Food Stamps: 4 General Work Requirements to Qualify for SNAP Benefits in 2024

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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, offers food stamps for eligible individuals. If you are near the poverty line in terms of income and have dependents, you may qualify. But some individuals are required to work to qualify for SNAP benefits.

The rules can be a bit complicated to qualify for SNAP benefits, especially the general work requirements, even if you don’t have a disability or dependents to care for.

Here’s what you need to know to qualify for SNAP benefits and how much you need to work to be eligible.

SNAP (Food Stamps) Qualification Requirements

To qualify for SNAP you must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) guidelines. According to the agency, you need to earn less than 130% of the federal poverty level. For a single individual, the income limit is currently $1,580 gross income or $1,215 net income per month.

The income limitations also vary by household size. The more dependents you have in your household, the higher your income limit. Each state has its own income limits, so you will need to review the income limitations for your state to see if you qualify.

In addition to the income limits, you must not have assets totaling more than $2,750 (or $4,250 if at least one member of the household is age 60 or older, or is disabled). Assets are defined as cash, investments (outside of retirement), or other accessible funds. Home equity, retirement balances, vehicles with a fair market value under $4,650, and income from SSI or TANF do not count against this.

Finally, there are work requirements that vary by state. SNAP also has two sets of work requirements: general work requirements and the able-bodied without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements.

According to the USDA FNS, here are the general work requirements if you are aged 16-59 and able to work:

• Register for work.
• Participate in the SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) or workfare if assigned by your state SNAP agency.
• Take a suitable job if offered.
• Not voluntarily quit a job or reduce your work hours below 30 per week without a good reason.

If you are required to meet general work requirements but don’t, you are disqualified from SNAAP for at least one month and must start meeting requirements to get SNAP benefits again. If it happens again, you will be disqualified for longer than a month and could be disqualified forever.

If you are an Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) and between the ages of 18 and 52, you can meet work requirements by doing any one of these things:

• Work at least 80 hours per month for pay, goods or services, unpaid or as a volunteer.
• Participate in a work program, such as SNAP E&T or another federal, state or local work program, at least 80 hours per month.
• Participate in a combination of work and work program hours for a total of at least 80 hours per month.
• Participate in workfare for the number of hours assigned to you each month (the number of hours will depend on your SNAP benefit amount.)

Do People on SNAP Need To Work Full Time?

The short answer is no.

If you are on SNAP, there are work requirements, but it does not mean you have to have a full-time job to keep receiving benefits. For able-bodied individuals, you must be available to work and take a job if offered, but there are no requirements on how many hours you need to work. If you have a job working at least 30 hours per week, you are exempt from any additional SNAP work requirements and are not allowed to reduce your work hours voluntarily.

If you are an Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD), one way of working that will help you qualify is working at least 80 hours per month to qualify for more than three months’ worth of benefits in a three-year period of time. This may include paid, unpaid or volunteer work. It can also include time spent in a SNAP Employment and Training program.

Full-time work is not a requirement to receive SNAP benefits, but there are general work requirements you must fulfill.

Some People Are Exempt From Work Requirements

Not everyone has to work to stay qualified for SNAP. Here’s a list of people who are exempt from the SNAP program work requirements:

• Those unable to work due to a physical or mental limitation
• If you are pregnant
• If you have someone under 18 in your SNAP household
• Excused from general work requirements (see below)
• If you are under 16 years old
• If you are over 59 years old
• If you are a veteran
• If you are experiencing homelessness
• If you are age 24 or younger and in foster care on your 18th birthday

In addition, if you meet any of the following, you may be exempt from the work requirements:

• Already working at least 30 hours a week (or earning 30 hours times the federal poverty income rate)
• Taking care of a child under 6 or an incapacitated person
• Meeting work requirements for another program
• Participating regularly in an alcohol or drug treatment program
• Studying in school or a training program at least half-time

Finally, many states are able to waive the work requirements based on state unemployment levels. SNAP beneficiaries can apply for an exemption to avoid the work requirements during periods of higher-than-normal unemployment.

Bottom Line

SNAP benefits are a great resource for individuals and families who need it most, and while there are some work requirements in place, you don’t have to have a full-time job to qualify. There are several ways to be exempt from the work requirements, and many states offer exclusions as well based on the unemployment rates of each state. But if you are using SNAP benefits, you should expect to work unless you qualify for a waiver.

Jacob Wade contributed to the writing of this article.

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