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Food Stamps: Do People on SNAP Need To Work Full Time?
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.
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The rules can be a bit complicated, but we’ve reviewed how to qualify for SNAP benefits, even if you don’t have a disability or dependents to care for.
SNAP (Food Stamps) Qualification Requirements
To qualify for SNAP, you need to be earning less than 130% of the federal poverty level. For a single individual, the income limit is currently $1,473 gross income per month, or $1,133 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. And each state has its own income limits, so you will need to review the income limitations for your state to see if you qualify.
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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. In general, if you are ages 16 to 59 and able to work, you must register as available to work, not voluntarily cut work hours, take a job if offered and participate in employment training programs if required by your state. Able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 who don’t have any dependents must do one of the following to qualify: work at least 80 hours per month, participate in a work program at least 80 hours a month, participate in a combination of work and work program hours for a total of at least 80 hours a month or participate in workfare for the number of hours assigned to you each month.
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 that 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 you 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
If you are under 16 years old
If you are over 59 years old
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.
Work Requirement Exemption Dropping May 11
During the pandemic, the work requirement was dropped. Now that the Biden administration is removing the Emergency Health Declaration on May 11, 2023, the aforementioned work requirements are back in place.
This means able-bodied individuals will need to participate in work-related programs, and individuals without dependents will need to meet the minimum required hours per month to keep their SNAP benefits.
New Work Requirements May Be Coming
A Republican co-sponsored bill was recently put forth that could change the minimum work requirements for participants in the SNAP program. This would include the following changes:
Increasing the maximum age for work requirements from 49 to 65 for able-bodied adults without dependents
Limit a state’s ability to waive work requirements
Emphasize work requirements for able-bodied adults without children
While this bill has yet to pass the House or Senate, it is aimed squarely at able-bodied adults who are not caring for any dependents. Increasing the work age requirement is designed to put more SNAP beneficiaries back into the workforce, and thus reduce the SNAP budget overall.
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.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Food Stamps: Do People on SNAP Need To Work Full Time?