What are the age and categorical exemptions to SNAP work requirements in 2025?
Executive summary
New federal law changes effective in 2025 expand who must meet SNAP work rules and raise the standard to roughly 20 hours/week (80 hours/month) of work, training, volunteering or equivalent for many adults; able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) remain subject to a 3‑month time limit unless they meet work rules or an exception [1] [2]. Federal guidance keeps the general exemption for people aged 60 and older from the general work requirements, but individuals 60–64 remain subject to ABAWD-specific screening and some ABAWD exception rules are being tightened [3] [1].
1. What the baseline age rules are now — who is exempt from general SNAP work requirements
Federal guidance preserves a clear age cutoff for the program’s general work rules: individuals aged 60 and older are exempt from the general SNAP work requirements, including mandatory SNAP Employment & Training assignments [3]. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) explains that the OBBB changes did not alter the statutory upper age limit for the general work requirements, so 60+ remains the protected age group under those general rules [3].
2. ABAWDs and the different age window that matters
A separate, older ABAWD framework still governs time limits and special exception criteria. Historically and in current FNS materials, ABAWD coverage typically centers on people roughly ages 16–59 (with some implementation language saying 16–59 or 16–59/18–54 in context), meaning that the ABAWD clock and its three-month-in-36-months limit apply to adults in that working-age band unless exempt [1]. FNS notes the agency is providing guidance on how the 2025 law changes ABAWD exception criteria and waiver criteria — confirming ABAWDs remain the focus of the tightened time‑limit rules [1].
3. The 80‑hour / 20‑hour standard and who must meet it
Multiple state and nonprofit explainers and FNS implementation materials describe the operational standard under the 2025 changes: affected recipients will generally have to report at least 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) of work, volunteering, education, or training to retain benefits beyond the three-month ABAWD limit [2] [4]. States are instructed to screen registrants and may assign SNAP Employment & Training where appropriate, though mandatory E&T cannot be required of those aged 60–64 because they are exempt from the general work requirements [3] [1].
4. Specific categorical exemptions mentioned in state and federal guidance
Sources list standard categorical and medical exemptions that continue to apply or be reassessed under the new law: pregnancy, physical or mental health reasons (documented via medical statement), participation in substance use treatment, primary caregivers of young children, and some other circumstances can excuse a person from ABAWD time limits [5] [3]. States’ informational pages also show shifting rules for formerly exempt groups—examples include the end of some homelessness and veteran exemptions in certain states and the removal of area waivers for counties lacking jobs, meaning those people may now be subject to the 80‑hour requirement unless another exemption applies [6] [7].
5. Time‑limited waivers and discretionary exemptions — how states can respond
FNS retains statutory mechanisms: states still receive a finite number of discretionary exemptions for ABAWDs each fiscal year and may seek area waivers, but the 2025 law narrows waiver criteria and reduces the scope where geographic waivers suspend the ABAWD time limit [8] [4]. FNS published FY2025 allocations for discretionary exemptions and implementation memoranda to guide states on applying the modified exception criteria [9] [3].
6. Implementation caveats, state variation and early termination of some exemptions
Implementation is uneven and states will differ. Several state agencies alert recipients that previously available local waivers or categorical exemptions (e.g., for homelessness or veteran status in some jurisdictions) have ended or been curtailed and that compliance checks began in late 2025, producing operational confusion in some states [6] [7] [10]. The Department of Human Services in Pennsylvania and others explicitly warn that certain foster‑care age exemptions will end on or before October 31, 2025, and that state screening and notice processes will determine application to existing cases [11] [7].
7. What reporting and documentation may be required
State guidance repeatedly advises recipients to report they are meeting the work requirement and be prepared to provide verification — medical forms for health exemptions, documentation of school enrollment, job search or E&T participation — and warns that failure to report or meet the requirement can trigger the ABAWD time limit [5] [11] [2].
Limitations: available sources do not list every categorical exemption by name in a single place; this summary synthesizes federal FNS memos and state notices provided in the search results. For case‑specific guidance, contact your state SNAP agency because states administer exemptions and waivers differently and are the official source for individual eligibility [3] [7].