What Counts as Work for the SNAP 80-Hour Rule
You need 80 hours a month (about 20 a week) to keep SNAP past the time limit. Many kinds of activity count, and you can mix them.
Activities that count
Under 7 CFR 273.24(a), you meet the rule with any of these, alone or combined, adding up to 80 hours a month:
| Activity | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Paid work | Work for money, including self-employment and gig work | Part-time job, cleaning houses, rideshare or delivery apps, lawn care |
| In-kind work | Work in exchange for goods or services instead of money | Doing building maintenance in exchange for rent |
| Unpaid work and volunteering | Unpaid work verified by your state. Some states require it to be for a nonprofit or public group | Food bank, church, school, library or shelter volunteering |
| SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) | Your state’s SNAP job program, such as skills training, work experience, or education | GED classes, job training, apprenticeship, work experience placement |
| Other work programs | WIOA Title I programs, Trade Act programs, and Department of Labor or VA job programs for veterans | American Job Center training, veterans’ employment programs |
| Workfare | Unpaid work your SNAP office assigns. You must do the hours it sets, which can be fewer than 80 | Assigned placement at a public or nonprofit agency |
Workfare can mean fewer hours
Workfare hours are based on your SNAP benefit divided by the minimum wage (the higher of the federal or state rate). For example, a $250 monthly benefit divided by the $7.25 federal minimum wage is about 34 hours. In a place with a $15 minimum wage it would be about 17 hours. Not every state offers workfare. States that do include Georgia, Massachusetts, Washington and Washington, D.C.
Job search counts only a little
Job search, supervised job search, and job search training on their own do not count. They can count only as part of a work program, and only if they are less than half of your required hours.
You may be exempt instead
If you work at least 30 hours a week, or earn at least $217.50 a week (the federal minimum wage times 30 hours), you are exempt from the time limit entirely, even with fewer than 20 hours a week. See all exemptions.
Examples
- Maria, 58, works 12 hours a week at a store (about 52 hours a month) and volunteers 7 hours a week at a food pantry (about 30 hours a month). Total: about 82 hours. She meets the rule.
- James, 45, drives for a delivery app about 15 hours a week (about 65 hours a month). He is short about 15 hours. He could add a few hours of volunteering a week, or join a SNAP E&T class.
- Ana, 30, applies for jobs 25 hours a week but has no work or program hours. Job searching alone does not count, so she has not met the rule. Asking her SNAP office for an E&T referral could help.
- Dev, 50, earns $240 a week working 16 hours. He earns more than $217.50 a week, so he is exempt.
How to prove your hours
- Paid work: pay stubs, a letter from your employer with your hours, or self-employment records. For gig work, app earnings statements or a log you sign.
- Volunteering: a signed note or timesheet from the volunteer coordinator. Many states have their own form, such as Connecticut’s W-3040 or Pennsylvania’s PA 1938.
- Training and E&T: your program usually reports hours for you. Ask to be sure.
Most states check hours when you apply and at renewal, and ask you to report within about 10 days if your hours drop below 80 in a month. Your state page has the specific rules and forms we could verify.
Frequently asked questions
Does volunteering count for SNAP work requirements?
Yes. Unpaid work and volunteering count toward the 80 hours, as long as your state can verify them. Some states require volunteering to be with a nonprofit or government group.
Do gig and app-based jobs count?
Yes. Self-employment, including rideshare and delivery work, counts. Keep app earnings statements or a signed log of your hours.
Do college classes count?
Being enrolled at least half-time excuses you from the general work rules, which also exempts you from the time limit. College students must still meet SNAP’s separate student eligibility rules.
Can I combine work and volunteering?
Yes. Any mix of paid work, unpaid work, volunteering and approved programs that adds up to 80 hours a month meets the rule.
Does looking for a job count?
Not by itself. Job search counts only inside a work program and only for less than half of the required hours.
What if no SNAP E&T program is available near me?
Other activities like work and volunteering still count. Texas exempts people who live in counties with no E&T program. Some states, like Oregon, give automatic exemptions in areas with no job center. Ask your SNAP office.