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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.
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