Section 6(o) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 limits ABAWD eligibility for SNAP to 3 months in any 36-month period, unless the individual meets the ABAWD work requirement or is otherwise exempt. The law also provides that states may qualify to temporarily waive the 3-month time limit in areas with high unemployment or depressed labor markets.
Attached are questions posed by state agencies and Food and Nutrition Service responses that provide clarification on SNAP policy surrounding time-limited participation for ABAWDs.
This memo provides the list of states that are eligible to waive SNAP participation time limits for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents for FY 2014. Under SNAP regulations, a state can qualify for a 12-month statewide ABA WD waiver if the Department of Labor Unemployment Insurance Service determines that it qualifies for extended unemployment benefits.
This memo provides information about which states are eligible to waive Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limits for participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program(SNAP) for fiscal year 2013. Under SNAP regulations at 7CFR 273.24(f)(2), a state can qualify for a 12-month statewide ABAWD waiver if the Department of Labor's Unemployment Insurance Service determines it meets the criteria for extended unemployment benefits.
The Food and Nutrition Act restricts the amount of time that able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) may participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to 3 months in a 36-month period, unless the ABAWD meets certain
work requirements or is exempted by the state. SNAP regulations at 7 CFR 273.24(g) provide each state agency with an annual allocation of exemptions from the work requirements of 7 CFR 273.24 for ABAWDs.
The DOL EC Trigger Notice 2011-13, effective April 10, 2011, indicates that 46 states or geographic areas met the EC criteria; however, the 46 qualifying states or geographic areas may suspend the time limits on ABAWDs through at least Sept. 30, 2012
The SNAP certification provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 go into effect on April 1, 2009.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 suspends restrictions on Able Bodied Adults Without Dependent participation in SNAP as of April 1, 2009 continuing through Sept. 30, 2010, unless state agencies choose to impose specific work requirements.
The recently-enacted Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008 modified the criteria used by the Department of Labor for the extended benefits program for the duration of the legislation. As a result, some states qualify for the EB program based on the recently-revised criteria rather than the traditional criteria.
This is a follow up to our Nov. 8, 2007, memorandum to Food Stamp Program Directors concerning overuse of 15 percent Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents exemptions by state agencies.