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Which medical or disability-related programs qualify someone for an ABAWD exemption?
Executive summary
Federal and state SNAP rules treat “ABAWDs” (able-bodied adults without dependents) as subject to a three‑month time limit unless they meet work requirements or qualify for an exemption; common disability‑ or medical‑related exemptions include being medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for work, receiving disability benefits, or having a health condition that prevents 20 hours/week of work (see federal policy guidance and multiple state pages) [1] [2] [3]. States also process medical exemption forms and may grant temporary or discretionary exemptions; procedures and age bands vary by state [4] [5] [3].
1. What the law formally allows: medical and disability grounds are explicit exemptions
The USDA SNAP policy and state manuals make clear that individuals who are medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment are exempt from the ABAWD time limit — and that a person need not meet the Social Security definition of “disabled” or be receiving SSDI/SSI to qualify for that exemption [1] [2]. State SNAP manuals echo this: where a medical professional indicates someone is unable to work, that statement is used as verification and the participant is exempt for the certified months [3].
2. How states implement the medical exemption: medical statements and state determinations
States require documentation and use medical exemption forms or state medical review teams. For example, New York provides an “ABAWD Medical Statement” form for exemptions due to physical or mental health reasons, pregnancy, or substance‑use treatment [4]. Missouri’s manual instructs that a medical professional’s statement is sufficient verification and that participants need not meet the SSD standard to be found unfit for work; if no medical statement is provided, the state may refer the case to a medical review process [3].
3. Variety within the “medical” category — not only longstanding disabilities
Federal guidance highlights that medically‑based exemptions cover a range from temporary illness or injury to chronic conditions that reduce capacity below the 20‑hour/week threshold used for ABAWD determinations [1] [2]. County and state materials explicitly say temporary conditions, recovery periods, or wrap‑around service plans that prevent work can qualify — again, without requiring the higher SSDI disability standard [2] [6].
4. Disability payments and related benefits count as evidence but are not the sole route
Receiving disability benefits (public or private) or meeting the SNAP definition of disabled automatically establishes an exemption in many state policies — but the rules also allow exemptions based solely on medical certification even if the person hasn’t applied for or been awarded disability payments [3] [2].
5. Other medical‑adjacent exemptions: pregnancy, substance‑use treatment, caregiving, and homelessness
State guidance and summaries list pregnancy, regular participation in substance‑use treatment, caregiving responsibilities for incapacitated persons, or homelessness as separate categories that exempt someone from ABAWD work rules [4] [7] [8]. These are distinct from “disabled” status but are commonly grouped with health‑related exemptions in state notices [4] [7].
6. Discretionary and geographic limits: states can extend or cap exemptions
Beyond individual medical exemptions, states have limited “discretionary” exemptions (often called the 12% discretionary pool) they can apply case‑by‑case; geographic waivers (for high‑unemployment or insufficient jobs) also remove the time limit for areas but are separate from individual medical exemptions [9] [10]. The USDA announced limits on discretionary exemptions under recent federal changes, and states must follow specified procedures [7] [11].
7. Practical steps for claimants: paperwork and caseworker contact
State pages emphasize contacting your caseworker and filling out a medical exemption form if you believe a health condition prevents you from meeting ABAWD work hours — Delaware and other state sites give examples of required forms and verification steps [12] [4]. If a participant lacks medical documentation, states often have processes (medical review teams or referrals) to evaluate claims [3].
8. Limitations and variation: read your state guidance and don’t assume uniformity
Available reporting shows consistent federal principles but substantial state variation in forms, age bands, verification steps, and use of discretionary exemptions; states published specific implementation notices ahead of November 1, 2025 [5] [13] [14]. Available sources do not mention a single nationwide checklist that applies identically in every state — instead, they point to state forms and FNS policy guidance for details [1] [4].
If you want, I can: (a) summarize the specific medical‑exemption form language for a particular state from these sources; or (b) draft language you could use to request a medical exemption from your caseworker, citing the federal and state rules above [3] [4].