WASHINGTON–If you get SNAP benefits, you should be aware of the changes to the program that took effect this weekend. The new restrictions and requirements require most people applying to provide proof that they work.
More than 700,000 people in Alabama get SNAP benefits, according to the Dept. of Human Services. That number could be reduced by the new rules.
If you are an able-bodied adult without kids you must work at least 80 hours a month, be pursuing an education or be in a training program to qualify. Otherwise, you are limited to three months of benefits.
Anyone under 65 who is considered able-bodied must be able to prove that they work. That includes homeless people and veterans. Otherwise, the benefits will cut off at three months.
If you are an abled-bodied adult with dependents under 14, you are exempt from the work requirements. But, that is a change to the rule, which before had the age of the kids as 18 and under.
The new rules were passed under the “One Big Beautiful Bill”, and will apply when the program is funded again.
