About 900K of Arizonans currently get SNAP food aid (about 12% of the population) but SNAP participation isn’t uniform.
Dark-red rural counties like Mohave and Gila counties have much higher SNAP participation rates than urban areas. About 30% of people in rural areas get SNAP aid. Urban places like the Phoenix and Tucson are closer to 10%.
This week new federal SNAP rules from H.R. 1 took effect, expanding work requirements and restricting exemptions. For the most part, HR1 didn’t change the actual requirements – rather it mostly affects who are subject to the requirements.
Changes Implemented this Week
The biggest change is the expanded work requirements by age. Previously, federal (and state) SNAP work rules applied only to “able-bodied” adults without dependents between 18–54. Under H.R. 1, that upper age limit increased to 64.
From now on, adults ages 55–64 who meet the technical definition of “able-bodied” need to meet the requirements or lose their benefits after a few months.
Under SNAP law, “able-bodied” means being physically and mentally capable of working and not qualifying for a specific exemption. Exceptions include having a verified disability, being pregnant, or caring for a child under age 14 (but these must be proven). Many people with chronic health conditions may still be classified as able-bodied without formal documentation.
For those subject to it, the work requirement stays at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, or approved training, or about 20 hours a week.
H.R. 1 also ended several exemptions from the work requirements that used to exist. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young adults who aged out of foster care aren’t automatically exempt from work rules. Also, parents with children age 14–17 now need to meet work requirements (previously any parent with a child under 18 was exempt).
It’s also harder for states to ask for waivers from the work requirements for areas that have very few jobs. States can only get a geographic waiver if the area has an unemployment above 10%.
