With July 2025 changes and state cutoffs like June 1, new SNAP work requirements are now reaching more non-disabled adults. Here’s who is affected, what counts as compliance, and the rules households must still navigate as benefits are recertified and time-lim
When SNAP recipients in states like New York and California hit the June 1 cutoff, the change felt immediate. In government documents. the people most likely to face the new limits are described in stark terms: Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents—adults who don’t fall under an exemption and want to keep receiving benefits for longer than a set window.
For households already under pressure, the timeline has become another stress point. Local leaders have described rising fear and uncertainty among families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Those worries have grown as the program’s latest overhaul arrived after a period of national turmoil for benefits spending. including a flashpoint during the 43-day 2025 government shutdown.
That shutdown ended with restored funding, but not before SNAP became the center of lawsuits. Even before the standoff, the program had already been cut. Then. in July 2025. President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed and set out tightened restrictions and billions in funding cuts—changes that are now filtering down to who must work. train. or volunteer to maintain eligibility.
What SNAP work requirements changed—and why some people are now exposed
The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” passed in July 2025, 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.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the new requirements were added to prevent “fraud and waste.” But a Congressional Research Service report dated April 7. 2025. described SNAP fraud as “rare” and said available data and reports indicate that many overpayments may be attributed to unintentional errors.
That dispute—how rare fraud is versus how broad the new rules are—has been central to the fight over the program. Critics argued the changes weaken a social safety net.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that roughly 3.5 million people lost benefits between July 2025 and February 2026, pushing local officials to act. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, among others, passed legislation to try to fill the gap.
Which adults have to meet the new work rules
Under the new rules tied to the law, non-disabled adults—identified 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:
They do not have a documented exemption, medical or situational. Exemptions include physical or mental health, pregnancy, age, assistance from other programs, belonging to specified Indian groups.
They are aged 18-65, which is a change from the previous top age of 55.
They do not have a dependent child under the age of 14, down from the previous dependent age of 18.
They are not a veteran, not a person aged 24 or under who recently aged out of foster care, and not an unhoused person—groups that previously were exempt from work requirements.
States were given a grace period to enact these rules before recipients would begin to see potential reductions in benefits. For 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.
What counts as fulfilling the SNAP work requirement
For non-exempt recipients, fulfilling the work requirement can take several forms. The law lays out three main pathways.
First, working a paying job at least 20 hours a week—80 hours a month—or earning a minimum of $217.50 per week before taxes.
Second, performing unpaid work for at least 80 hours per month. The rules note that services can be exchanged for non-money payment—for example, doing building maintenance in exchange for a reduction in rent. Pre-approval and verifiable proof of hours are required.
Third, participating 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 counts.
Community service or volunteer work can also qualify. The number of hours is calculated using state-specific guidelines, including an approach described with an example from New York. Hours are calculated as a recipient’s SNAP benefit divided by the state minimum wage. If a New York recipient gets $300 in SNAP and the state minimum wage is $16. the rules say the person must complete 18 hours of community service or volunteer work each month. The calculation is shown as $300 ÷ $16.00 = 18 hours.
Who receives SNAP—and how eligibility is limited by time and income
SNAP provides Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, cards to about 12% of Americans for a limited time 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, meaning their income is no more than 30% above the federal poverty guideline. For 2026, the figures listed are $15,960 for a single person; $27,320 for a three-person household; and $38,680 for a five-person household.
The USDA figures provided show that a one-person household had a maximum monthly allotment of $298 in 2025. A three-person household could receive a maximum of $785, while a five-person household could receive up to $1,183.
The rules also describe special additional rules for households with elderly or disabled members.
SNAP benefits are determined by states and funded by the USDA. Recipients must recertify regularly to maintain eligibility. Typically, benefits can only be provided for three months within 36 months unless additional work-related requirements apply. That time-limited structure means approved recipients receive benefits for a finite timeline to access them.
The push and pull between anti-fraud rationale and eligibility strain
Rollins’ stated justification—preventing “fraud and waste”—collides with the Congressional Research Service conclusion that SNAP fraud is “rare. ” along with the assessment that many overpayments may come from unintentional errors. At the same time. the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimate that about 3.5 million people lost benefits between July 2025 and February 2026 anchors the debate in outcomes: expanded requirements and tighter restrictions did not arrive in a vacuum. and they landed inside existing time limits and recurring recertifications.
Where the rules stand now—and why the next deadline matters
As states moved from grace periods into enforcement, the practical question for many households shifted from what the law says to whether they can meet the logistics it demands. In New York and California, the June 1 cutoff is the point at which more Americans began facing the stipulations.
The stakes are not abstract. SNAP is designed to help purchase basic food items through EBT cards for people with limited income. and many recipients are elderly. disabled. or children. For non-disabled adults without dependent children under the age of 14—and without a documented exemption—continuing benefits beyond the allowed window depends on fulfilling work requirements through paying jobs. approved training. unpaid work with pre-approval and verifiable proof. or community service hours calculated using state minimum wage.
In a system where benefits are time-limited and eligibility must be recertified, those rules reshape daily planning. The most urgent line in the law isn’t only about work—it’s about time: more recipients now face a requirement to prove compliance if they want SNAP assistance to last beyond 3 months in a 3-year period.
SNAP work requirements Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents ABAWD EBT Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program One Big Beautiful Bill Brooke Rollins Congressional Budget Office Congressional Research Service Zohran Mamdani New York June 1 cutoff California SNAP work rules