Tighter rules take hold Nov. 1
Millions of Americans stand to lose their SNAP food benefits as tighter federal work rules take hold later this fall. The rules are part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed earlier this year, that expands the age ranges of adults who must meet work requirements to receive benefits.
Before the new law, ABAWDs between 18 and 59 years old could be paid for a maximum of three months within any three years unless they were working or training at least 20 hours a week. With the new law, the upper age was raised to 65, so elderly citizens will have to meet the same terms as well.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which administers SNAP, says states must start enforcing the new rules by November 1, though a few states will do so at different times.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that an estimated 1.4 million people would be stripped of access to food benefits each month once the policy goes into full effect.
The government’s goal: Reduce dependency
The Trump administration asserts the new work requirements will allow more people to work, reduce dependency on public aid, and save tax money.
In an opinion piece in The New York Times this year, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and other officials said requiring work “will empower capable-bodied people, assist in rebuilding flourishing communities, and safeguard the taxpayers.”
The law has some exceptions, such as people caring for young children or people with illnesses, who may be exempted. But most of the time, the message of the administration is very clear: all those who are capable of working must work.
Critics say it Won’t increase employment
But most analysts contradict that the new policy will help more to gain employment. They cite earlier studies which have shown that work requirements serve to cause individuals to lose benefits instead of gaining employment.
A January 2025 Economic Policy Institute report discovered that previous labour regulations “largely failed to increase employment in significant ways.” The report mentioned those policies don’t deal with underlying problems — such as unstable job markets, low wages, and access to affordable childcare.
Lauren Schulyer, a researcher at the University of Maryland, reported that her staff discovered the same conclusions in their study. “The research is definitive,” she reported. “SNAP work requirements do not increase employment or income. Instead, they cause many low-income families to lose their benefits.”
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For many SNAP recipients, being able to have a consistent 20-hour workweek is difficult. Employment in industries like food service, which hire a large percentage of SNAP users, is typically non-scheduled.
A survey by The Hamilton Project found that 64% of low-wage service employees worked fewer than 80 hours during at least one month in 2022. Even the ones that generally met the 20-hour-a-week threshold occasionally didn’t because of cut hours or short periods of unemployment.
Cindy Long, a former USDA employee, said this job insecurity complicates it for workers to be able to consistently prove their hours. “The unpredictability of these jobs means people will lose SNAP benefits simply because they can’t prove steady 20-hour weeks,” she explained.
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Older adults face unique challenges
The new rule might be especially tricky for older adults between 59 and 65, who are new to receiving work requirements.
Jennifer Greenfield, a University of Denver professor, stated that older individuals are likely to face age discrimination as well as health issues that make it difficult for them to find or hold a job. “People over the age of 55 have difficulty being hired,” she said. “And when the economy dips, it is even harder.”
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Along with losing benefits, most say the new policy adds more bureaucracy that will make it harder for deserving people to stay in the programme.
“Recipients have to learn new rules, keep track of and report work hours, and document themselves on a regular basis,” Schuyler explained. “These are learning costs and compliance costs. Low-income people don’t have time, money, and access to the internet to keep up.”
If they fail to deliver the proper documents in time, even the eligible ones will lose their benefits for some time.
