SNAP Prescreening Guide

SNAP participants who are subject to SNAP General Work Rules are required to:

• Accept any job offer received unless there is a good reason not to.
• Not quit their job, if they have one, or work fewer than 30 hours a week without having a good reason. See Voluntary Quit section for details.
• Tell the SNAP office about their job and how many hours they are working.
• Participate in SNAP E&T work activities, if assigned by the SNAP office or district. Note: SNAP offices are not currently assigning E&T activities.

SNAP participants are not required to follow SNAP general work rules if they are:

• Under age 16 or age 60 and over
  • Although they are exempt from general work rules, individuals aged 60 to 64 are subject to the ABAWD time limit rule, unless they qualify for an exemption.
• Age 16 or 17 and not the head of the household
• Attending high school, training, or college at least half-time
  • College students between the ages of 18 and 49 must meet the student eligibility criteria listed in the Eligibility Rules section to receive SNAP.
• Working at least 30 hours a week or earning weekly pay of at least 30 times the hourly federal minimum wage
• Meeting TANF work requirements
• Receiving or applying for unemployment benefits
• Participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program
• Taking care of a child under six
• Taking care of an incapacitated person
• An SSI applicant/recipient
• Physically or mentally unable to work (less documentation is required than for a disability; doctor or other health care provider certification is sufficient)

SNAP offices are required to provide a written notice (LDSS-5193) informing SNAP households about work requirements. If anyone in the household meets any of the above exemptions, they should contact their SNAP office and provide the necessary information and documentation.

If a SNAP household member is exempt from SNAP general work rules, they are also exempt from voluntary quit and ABAWD rules, with the exception of people aged 60 to 64, who are exempt from the general SNAP rules but must meet the ABAWD time limit rule unless they qualify for an exemption.

SNAP applicants/recipients may have a “good cause” reason for not following the general work rules. These reasons are usually outside the individual’s control.

Good Cause can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Being sick/injured
• Facing a household emergency
• Not having childcare for children younger than 12
• Working in unreasonable conditions
• Transportation issues.

If a SNAP applicant/recipient thinks they have a “good cause” reason for not following the general work rules, they must let the SNAP office know right away and provide proof of the reason. For example, the district might request a statement from the person’s doctor or documents showing that the individual has good cause for not following the rule or needs to be excused.

The voluntary quit rule was instituted to prevent people from deliberately reducing their income to get SNAP benefits. The rule disqualifies such people from receiving SNAP benefits for a specified length of time, called a sanction period. This rule often comes into play when someone quits their job for some other reason, such as a decision to relocate, and immediately applies for SNAP.

SNAP offices may ask questions about the reasons for leaving a job during the application process. In these cases, the applicant must show a valid reason for leaving a job to prove good cause and avoid a voluntary quit sanction.

Applicants who were fired for any reason are never assumed to have left their jobs to obtain SNAP benefits. The NYS Temporary Assistance and SNAP Employment Policy Manual states that “provoked discharge” termination situations, in which employees cause themselves to be fired, are not subject to a voluntary quit disqualification.

Those without a valid reason for quitting their job will likely be subject to a
voluntary quit sanction.

Individuals in the following situations are exempt from voluntary quit sanctions:

• Exempt from the work rules at the time of job quit
• Laid off or fired for any reason
• Worked less than 30 hours/week before quitting, unless the person earned more than $217.50/week gross
• Worked less than 30 hours/week before reducing their hours
• Reduced work hours below 30 hours/week, but still earns at least $217.50/week gross
• Had been self-employed
• Resigned at the employer’s demand

See the NYS OTDA Employment Policy Manual for specific rules and policies.

Anyone who is:

• Working 30 or more hours/week OR earning at least $217.50/week, who quits a job without good cause, or
• Working 30 or more hours/week who voluntarily reduces their work hours without good cause, if the person’s earnings fall below $217.50/week

Voluntary quit sanctions begin at the SNAP application date. The look-back period for voluntary quit extends to 30 days before the application.

• For the first instance, ineligibility applies for a period of at least 30 days
• For the second instance, ineligibility applies for a period of at least 90 days
• For the third and all additional instances, ineligibility applies for a period of at least 180 days.

See 18-ADM-08 for more information on voluntary quit sanction time frames.

The SNAP E&T program helps SNAP households gain skills, training, or work experience that will increase their ability to enter or move ahead in the workforce. Currently, SNAP offices in New York are not assigning E&T activities to SNAP participants who are required to follow general work rules. If a SNAP office reaches out concerning a work activity, the SNAP participant should immediately call the SNAP office listed on their notice.

