SNAP work requirements 2026

SNAP Work Requirements Now Cover Ages 18 to 64 — and USDA Just Filed a Rule to Lock Them In

by

SNAP work requirements 2026 now reach adults ages 18 to 64. If you get food stamps and you are in that age range, you can only keep benefits for three months in a 36-month period unless you work, train, or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month — or qualify for an exception.

That is not a proposal. It has been the law since July 4, 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed. But on Monday, November 9, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture filed a proposed rule that would write those changes into the federal regulations for good, so they no longer rest only on guidance memos. The rule is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, November 10, with a 30-day comment period.

Here is who has to work now, who is still exempt, and the one age group that is most likely to be caught out.

The age limit jumped by a decade

Before the 2025 law, the SNAP time limit applied to able-bodied adults without dependents — ABAWDs — ages 18 to 54. The new law raised the ceiling to 64. USDA’s own implementation guidance, published October 3, 2025, puts it plainly: the time limit now covers “individuals between the ages of 18 through 64.”

That means adults 55 to 64 who were exempt a year ago now have to meet the 80-hour rule or find another exception. Some guides still show the old 18-to-54 range. They are out of date — do not rely on them.

The general work requirements are a separate, lighter set of rules. They cover ages 16 to 59: register for work, accept a suitable job, and do not quit or cut your hours below 30 a week without good cause. The 80-hour monthly rule belongs to the stricter time limit, and it is the time limit that now reaches to 64.

The 60-to-64 trap

This is the detail that trips people up. If you are 60 to 64, you are still exempt from the general work requirements — the law defines “elderly” as 60 and older, and that did not change. But you are NOT exempt from the time limit.

USDA’s guidance says so directly: the law created a new group of people, aged 60 to 64, who are not subject to the general work requirements but are time-limited participants. Getting Social Security retirement does not exempt you either.

There is one protection for this group. States may not force 60- to 64-year-olds into mandatory employment and training programs. They can volunteer for one, and the hours count, but nobody can make them. The 80 hours still have to come from somewhere, though — paid work, unpaid work, volunteering, or an approved training program.

At 65, the time limit stops applying entirely. Age 65 and older is fully exempt.

Three exemptions that no longer exist

The 2025 law removed three automatic exceptions that had been added by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults 24 and under who aged out of foster care no longer get an automatic pass. They must now meet the 80-hour requirement or qualify under a different exception, such as a medical limitation or caring for a young child.

One new exception was added: Indians, Urban Indians, and California Indians, as defined in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.

The exceptions that remain include being medically unfit for work, being pregnant, caring for a child under 14 in your household, and meeting another general work requirement exemption — for example, already working 30 hours a week or receiving unemployment compensation.

The child rule got narrower

Parents used to be exempt from the time limit if they had a child under 18 in the household. The threshold is now under 14. If your youngest child is 14, 15, 16, or 17, that exemption is gone.

Note that this change affects only the time limit. The general work requirements still exempt anyone caring for a child under six or an incapacitated household member.

Waivers are much harder to get now

States used to be able to ask USDA to waive the time limit in areas with unemployment above 10 percent — or in areas without enough jobs. The new law removed the “not enough jobs” route. Now, outside Alaska and Hawaii, a waiver needs unemployment above 10 percent. Alaska and Hawaii qualify at 1.5 times the national average.

The result is visible on the ground. As of October 1, 2026, no state had a statewide waiver, and only 12 states had partial waivers. In Michigan, the work requirements were reinstated on November 1 in eight counties and the city of Bay City, while waivers continue in seven counties and the cities of Detroit, Eastpointe, Flint, Jackson, and Saginaw.

The proposed rule filed November 9 would also tighten how states ask for waivers, requiring more recent and sustained unemployment data, and it would narrow the definition of a “homeless individual” in the program.

What counts toward 80 hours

The requirement is 80 hours a month — about 20 hours a week on average. It does not have to be paid work. USDA counts paid work, unpaid work, work in exchange for goods or services, volunteering, and participation in an approved work or training program, including SNAP Employment and Training. You can combine them.

Job searching on its own does not count, unless it is part of an approved training program. Keep pay stubs, volunteer logs, or program records: your state agency will ask for proof, usually the last four weeks.

What happens if you lose benefits

If you are subject to the time limit and you do not meet the 80-hour rule and have no exception, your SNAP stops after three full months in a 36-month period. The months do not have to be consecutive, and partial months do not count.

You can get benefits back before the period ends in two ways: meet the 80-hour requirement during a 30-day period, or become exempt — for example, through a new medical limitation, a pregnancy, or a child under 14 joining your household. Otherwise, three more months open up when the next 36-month period starts. The period itself is set by each state — in New York it runs October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2029, while in Washington a new period begins January 1, 2027.

Why this matters now

About 42 million people get SNAP, with an average benefit of around $190 a month. Enrollment has fallen roughly 10 percent since the 2025 law took effect, and the law is projected to cut about $186 billion from the program over ten years — the largest cut in its history.

The work rules are only one part of a bigger fight. Funding for the whole program runs through December 11, 2026, under the current continuing resolution, and Congress is back in session today with the lame duck under way. USDA also filed a separate proposed rule on November 9 that would end broad-based categorical eligibility, which the department estimates would remove about 6.3 million people from the program. That is a proposal, not law — but the work requirements are already law, and the November 9 filing is USDA moving to make them permanent in the rulebook.

If a letter from your state agency says something different from what you read here, the letter wins. Rules vary by state, and the letter has your case details. Call the number on it.

FAQ: SNAP work requirements 2026

What ages do SNAP work requirements apply to in 2026?

The SNAP time limit applies to adults ages 18 to 64 who do not meet an exception. The general work requirements cover ages 16 to 59. Adults 65 and older are fully exempt from both.

How many hours do I need to work to keep SNAP?

At least 80 hours a month — about 20 hours a week on average. Paid work, unpaid work, volunteering, and approved training programs all count, and you can combine them. Job searching alone does not count.

I am 62. Do the work requirements apply to me?

Yes, for the time limit. People 60 to 64 are exempt from the general work requirements but are subject to the three-month time limit. States cannot force you into a mandatory training program, but you still need 80 hours a month from work, volunteering, or training to keep benefits past three months.

I have a 15-year-old child. Am I exempt?

No. Since the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the child exception only applies if a child under 14 lives in your SNAP household. Before the law, the threshold was under 18.

I lost SNAP because of the time limit. Can I get it back?

Yes. Meet the 80-hour requirement during a 30-day period, or become exempt — for example, through a medical limitation, pregnancy, or a child under 14 joining your household. Otherwise, you can receive benefits again when your state’s next 36-month period starts.

Sources

Leave a Comment