SNAP Rules Changed: Here’s What the New Work Requirements Mean
Changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) introduced in 2025 affected how certain adults qualify for continued food assistance.
Under the updated federal rules, some adults subject to SNAP’s work requirement must complete at least 80 hours of work, qualifying work activities, education, training, or other approved activities each month. People who do not meet the requirement can become subject to the program’s time limit, which generally allows only three months of SNAP benefits during a 36-month period when the requirements apply.
Who Is Affected?
The changes expanded the group potentially subject to the time limit. The rules now generally apply to adults through age 64, rather than ending the special work-requirement rules at a younger age. Parents and other household members responsible for children under 14 remain among those excluded from this particular requirement. Pregnant people and individuals who are medically unable to work are also among the listed exceptions.
Another important change involves several exemptions that had previously protected certain groups from the SNAP time limit.
The 2025 legislation removed the previous categorical exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans without the specified disability status, and certain former foster youth. Congressional Research Service analysis notes that veterans with a total disability rating remain exempt, while the former foster-youth exemption was eliminated.
What Does the 80-Hour Rule Mean?
For people covered by the requirement, the key figure is 80 hours per month. Qualifying activities can include employment and certain approved work or training programs, with the exact rules depending on the individual’s circumstances and applicable state procedures.
The change does not mean that every SNAP recipient must work 80 hours each month. Many people remain outside the work-requirement category because of age, disability, pregnancy, caregiving responsibilities, or another qualifying exemption.
SNAP eligibility also continues to depend on other federal and state requirements.
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