What to Know as SNAP Work Requirements for Older Adults Take Effect

People ages 55 to 64 now must prove they are working to receive food aid

Molly Snow,

AARP

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Published November 03, 2025

a person typing on a keyboard, a cart full of food and receipts

AARP (Getty Images, 4; Stocksy, 1)

Key takeaways

Work requirements apply to more older adults, vulnerable groups
Exemptions for certain circumstances, like disability
Fewer areas to get waivers approved for high unemployment
States rush to inform beneficiaries
Contact your benefits specialist or SNAP office for information on how you’re affected

Stricter work requirements for low-income adults who depend on federal food aid took effect Nov. 1, leaving older beneficiaries to scramble for an exemption or seek employment to retain their benefits.

People ages 55 to 64 must meet these standards for the first time, unless they are able to get an exemption, such as for a mental or physical disability. Volunteerism or training also count toward the 80-hour-per-month requirement.

In addition, veterans and those experiencing homelessness no longer qualify for exemptions from work requirements. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports more than 11 million adults 50-plus.

“Every older American deserves the security of knowing they can put food on the table,” says Megan O’Reilly, AARP vice president of health and families. “But for many people in their 50s and early 60s — those caring for a parent, living with health issues or struggling to find work — these new requirements could mean the difference between keeping and losing critical food assistance.”

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SNAP changes risk food aid for older adults

As the largest anti-hunger program in the country, SNAP has been helping low-income families since the 1960s. Today, it provides an average benefit of about $7 a day to adults aged 50 and older.

The program was reshaped earlier this year by the Trump administration’s sweeping federal spending law signed in July. With it came changes that impose new eligibility rules on low-income adults who already struggle to afford groceries. The changes also coincide with interruptions to federal funding for SNAP due to the government shutdown.

AARP has been sounding the alarm over the changes, saying they may disincentivize older adults who need support from applying for SNAP due to paperwork obligations and barriers to employment, like caregiving responsibilities, age discrimination and physical limitations.

“AARP is fighting to strengthen programs like SNAP, so no one has to choose between buying groceries and paying the bills,” O’Reilly says.

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Already, the program is underutilized: Nearly 60 percent of low-income older adults who qualify for federal food assistance don’t use it, according to analysis by the AARP Public Policy Institute. Previous research has found various reasons for this, such as the perception of a burdensome application process or stigma.

Older adults who receive SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, say the modest support helps them supplement their grocery bills, as they contend with rising prices on housing, other goods and medication — all while living on a fixed income in retirement.

As of Nov. 1, adults ages 18 to 64 must work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month, be in a training program, or earn at least $217.50 per week (federal minimum wage times 30 hours) to continue receiving SNAP benefits for more than three months in a three-year period.

People who cannot work due to physical or mental limitations are exempt from the requirement, as are those who care for a child under the age of 14. The requirements apply to new applicants and to those already receiving benefits, who may need to meet new requirements at their next recertification.

States previously had more flexibility in issuing waivers from requirements for those living in areas with high unemployment or insufficient job opportunities.

But now, waivers are harder to obtain.

Going forward, states can only waive the three-month limit if an area’s unemployment rate is over 10 percent.

But that may be difficult. According to analysis by the Brookings Institution, such an unemployment rate was reached in only one month nationally during the entire Great Recession.

Those wondering how to get a waiver or how to meet the new SNAP work rules, should check in with their state’s social services office or find their local SNAP office here.

States race to implement

All told, nearly 4 million people in a typical month are likely to lose at least some of their SNAP benefits once changes, including funding cuts, are fully implemented, according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. That includes veterans, older adults and those with disabilities who will be caught up in the new rules.

The roughly $100 billion program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides a modest boost to household grocery budgets, but it has a significant impact.

SNAP spending makes up between 1 percent and 2 percent of all federal spending each year and lifted 2 million adults ages 50 and older out of poverty in 2022, according to findings from AARP and federal data.

Now, states are working feverishly to inform residents of the changes and train their eligibility specialists on how to implement them with minimal disruptions and errors.

“These are sweeping changes to the program, and state agencies need at least 12 to 18 months to implement them, but now they are being forced to rush major programmatic changes without the needed information and support,” Crystal FitzSimons, president of the Food Research & Action Center, said in a statement.

USDA’s guidance says state agencies must notify affected households in writing of the new policies, but state leaders have said they’re concerned these messages will lead to confusion among affected households and delays in certifying benefits.

“If employers and SNAP administrators lack experience in tracking and verifying a person’s hours efficiently and accurately, people will experience longer waits to receive their food stamps,” according to an analysis of the policies by LeadingAge.

If you are in need of food assistance, these resources can help you find support in your area. 

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Molly Snow is a writer for AARP covering advocacy issues and state news. She also writes AARP's Today's Tips podcast. She previously worked at other news outlets, including Federal Times, McClatchy and Gannett.