Overview

• An Oct. 3 USDA memo directs state agencies to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s revised able‑bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) requirements starting Nov. 1.
• The rule changes narrow exemptions from SNAP’s three‑month time limit, raising the upper‑age exemption to 65, limiting caregiving to parents or guardians of children under 14, and removing exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and some former foster youth.
• Non‑exempt ABAWDs must meet roughly 80 hours per month through work, volunteering, approved programs, or workfare to continue receiving full benefits, with existing exemptions for pregnancy and inability to work maintained.
• SNAP serves about 41–42 million people nationwide, and estimates cited in coverage project roughly 2.4 million fewer people eligible month to month under the new policies.
• OBBBA shifts part of SNAP funding to states—potentially up to 25%—as the administration frames the move as pro‑work and cost‑saving, while advocates forecast administrative hurdles and increased demand on local food aid.