The following activities and services are available on a voluntary basis to adults receiving SNAP.

• Financial literacy or personal finance instruction, including career advice, credit counseling, using savings/checking accounts, cash management techniques
• Job skills training and educational work activities directly related to employment and training
• Job readiness classes
• Subsidized employment and apprenticeships, including internships, customized training, transitional jobs, and on-the-job training, as defined under the Workplace Innovation and Opportunity Act
• Educational and or vocational training programs, including but not limited to a two-year post-secondary degree program
• Vocational education

Post-secondary education: any formal learning that takes place after high school or earning a High School Equivalency (HSE). It can include a variety of options, such as colleges, universities, trade schools, vocational schools, and continuing education programs.

The New York State 2023-24 Enacted State Budget included an amendment of social services law to require SNAP offices to approve participation in an educational and/or vocational training program, which includes, but is not limited to, a two-year post-secondary education program as a work activity under E&T rules for both SNAP and TANF participants.

Previously, SNAP offices were authorized to approve employment plans for those seeking to participate in educational and/or vocational training programs. Under the new law, the SNAP office must approve such plans for those seeking to participate in educational and/or vocational training programs. Additionally, the educational and/or vocational program must be necessary for the participant to:

• Obtain their individual employment goal, and
• Achieve a degree or certificate in sustained employment.

Educational and/or vocational training programs under this provision include, but are not limited to:

• Post-secondary credential-bearing programs up to a four-year degree.
• Post-secondary educational providers, including:
  • Community colleges
  • Public and private colleges
  • Business, technical, trade, or vocational schools

Implementing Post Secondary and/or Vocational Placements
SNAP offices are now encouraged to provide information about, recommend participation in, and make referrals to appropriate and available educational and/or vocational training programs.

SNAP offices must be aware of which education providers offer services in their county and provide information to participants about scholarships, tuition support, and academic advising services for low-income students, adult learners, or workforce development. This includes referrals to:

• One-stop career centers
• On-campus advising services
• Workforce development services

Under voluntary SNAP rules, each district is required to:

1. Coordinate their SNAP E&T components and services with available community resources, including job training and related employment services available through the local WIOA partners.
2. Coordinate with NYS Career Center System partners to align and improve access to local employment, training, and supportive services, thus ensuring SNAP recipients benefit from the Career Center System’s full array of services.
3. Inform SNAP applicants and recipients about work requirements and available employment and training services.

Advising Households of Available E&T Services
At recertification, SNAP offices must advise adult SNAP recipients in households without elderly or disabled members and with no earned income of the availability of employment and training services within the district or region. This is not limited to SNAP E&T and should include E&T opportunities provided by:

• Local career centers
• Community-based organizations
• Local education providers

SNAP offices must, at a minimum, provide a list of available employment and training services electronically or in print.

The federal Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit rule limits how long some adults can receive SNAP benefits if they are not working. Under this rule, unemployed, non-disabled adults ages 18 to 64 living in households without a child under age 14 can only receive SNAP benefits for a total of three full months in a 36-month period unless they live in an area with a waiver, meet an exemption, are granted an exclusion, or meet work requirements. New York State does not have any ABAWD waivers in effect at this time.

The current 36-month period began on October 1, 2023, and ends on September 30th, 2026. A new 36-month period will begin on October 1, 2026. NYS uses a “fixed statewide clock,.” which means that the 36-month period has the same beginning and end dates in all counties for all ABAWDs.

Congress Made Changes to the ABAWD Rule
Congress passed changes to SNAP ABAWD requirements as part of H.R. 1. These changes:

• Limit waivers that allow states to waive work-reporting requirements in areas with insufficient jobs, restricting them to areas with an unemployment rate of over 10%.
• End exemptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and youth aging out of foster care.
• Expand ABAWD time limits to new populations, including seniors ages 55 to 64, and parents with children ages 14 and older.

Individuals who are exempt from the general work rules (see list in general work requirements section above), live in a waived area, or are granted an exclusion from the SNAP office do not have to follow the ABAWD rule.

Exemptions from the ABAWD rule include:

• Younger than age 18, or age 65 or older
• Household includes a child younger than 14 years old
• Pregnant
• Medically certified as physically or mentally unfit for employment for one of the following reasons:
  • receives disability benefits from a public or private source (Veteran Affairs or NYS disability benefits);
  • unable to work 80 hours a month due to physical or mental health reasons;
  • obviously mentally or physically unfit for employment. Visit OTDA for an ABAWD medical statement template.
• An Indian, Urban Indian, California Indian, or other Indian eligible for the Indian Health Services.

Our ABAWD checklist provides more information about the above exemptions.

