SNAP Work Requirements in New Hampshire
Here is when New Hampshire started the 2025 time limit rules for adults 18 to 64, which areas are waived, how your 36 months are counted, and how to report your hours.
Check if the time limit applies to you Count your months
When the new rules started in New Hampshire
NH DHHS says the new federal work rules started November 1, 2025, for adults 18 through 64 with no child under 14 in the household.
Waived areas in New Hampshire
No part of New Hampshire is waived.
That means the time limit can apply anywhere in the state to adults who are not exempt and do not meet the 80-hour rule.
Your 36-month period
New Hampshire's manual sets a fixed 36-month period for each person, starting with your first month of SNAP eligibility. It keeps running whether or not you get benefits. Only full months count.
You can get SNAP for only 3 countable months in that period unless you meet the 80-hour rule or are exempt. The time limit calculator helps you count.
How to meet and report the 80 hours
Job and training program: SNAP Employment & Training
Paid work, work for goods or services, or an approved work program count toward 80 hours. Tell DHHS within 10 days if your hours drop below 80 a month. If you think you are exempt, call the Customer Service Center or visit your District Office.
Across all states, paid work, work for goods or services, volunteering, workfare and approved training count, and you can combine them. See what counts as work.
More New Hampshire details
- Working 30 hours a week or earning at least $217.50 a week makes you exempt.
Contact
- Agency: New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
- Online account: NH EASY
- Phone: 1-844-275-3447 (1-844-ASK-DHHS, Customer Service Center)
Federal rules that apply in New Hampshire
- Covered: adults 18 through 64 who can work, with no child under 14 in their SNAP household.
- Exempt: pregnancy; a health condition that keeps you from working; American Indian, Alaska Native, Urban Indian or California Indian; or being excused from the general work rules (caring for a child under 6 or a disabled person, unemployment benefits, 30 hours a week or $217.50 a week, half-time school, drug or alcohol treatment, TANF work rules). See all exemptions.
- Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth are no longer automatically exempt.
- If you lose SNAP, you can get it back by doing 80 hours in 30 days or becoming exempt. You can also ask for a fair hearing. See how to get SNAP back.
Frequently asked questions
Do SNAP work requirements apply in New Hampshire in 2026?
Yes. The federal time limit applies to SNAP recipients aged 18 to 64 who are not exempt. New Hampshire’s new rules started Nov. 1, 2025. No part of the state is waived.
How do I report my 80 hours in New Hampshire?
Paid work, work for goods or services, or an approved work program count toward 80 hours. Tell DHHS within 10 days if your hours drop below 80 a month. If you think you are exempt, call the Customer Service Center or visit your District Office.
When does the 36-month period reset in New Hampshire?
New Hampshire's manual sets a fixed 36-month period for each person, starting with your first month of SNAP eligibility. It keeps running whether or not you get benefits. Only full months count.