Some of the nearly 42 million low-income Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, have run out of time to prepare for new work requirements.
The nation’s largest nutrition assistance program has undergone fresh scrutiny after it became a flashpoint during the 43-day 2025 government shutdown, which ultimately ended with restored funding, though not before a series of lawsuits. SNAP had already been slashed well before the standoff; however, when President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed in July 2025, it outlined tightened restrictions and billions in funding cuts.
New work requirements were added to prevent “fraud and waste,” according to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, though the U.S. Congressional Research Service described SNAP fraud as “rare” in an April 7, 2025, report, stating that available data and reports indicate that many overpayments may be attributed to unintentional errors.
Critics have warned against the changes, saying they weaken an important social safety net. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that roughly 3.5 million people lost benefits between July 2025 and February 2026, prompting local politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, to pass legislation to try to fill the gap.
States were given a grace period to enact these rules before recipients would begin to see potential reductions in benefits. In multiple states with large populations, including New York and California, June 1 was the cutoff for work requirements, meaning more Americans are now subject to the stipulations.
New SNAP Work Requirements
Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed in July, cut an estimated $186 billion from SNAP funding through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It also added new restrictions to the program, including expanded work requirements.
Under the bill, non-disabled adults (referred to in government documents as Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents or ABAWD) who want to receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 3-year period must fulfill work requirements if they:
Do not have a documented exemption, medical or situational (physical or mental health, pregnancy, age, assistance from other programs, or belonging to specified Indian groups).
Are aged 18–65 (up from the previous top age of 55).
Do not have a dependent child under the age of 14 (down from the previous dependent age of 18).
Are a veteran, a person aged 24 or under who recently aged out of foster care, or an unhoused person. Previously, these groups were exempt from work requirements.
To fulfill work requirements, non-exempt recipients must do one of the following:
Work a paying job at least 20 hours a week (80 hours a month), or earn a minimum of $217.50 per week before taxes.
Perform unpaid work for at least 80 hours per month — for example, doing building maintenance in exchange for a rent reduction. Pre-approval and verifiable proof of hours are required.
Participate in an approved education or training program for at least 80 hours per month. This can include college courses, certifications or credential programs, the SNAP Employment & Training program, local job preparation courses, and similar initiatives. Participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program also qualifies.
Perform community service or volunteer work for a number of hours based on state-specific guidelines. Hours are calculated as your SNAP benefit divided by the state minimum wage — for example, if you receive $300 in SNAP and your state’s minimum wage is $16, you must complete 18 hours of community service per month.
Who Gets SNAP Benefits?
SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, provides Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards to approximately 12% of Americans to help purchase basic food items. A large share of recipients are elderly, disabled, or children.
To qualify, households must be at or below 130% of the poverty line. In 2026, that means earning no more than $15,960 for a single person, $27,320 for a three-person household, or $38,680 for a five-person household.
A one-person household had a maximum monthly allotment of $298 in 2025, while a three-person household could receive up to $785 and a five-person household up to $1,183, according to the USDA. Special additional rules apply to households with elderly or disabled members.
SNAP benefits are determined by states and funded by the USDA. Recipients must recertify regularly to maintain eligibility, and approved recipients are given a finite timeline to access their benefits.
