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Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) - SNAP (Food Stamps)

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) limits the receipt of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamp Program) to 3 months in a 3-year period for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) who are not working, participating in, and complying with the requirements of a work program for 20 hours or more each week, or a workfare program.

NOTE: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 affects the status of Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), as shown below.

Beginning April 1, 2009, and extending through FY 2010, SNAP benefits of Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) will not be limited under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 unless an individual does not comply with the requirements of a program offered by the State agency that meets standards contained in the Act.

States may continue to disqualify individuals from SNAP on the basis of their failure to comply with an Employment and Training Program. However, no one may be disqualified on the basis of the time limit unless the State chooses to make a work assignment available that meets the above requirements.

Beginning on October 1, 2010, for the purposes of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 State agencies will disregard any period during which an individual received benefits under the SNAP prior to October 1, 2010. The effect of this provision will be to clear all ABAWD time limits due to the 3 in 36 rule and begin anew.

Exemptions

Individuals are exempt from this provision if they are:

·                   under 18 or over 50 years of age;

·                   responsible for the care of a child or incapacitated household member;

·                   medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment, pregnant; or

·                   already exempt from the work requirements of the Food Stamp Act.

Waivers

States may request a waiver of this provision for people in areas with an unemployment rate above 10 percent or for those in an area with insufficient jobs. States also have authority to exempt individuals using the 15% exemption authorized by the Balanced Budget Act.

The status of states' requests to waive the work requirements for ABAWDs, along with waiver coverage and expiration date, is available online in PDF format (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) at:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/PRWORA/abawds/abawds.pdf

Source

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/rules/Memo/PRWORA/abawds/ABAWDsPage.htm

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