The federal rule that cuts off food stamps after three months now reaches older adults. USDA’s own guidance says the age range subject to the SNAP time limit grew from 18 through 54 to 18 through 64, which adds everyone aged 55 through 64. The same guidance says getting Social Security benefits does not excuse anyone from it.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, serves people on low and fixed incomes. Its work rule applies to “able-bodied adults without dependents,” or ABAWDs. Under USDA’s work requirements page, such adults can get SNAP for no more than three months in three years unless they meet the work requirement or are excused.
The change comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Public Law 119-21, which President Donald J. Trump signed on July 4, 2025. In its Time Limit Changes Q&As, dated June 11, 2026, USDA says the law “increases the age of those subject to the time limit from those aged 18 through 54 to those aged 18 through 64.” That leaves a question for anyone aged 55 to 64 who gets SNAP: is there an exception that applies, and does the state agency have proof of it?
What changed this year: Social Security and Medicare change every year, and nobody sends you a memo. The Retirement Money Brief breaks down what changed and what to do. Bonus when you subscribe: our SNAP Recertification & EBT Checklist.
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Social Security is not an exception
USDA answers this one directly. In the Q&As it states: “The Act does not provide an exception from the time limit for individuals receiving Social Security benefits.” Retirement benefits, early retirement at 62 and disability payments do not, by themselves, stop the clock.
People aged 60 to 64 sit in a split position. USDA says they “are not subject to the general work requirements,” the older set of rules that cover ages 16 through 59. But it also says “individuals aged 60 to 64 are subject to the time limit, unless they meet another exception.” So a 61-year-old cannot be forced into the general work rules, yet can still lose SNAP after three months.
Who is still excused
USDA’s work requirements page lists these exemptions from the time limit: being unable to work because of a physical or mental limitation, being pregnant, having someone under 18 in the SNAP household, being excused from the general work requirements, being a veteran, being homeless, and being 24 or younger and in foster care on the 18th birthday.
The October 3, 2025 implementation memo changes that list. Signed by Ronald Ward, Acting Associate Administrator for SNAP at the Food and Nutrition Service, it says the law “removes the temporary exceptions” for homeless people, veterans, and young adults who were in foster care at 18. It also limits the child exception to a dependent child under 14 who is part of the same SNAP household.
The memo adds three new exceptions: “An Indian,” “An Urban Indian” and “A California Indian,” each defined in federal law. States must keep following the verification rules at 7 CFR 273.2(f), which means asking for reviewable documents when information is questionable. USDA says these changes took effect on enactment, July 4, 2025.
What meeting the rule takes
The work requirements page says the requirement is met by working at least 80 hours a month, joining a work program for 80 hours a month, or combining the two. Workfare, where benefits are worked off, is another route, with hours set by the benefit amount.
Work can be paid or unpaid, including volunteer work. A person cut off can get SNAP back by meeting the requirement for a 30-day period or by becoming excused. Otherwise the person waits until the three-year period ends and gets another three months.
USDA’s separate eligibility page states the rule differently. It says 20 hours a week and a 36-month period, and still lists veterans and homeless people as exempt. Both pages say USDA is updating them to reflect the new law, so the memo and Q&As above are the current statement of the rule.
Waivers are harder to get
Many areas once escaped the time limit through waivers. USDA’s waiver memo says the law now requires areas to have unemployment rates “over 10 percent” to qualify. The older “lack of sufficient jobs” standard is gone, and waivers longer than 12 months will not be approved.
The memo says USDA would terminate waivers approved under the old standard 30 days after the memo was issued. Alaska and Hawaii can still ask for exemptions based on a “good faith effort” to comply, but those expire no later than December 31, 2028. USDA also tells states to notify anyone newly subject to the time limit when a waiver ends.
The notice from the state office
States must screen applicants and people at recertification for the modified exceptions, and USDA’s Q&As say states should measure the three-year period on a continuous basis. In practice, a letter from the local SNAP office is where an older recipient first learns the clock is running.
Anyone who gets that letter can check the exceptions against the USDA work requirements page and then contact the state SNAP agency with proof of any exception, such as a medical statement or a child under 14 in the household. Waiting for the three months to end leaves little time to gather documents.
Which exception covers a 58-year-old on SNAP?
USDA has not published a list of exceptions that covers every older adult, and Social Security does not count. The facts that matter are health limits, a child under 14 in the household, tribal status, or whether the county still has a waiver. Each one needs a document the state will accept.
Is a SNAP renewal date coming for someone aged 55 to 64?
Older recipients who miss a notice or lack proof of an exception can lose SNAP after three months, and getting it back means a 30-day work stretch or waiting out the three-year period.
The SNAP & Medicaid Renewal Organizer covers the SNAP work-rule time limit and who is exempt, and includes 51 state packs, a renewal document checklist and a renewal and reporting calendar, so each exception and each date has a place.
Get the exception checklist and renewal calendar for SNAP recipients aged 55 to 64 →
More Financial Reading
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- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 17 Medicare Money Moves Now That Part D Caps at $2,400
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
