a training program.
What the 2025 law changed
The law took effect on enactment, July 4, 2025, and USDA told states to apply it right away at new applications and recertifications. The main changes:
| Rule | Before | After the 2025 law |
|---|---|---|
| Ages covered by the time limit | 18 to 54 | 18 to 64 |
| Parents exempt if they have a child | under 18 in the household | under 14 in the household |
| Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, former foster youth up to 24 | Exempt (added in 2023) | No longer exempt |
| Area waivers | Available where jobs were scarce, using several measures | Limited to areas with unemployment above 10%, with a separate rule for Alaska and Hawaii |
| American Indian exception | None | New exemption for members of tribes and certain urban and California Indians |
A parent of a 15-year-old, a 58-year-old living alone, or a veteran without children can now lose benefits after three months if they are not meeting the 80 hours. Adults aged 60 to 64 are newly covered by the time limit but remain exempt from the general work requirements above, so a state cannot force them into an employment program.
Who is still exempt from the time limit
- People under 18 or 65 and older.
- Anyone medically certified as physically or mentally unable to work.
- Pregnant women.
- Parents or other household members responsible for a child under 14.
- Anyone already exempt from the general work requirements, such as students enrolled half time or more, people caring for an incapacitated person, and people receiving unemployment benefits.
- American Indians as defined in the 2025 law.
States can also exempt a small share of their caseload at their own discretion.
If your benefits stop
Someone who used their three months can get SNAP again by working or training 80 hours in a 30-day period, or by becoming exempt, for example by turning 65 or having a medical condition certified. People who regain eligibility and then lose a job can get one more three-month period, once per 36 months.
Count your months carefully: the 36-month window is set by your state, and notices often explain which months have been used. If you think a month was counted wrongly or an exemption was missed, you have the right to a fair hearing, and benefits can sometimes continue while you wait.
Why the rules are contested
Supporters say work requirements encourage employment and target help to people who cannot work. Critics point to research on earlier time limits, which found large drops in participation but little or no gain in employment, partly because people lost benefits over paperwork rather than unwillingness to work. Both sides agree the effects depend heavily on how states run their programs.
For the income tests and benefit amounts, read what SNAP is and how it works or try the SNAP income check.