Federal law requires states to screen individuals before determining whether they fall under the ABAWD time limit rule. Therefore, SNAP offices must screen all adults applying for or participating in SNAP for exemptions from the general work rules and from the ABAWD time limit. This is to evaluate an individual’s SNAP employability status and determine whether they are exempt from the ABAWD work rule.

OTDA has mandated the use of a new tool, the LDSS-5062A, to screen SNAP applicants and recipients at application, recertification, and when changes are reported, if applicable. In NYC, the screening is automated and integrated into HRA’s online system.

The following applies to screenings:

• The screening should happen before the oral and written consolidated work notice (LDSS-5193) is sent, as a notice doesn’t count for screening.
• SNAP offices began screening applicants/recipients for ABAWD status (including the changes from H.R. 1) in November 2025 and will continue over the next year.
  • Individuals applying/recertifying before November 2025 won’t be subject to the ABAWD rules until screened, most likely at the next recertification in 2026.

SNAP offices are limited by existing laws when acting on changes, including rules about unclear information. These rules limit SNAP offices’ authority to require information from a household during the certification period. Households may still report/verify information voluntarily, but the SNAP office must review each case before assigning an ABAWD status to the individual.

Examples:

• Household reports pregnancy during the certification period, and the information is clear; the SNAP office must exempt the individual from the ABAWD time limit in the month the change was reported.
• SNAP office becomes aware that an individual is now 56 years old, and therefore no longer qualifies for an age exemption under ABAWD time limit rules based on changes from H.R.1, the district may not apply the ABAWD time limit rule or assign countable months to the individual until they are screened at the next recertification or periodic report.

For more information on screening, see 25-ADM-03-P Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Time Limit Policy Update and Guidance, pages 4–6.

Individuals who meet an exemption from the ABAWD time limit should tell their SNAP office right away. SNAP offices must accept an individual’s self-attestation that they or another household member meets an exemption from the ABAWD rule, unless the information is questionable.

For questionable information, the SNAP offices must: review each case individually and use all available information, including data from other public assistance programs, before requiring proof to qualify for an ABAWD exemption. Recipients have at least 10 days to provide verification, if needed.

Our ABAWD Time Limit Checklist provides details on each exemption, including acceptable verification.

Helping individuals understand and document an exemption from the ABAWD time limit is an important way community organizations can assist SNAP applicants and recipients.

OTDA created flyers for community organizations concerning ABAWD time limit rules, exemptions, and work requirements. The flyers are available on OTDA’s SNAP Work Requirements webpage in English and 12 additional languages.

Visit HungerSolutionsNY.org/abawd for additional resources, including a checklist to help determine which exemptions may apply and to highlight acceptable verification.

To meet the ABAWD work requirements, an individual must do the following:

• Paid or unpaid work for at least 20 hours a week (80 hours a month), including:
  • Having a job for at least 20 hours a week, or earning at least $217.50 per week, even if working fewer than 20 hours.
  • Doing in-kind work by exchanging services for something other than money. Example: cleaning apartments in exchange for a reduction in monthly rent.
• Job skills for 20 hours a week (80 hours per month), including:
  • Job searches, resume writing, or doing other training approved by the local SNAP office. Some of these activities can be done online at the Department of Labor Job Zone website and/or virtual career center.
  • Job skills training programs and/or educational activities, including college courses, certifications, or credentialed programs that help prepare people for work, including English language instruction.
• Volunteer or Comply with a Work Experience Program
  • Volunteer with a community service program.
    • Individuals may self-initiate a volunteer placement in a community service program.
    • Volunteer placements should be at community service program sites serving a useful community purpose in the field of health, social service, environmental protection, education, urban and rural development, recreation, public facilities, public safety, childcare, and other fields.
    • For volunteering, the number of hours needed to fulfill the work requirement is the SNAP benefit divided by the minimum wage.
      • Example: Mary receives $298 in SNAP benefits. Where Mary lives, the state minimum wage is $17.00; Mary must complete 17 hours of community service or volunteer work each month.
        298 ÷ $17.00 = 17 hours (The number of hours needed to work should be rounded down to the nearest whole hour.)
  • Comply with a Work Experience Program (WEP) assignment.

SNAP applicants/participants who must follow the ABAWD rules should contact their SNAP office immediately if they are currently doing any of these activities.

For more information on meeting work requirements, see 25-ADM-03-P Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) Time Limit Policy Update and Guidance, pages 12 -14, Attachment 2 – ABAWD Qualifying Work Programs Chart, and 25-INF-05, introducing work activity documents and forms for SNAP offices, CBOs, and individuals to use.

