The Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit rule is a federal rule that restricts how long some adults can participate in SNAP if they are not working. Under this rule, unemployed, non-disabled adults ages 18 to 64 living in households without a child under age 14 can only receive SNAP benefits for a total of three full months in a 36-month period unless they live in an area with a waiver, meet an exemption, or meet work requirements.
New York’s ABAWD waiver is back in effect for all counties in NYS, except Saratoga, through February 28, 2026. This means that in all counties except Saratoga, the ABAWD work rules will not be put in place until March 1, 2026.
On November 1, 2025, SNAP offices in all counties started to screen all new applicants and those recertifying to identify individuals who are exempt from the SNAP general work requirements and/or exempt from the ABAWD time limit.
Visit NYS OTDA’s website for the latest updates.
More information will be added to this page as it becomes available, including tools and additional resources to help those working with SNAP recipients impacted by these changes.
Congress passed changes to SNAP ABAWD requirements in July as part of H.R. 1.
These changes:
- Limit waivers that allow states to waive work reporting requirements in areas with insufficient jobs, restricting these waivers to areas with an unemployment rate of over ten percent.
- End exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.
- Expand ABAWD time limits to new populations, including seniors ages 55 to 64, and parents with children ages 14 and older.
Resources
- Hunger Solutions New York: SNAP Changes Under the Federal Budget Reconciliation Law
- FRAC: The Far-Reaching Harmful Impacts of the Reconciliation Bill—on Families, Older Adults, Immigrants, and State Budgets
- NYS OTDA:
