Can SNAP recipients work part-time and still receive benefits?

1. What advocates and reporters are saying — a tightening picture that matters now

Reporting and policy analyses converge on the point that federal policy changes in 2025 expand and enforce work requirements, meaning more people who work only part-time could lose benefits unless they meet specific activity or hour thresholds. Multiple outlets and policy groups describe a law or administrative shifts that apply the requirement to additional groups such as older adults and some parents, limiting receipt to three months in a three-year period absent 20 hours per week of work or qualifying activities ^{[3] [4]}. These accounts emphasize that the administrative burden of proving hours or participation will increase, and that limits on waivers for areas with high unemployment could reduce relief for places where part-time work is more common ^[4]. The coverage frames this as a policy change that turns previously looser enforcement into a more rigid, time-limited entitlement for many recipients ^{[5] [6]}.

2. What the USDA’s official rules actually require — two overlapping tests

USDA guidance distinguishes general work requirements (registering for work, taking suitable offers, and participating in Employment & Training programs) from the specific ABAWD (able-bodied adults without dependents) standard, which requires either 80 hours of work monthly or participation in approved activities to avoid the three-month limit. The USDA notes an exemption for those working 30 hours weekly or earning the equivalent of the federal minimum wage times 30 hours, but otherwise recipients must comply with registration and program participation rules ^[1]. This means many people working part-time can remain eligible if they either meet the 80-hours-a-month threshold or engage in qualifying training, volunteering, or work-search activities that are recognized by their state. The guidance places the compliance burden partly on states to document activity and partly on recipients to demonstrate ongoing participation.

3. Who is newly swept in by the changes — expanded coverage and narrower waivers

Policy analyses identify specific expansions that change the calculus for part-time workers: the new measures expressly extend stricter work rules to ages 55–64 and parents with older children, groups previously less uniformly targeted. Those expanded cohorts face the same three-month limit unless they can prove regular hours or participation in a narrow set of work activities, while federal limits make it harder for states to obtain geographic waivers tied to local unemployment or labor-market challenges ^[4]. Analysts warn this will result in more people being required to document 20 hours per week or lose benefits after the three-month window. Advocates argue the policy risks pushing people off benefits in areas with seasonal or part-time-dominant employment, while proponents frame it as promoting work and program integrity ^{[4] [6]}.

4. Practical scenarios — how part-time work interacts with eligibility on the ground

In practice, recipients who do part-time work remain eligible if their combined work and other qualifying activities meet the 80-hours-per-month or the documented 20-hours-per-week equivalency; employment alone at or above 30 hours weekly or earnings equal to minimum wage times 30 hours exempts someone from the general work rules. Thus, someone working two 10-hour weeks plus several hours of approved training could meet the standard, whereas a person reliably doing only 8–10 hours weekly with no qualifying activity risks hitting the three-month limit ^{[1] [5] [2]}. Administrative realities—documentation, reporting schedules, and state program capacity—will influence how easily part-time workers can claim the blend of hours and activities that preserve benefits.

5. Competing narratives and likely outcomes — who benefits and who loses

Sources present competing narratives: advocates caution that the expanded rules will push vulnerable people off benefits and exacerbate food insecurity where part-time or seasonal work prevails, while supporters argue the rules encourage labor participation and program accountability ^{[4] [6]}. Policy analyses highlight that narrower waiver authority and stricter definitions of qualifying activities will likely lead to measurable increases in benefit losses among those who cannot reliably document or obtain 20 hours per week of activity, especially older low-income adults and parents of teenage children newly covered by the rule ^[4]. The short-term administrative spike in verification demands will create local variation in outcomes depending on state implementation choices and waiver-seeking.

6. Bottom line for someone asking “can I work part-time and keep SNAP?”

Yes—part-time work can be compatible with SNAP, but only if the recipient meets USDA’s activity thresholds or exemptions: document at least 80 hours a month (roughly 20 hours a week), participate in approved training or work programs, or qualify for an exemption such as full-time work at the specified earnings level or other federal exemptions. Recent policy changes and enforcement mean documentation and state-level rules will determine outcomes, and new expansions of the work requirement extend the risk of benefit loss to groups that previously had more stable coverage ^{[1] [4]}. For actionable next steps, recipients should consult their state SNAP office about reporting procedures, available Employment & Training opportunities, and any local waivers or exemptions that may apply ^{[1] [2]}.