Earlier in this section, we reviewed good cause under SNAP’s general work rules. The same concepts apply here under ABAWD rules as well.

If a SNAP applicant/recipient has a “good cause” reason for not following the ABAWD work requirements, they must tell the SNAP office right away and may need to provide proof.

Under the ABAWD work requirements, good cause must be determined on a case-by-case basis. The month in which good cause is applied does not count toward the 3-month time limit, even though the individual did not meet the monthly 80-hour work requirement.

SNAP offices must help SNAP applicants/participants who have been identified as ABAWDs and who are not engaged in work, training, or volunteering. This includes offering anyone who must comply with ABAWD work requirements a slot in a qualifying ABAWD work activity at certification, recertification, and at any time during the certification period when an individual’s ABAWD status changes and they become subject to the rule.

SNAP offices must issue the LDSS-5127 ABAWD Work Activity Letter or a locally developed equivalent approved by OTDA. This notice provides those determined to be an ABAWD with:

• A scheduled appointment to meet with an employment provider who will offer opportunities to engage in a qualifying work activity assignment.
  • This may be in a group or individual setting, and
  • May occur via telephone or through a virtual format.

By attending the appointment, an individual can:

• Explore local jobs that offer better pay,
• Find out about opportunities to learn new skills, and
• Get help finding work.

Following through with the work activity letter is not mandatory, and failure to attend the appointment will not result in any negative action.

SNAP offices must track the monthly work activities of adults who are required to comply with the ABAWD work rules.

Countable Month: a calendar month in which an adult found to be an ABAWD does not complete 80 hours of work. Each month in which the adult does not comply is counted toward the 3-month time limit.

A month is not considered countable under the following conditions:

• A month in which the household did not receive SNAP benefits for the full month, including the month of application (unless the SNAP application was filed on the 1st of the month);
• A month in which the individual is exempted from the ABAWD work requirements for the entire month or any part of a month;
• A month in which an individual is granted an exclusion from the work rules by the SNAP office;
• A month where there is a provider determination (individual is not a good fit for a work activity);
• A month in which the individual has good cause for temporarily missing work or work assignment hours, and in which the individual keeps their job and intends to return to the ABAWD qualifying work activity.

When determining countable months during the 36-month period, SNAP offices must verify whether or not the individual has received SNAP benefits in another county in New York or in any other state.

Upon applying for SNAP benefits, if there is proof that the individual has received SNAP in another state, the SNAP office must verify the number of countable months applied to the individual and document them in the case file. If an adult receives a countable month(s) in another state (during New York’s 36-month period), the month(s) will be counted toward their three-month limit in New York.

Federal law requires that each state be given individual exemptions, equal to a percentage of the state’s annual SNAP caseload, subject to the ABAWD time limit. While these individual exemptions are called discretionary exemptions at the federal level, they are called ABAWD exclusions in New York.

OTDA is responsible for distributing the ABAWD exclusions granted to New York to all counties without an ABAWD waiver at the start of each federal fiscal year, which begins on October 1.

An ABAWD exclusion allows the SNAP office to exclude an individual from the ABAWD work requirements for one calendar month. The SNAP office can also exclude a portion of its non-exempted ABAWD population from the ABAWD work requirements as long as it has enough exclusions available. The total number of exclusions used by a county can not exceed the number granted by OTDA each year.

Beginning FFY2027, counties must have a developed exclusion policy and criteria for granting ABAWD exclusions to individuals. The criteria selected by the county must be applied equally across the ABAWD caseload and must not exceed the limited number of exclusions granted for the year. The SNAP office can limit the number of months an individual is eligible for under the exclusion policy, but that limit must be uniformly enforced. It is recommended that SNAP offices base their exclusion policies on the unique characteristics of their ABAWD caseload.

To guide SNAP offices in developing effective local exclusion policies to maximize use, OTDA provides a recommended statewide exclusion criterion, as outlined below. The recommended statewide exclusion criteria include:

• Special circumstances
  • Lack of a high school diploma or GED;
  • Limited English proficiency;
  • Ongoing transportation barriers;
  • Current or past involvement in the justice system.
• Making an effort to comply with the work requirements
  • This exclusion is granted to anyone who makes an effort to meet the work requirements but falls short of the required hours. For example, someone working 10 -14 hours per week might be granted an exclusion.
• Age Exclusion
  • If an adult subject to the time limit is close to no longer being considered an ABAWD (due to age), they may be granted an exclusion. For example, an individual may be excluded during the month(s) before their 65th birthday.

SNAP Offices must track individuals who must meet the work requirements every month, to confirm their 80 hours of work or work activities, and take timely action when an individual has three countable months.

