Beginning November 1, 2025, the rules governing food assistance in the United States will change in ways that many low-income households will feel immediately. For millions who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as SNAP, the program is shifting from a broad safety net toward a system with stricter conditions, tighter timelines, and far less room for error. For people already living close to the edge, the changes introduce not just new requirements, but a constant sense of urgency.
At the center of the overhaul is a renewed emphasis on work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents. Under the new rules, these individuals must prove that they are working, volunteering, or enrolled in approved job training for at least 80 hours every month in order to continue receiving benefits. Failing to meet that threshold does not simply reduce assistance; it triggers a hard limit. Those who cannot comply are restricted to just three months of SNAP benefits over a three-year period, a policy often described as the “time limit.” Once those months are used, food assistance disappears, regardless of whether circumstances improve or worsen.
Supporters of the changes frame them as a push toward self-sufficiency, arguing that tying benefits to work or training encourages labor force participation and reduces long-term dependency. Critics see something far different: a policy that assumes stable jobs, reliable transportation, and accessible volunteer opportunities in communities where those things often do not exist. For many recipients, especially in rural areas or regions with weak job markets, meeting the 80-hour requirement can be less a matter of effort than of opportunity.
One of the most significant shifts is the expansion of who is subject to these rules. Previously, adults aged 59 and older were generally exempt from the work requirement. Under the new framework, that automatic exemption does not apply until age 65. For people in their early sixties—many with health issues, limited mobility, or outdated job skills—this change is more than technical. It forces a demographic already vulnerable to unemployment into compliance with rules designed for a much younger workforce.