New York is under intense pressure to roll out new SNAP work requirements by November 1, 2025, after a fast federal order from the Trump administration. The new rules come under the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), passed earlier this year, forcing states to act in just a few weeks instead of the usual long transition period.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sent a memo on October 3, 2025, telling all state agencies to end old ABAWD waivers (Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents) and start enforcing the new work rules. Normally, states get months to prepare, but this time, they only have about 30 days to fully comply.
For New York, this is a big change. The state had a statewide waiver that protected residents from ABAWD time limits through February 28, 2025. Now, those protections are being cut short. By November 1, every able-bodied adult without dependents must meet the new federal work hour rule or risk losing benefits.
Who is affected:
- Adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents
- Those who are not disabled, not pregnant, and not otherwise exempt
They must now work, volunteer, or be in job training for at least 80 hours a month (about 20 hours per week) to keep their SNAP benefits longer than three months in a three-year period.
Key changes under the new OBBB work rule:
- The age limit rises from 54 to 64, adding thousands more to the rule.
- Automatic exemptions for veterans, homeless people, and young adults from foster care have been removed.
- Parents or guardians are only exempt if their child is under 14, instead of under 18.
- States can now get work waivers only if unemployment is above 10%, ending the old “insufficient job opportunities” reason.
The USDA says the new rules will help adults “re-engage with their communities,” but many policy experts say the timeline is too short and the impact could be severe.
State agencies like New York’s Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) are racing to update systems, notify SNAP recipients, and train workers before the deadline. These tasks usually take months of planning, but now must be done in just weeks.
Officials say every SNAP recipient must be screened to see if they qualify for a work exemption or should be referred to an Employment and Training (E&T) program.
Despite the cuts, some people will still stay exempt:
- Pregnant women
- People with medical certifications proving they can’t work
- Individuals meeting TANF work rules
- Native Americans covered by federal protections
The pressure on New York comes as other SNAP-related issues dominate national news. Several states are still battling over waiver restrictions that are set to tighten in November 2025 — you can read about that here: 27 States Face New SNAP Waiver Restrictions.
Meanwhile, the federal government has also frozen SNAP benefit increases until 2027, leaving millions without expected cost-of-living boosts — see full report: SNAP Benefits Frozen Until 2027.
The OBBB changes have also led to new limits on what foods SNAP can buy, with some states moving toward junk food bans by 2026. Full list here: 12 States Planning SNAP Junk Food Ban 2026.
These shifts come during a time of national strain. The ongoing government shutdown has already threatened WIC benefits for moms and kids, affecting millions of families nationwide. See the full story here: Government Shutdown Threatens WIC Benefits for Moms & Kids.
Experts say these new work rules could remove tens of thousands of New Yorkers from SNAP rolls within months. Policy analysts at Brookings and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warn that low-income adults, especially those in rural or high-cost areas, will have a hard time meeting the new 80-hour monthly work rule.
The USDA insists that states have enough time to comply, but many local agencies disagree. One New York SNAP worker said, “It’s almost impossible to redo the entire system in four weeks.”
The One Big Beautiful Bill has already brought major changes to SNAP nationwide, reshaping how food aid is delivered and who can get it. Read the full breakdown of this massive law here: SNAP Changes 2025 – One Big Beautiful Bill Explained.
In the end, the November 1 deadline may mark the biggest shift in SNAP rules in over a decade. For many New Yorkers, it means scrambling to find work or training just to keep food on the table.
As one policy expert put it, “Hunger doesn’t wait for paperwork — but right now, the paperwork can decide who eats.”