The SNAP office must send a Notice of Adverse Action (NOAA) when an individual has reached 3 countable months in the 36-month period. Note: the LDSS-5085 and the LDSS-5085-NYC: Notice of Intent to Change Benefits for Non-Compliance with ABAWD Work Requirements is the NOAA that will be sent.

The notice must be issued at least 10 days before the end of the third month to inform the household that an individual is now ineligible for SNAP because they did not comply with the ABAWD work requirements. The notice must be sent before the fourth month of SNAP benefits are issued to the individual.

Adults determined to be ABAWDs must follow specific reporting requirements when their work hours fall below 80 hours a month. They must:

• Notify the SNAP office and provide documentation within 10 days after the end of the month in which the change took place.
• Provide a reason why the individual was not able to meet the work requirements for the month, including whether there are any changes in the individual’s circumstances (good cause or newly exempt).

If the individual takes any of the following actions before the end of their third countable month, the SNAP office may need to re-evaluate the individual’s eligibility for SNAP and issue benefits for the following month. These actions may include any of the following:

• Verify that the individual meets an exemption.
• Provide proof that the individual is meeting the ABAWD work requirements; or
• Request a fair hearing and continuation of benefits (pending the fair hearing decision).

If the information or necessary documentation is provided after the SNAP case is closed for not following the ABAWD work rules, the individual must reapply for SNAP benefits unless they meet the requirements for the case to be reactivated (see Case Reactivation Waiver later in this section).

SNAP offices must track an individual’s monthly participation in work activities such as education, training, work experience, or a combination of work and work activities. Often, the SNAP office will receive this information directly from the activity provider/worksite supervisor, but not always.

OTDA has developed several templates designed to help with tracking participation in qualifying work activities, including;

• WIOA Job Search Activity Record (fillable version or printed)—tracks participation in job search activities;
• Education and Training Participation Record (fillable)—tracks participation in qualifying education and training programs; and
• Volunteer Participation Record (fillable)—tracks voluntary participation in qualifying community service activities.

These forms can be found on OTDA’s SNAP Work Requirements webpage.

An individual subject to the ABAWD time limit who has not fulfilled the work requirements and has used all 3 of their countable months may restore their eligibility for SNAP in several ways. There is no limit on the number of times an individual can regain eligibility under these provisions.

• Applicant Prospective Compliance—Eligibility is restored if the individual who lost SNAP reapplies and verifies that they will meet the ABAWD work requirement within the 30 calendar days following the application.
  • Example: An individual who lost eligibility due to not meeting the ABAWD work requirements has started a new job and applies again for SNAP. If the individual can verify that they will work enough hours in the 30 days following application to meet the ABAWD work requirements, eligibility will be restored.
• 80 Hours of Participation—Eligibility is restored by participating in one or more ABAWD qualifying activities for at least 80 hours within any consecutive 30-day period since losing SNAP benefits.
  • Example: An individual who lost eligibility 9 months ago for not meeting the ABAWD work requirements begins volunteering at a local food pantry for 80 hours per month and reapplies for SNAP. By verifying that they have volunteered for 30 days or more before reapplying, eligibility will be restored.
• 30 Day Job Search/Work Experience—SNAP offices can allow an individual to participate in 30 days of job search/supervised job search, followed by a work experience placement if the individual does not find a job by the end of the 30 days.
  • The individual is required to complete a job search or supervised job search for a minimum of 12 hours during the 30-day period. No other work activity can be substituted for work experience under this option.
• Recipient Prospective Compliance—Eligibility is restored if, before the end of the third3rd countable month, the individual provides proof to the SNAP office that they will meet the ABAWD work requirement in the following 30 days.
  • If a NOAA (LDSS-5085) has already been issued, the SNAP office must rescind the notice upon verification from the individual that they are enrolled in a qualifying work program, work experience activity, or a volunteer slot for the number of hours required under ABAWD rules.
• Additionally, individuals who lose their SNAP eligibility for not meeting the ABAWD work requirement and who later become exempt from the general SNAP work rules or the ABAWD work requirements can have their SNAP benefits restored, provided they are otherwise eligible for SNAP.

When a case is closed, or an individual is removed from a SNAP case for not following the ABAWD work requirement and eligibility is being restored due to one of the above, the following applies:

• Household of One: must file a new application.
• Multi-Person Household: must request that the member be added back to the SNAP case. The household member should then be added to the SNAP case on the first day of the month following the month the change was reported.

People who commit an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) will be removed from the household’s SNAP case for a period specified by the SNAP office. The duration of the sanction is based on the circumstances of the individual client.