§ THE RECORD · 3 MIN READ
The Food Rules Changed in February
New SNAP work requirements took effect February 1, raising the age range to 64 and narrowing who is exempt. Millions are at risk of losing benefits over paperwork rather than income. Here is what to check.
By Culture
THE SHORT VERSION
New SNAP work requirements took effect on February 1, 2026, raising the age range for able-bodied adults without dependents from 54 to 64, so people up to age 64 must document 80 hours a month of work, training or volunteering to keep benefits. Several exemptions were narrowed or removed, including for veterans and for caregivers of children aged 14 to 17.
A rule change that arrived quietly on February 1 is now working its way through households, and the people it hits hardest are frequently people who are already working.
The work requirement for what the program calls able-bodied adults without dependents used to apply to people aged 18 to 54. It now runs to 64. That single number pulled in a large group of older adults who had been exempt for years and had no reason to expect otherwise.
The requirement itself is 80 hours a month of work, job training, or volunteering. That is about 20 hours a week, and it must be reported and documented, not merely done.
Several exemptions were narrowed or eliminated. Veterans lost a previous exemption. So did caregivers of children aged 14 to 17, which catches parents whose youngest child is a teenager.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates the expanded requirements will cause more than a million older adults aged 55 to 64 to lose food assistance. Roughly one in eight SNAP recipients, more than five million people, live in households facing the risk of losing some or all of their benefits, including 800,000 children and more than half a million people who are over 65 or disabled. The Congressional Budget Office put the federal funding reduction at 186 billion dollars through 2034.
“Most people who lose these benefits are not refusing to work. They worked and did not file the hours.”
Do not wait for the appeal to eat. A weekly food box and a family food box exist for exactly this gap and are not means-tested the way benefits are. Senior wellness and hot lunch covers the older end.
And get free legal eyes on a denial. A free legal clinic will read the notice with you, which matters because these letters are written in a language designed to be given up on.
- What are the new SNAP work requirements in 2026?
- From February 1, 2026, able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18 to 64, raised from a previous ceiling of 54, must document 80 hours a month of work, job training or volunteering to keep receiving benefits.
- Who is exempt from SNAP work requirements?
- Exemptions include disability, pregnancy, caring for a dependent, full-time student status, receiving disability benefits, and being over 64. Several exemptions were narrowed or removed, including for veterans and for caregivers of children aged 14 to 17.
- What counts toward the 80 hours?
- Paid employment, self-employment, gig work, qualifying job training and volunteering all count. Many recipients already meet the threshold but lose benefits because the hours were never formally reported in the way their state requires.
- What do I do if my SNAP benefits are cut off?
- File an appeal immediately, because the deadline is short and filing quickly can sometimes continue benefits while the appeal is decided. Ask for that continuation in writing, keep dated copies of every submission, and have a free legal clinic read the notice with you.
