The revised Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, work requirements by the federal government will take full effect in New York State on March 1. The New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA) estimates that approximately 123,000 “Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents” (ABAWD) will be directly impacted by the new regulations. Failure to meet the new requirements may result in losing eligibility for food stamp benefits within three months.
Under the new regulations, adults aged 18 to 64 who are physically able and do not reside with children under 14 years old must prove their participation in at least 20 hours of paid work, approved job training programs, or volunteer services per week (80 hours per month) if they wish to receive SNAP benefits for more than three months within a three-year period.
Previously, the age limit for ABAWD was 54 years old, but this adjustment expands the applicable range to 64 years old, encompassing more middle-aged and older individuals under regulation.
According to the rules, applicants working fewer than 20 hours per week but earning at least $217.5 per week can also be considered eligible. There are alternative options to full-time work hours, such as participating in approved vocational training programs for 20 hours per week or fulfilling community service and volunteer work hours calculated based on welfare amounts and state minimum wage standards.
However, certain conditions allow exemptions from the work requirements. Exempt individuals include recipients of public or private disability benefits (such as New York State disability benefits), pregnant women, individuals unable to work due to physical or mental health issues, caregivers for disabled individuals, those receiving or applying for unemployment benefits, and participants in drug or alcohol addiction treatment programs.
These changes stem from the “One Big Beautiful Bill” signed by President Trump in July last year, which cut over $1 trillion from combined Medicaid and food stamp programs and reinforced work requirements. The federal implementation was originally scheduled for last fall, but multiple states, including New York, successfully sued, extending the exemptions until the end of February, providing preparation time.
New York City Mayor Mamdani expressed confidence in the ability of the NYC Human Resources Administration to “rise to the challenge” during a press conference last week and emphasized that the city government will continue to provide resources to assist the agency in coping with the additional administrative burden.
The NYC Human Resources Administration stated that since last year, they have been collaborating with community partners to strengthen outreach efforts, including hosting 14 training sessions, training over 400 personnel, and actively promoting medical exemption application processes and career development plans to help affected individuals meet the requirements.