SNAP Work Requirements in Pennsylvania

Check if the time limit applies to you Count your months

When the new rules started in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's time limit came back on September 1, 2025 under the old rules. From November 1, 2025, it covers adults 18 to 64 with no child under 14. DHS says if you lose an exemption, the limit applies again at your next renewal.

Waived areas in Pennsylvania

DHS says Pennsylvania no longer qualifies for county or city waivers under the federal change.

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

DHS has not published how it sets the 36-month period.

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 JETS (with KEYS, EARN and PA CareerLink)

Report changes in hours to your County Assistance Office by the 10th of the next month. Hours are checked at each six-month renewal. Upload proof through COMPASS. Forms: PA 1938 (volunteer verification), PA 1895 (weekly E&T activity), PA 1921 (medical exemption) and CM 558 (exemption questionnaire, mailed to you).

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 Pennsylvania details

• Earning $217.50 a week before taxes meets the rule, as do 20 hours a week of class and study time or at least half-time enrollment.
• DHS also lists being temporarily unemployed and expecting to go back to work within 60 days as an exemption, and still lists homelessness. Ask your caseworker how this applies to you.
• Letters to watch for: PA 660, PA 772, CM 0696 (notice of time-limited status) and CM 558.

Contact

• Agency: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS); County Assistance Offices
• Online account: COMPASS
• Phone: 1-800-692-7462 (DHS Helpline; H.R. 1 FAQ line 1-877-883-6383)

Federal rules that apply in Pennsylvania

• 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.