New Work Requirements For SNAP In Florida: What To Know

New federal work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients began this week for millions of Florida residents.

On Monday, sweeping changes to the nation’s largest food aid program took effect under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or HR 1, which President Donald Trump signed in July.

Many SNAP recipients were already required to show that they work, volunteer or attend job training at least 80 hours per month to qualify for benefits. The new law expands the work requirement to people between 18 and 64 years old, and parents of children ages 14 through 17.

The new rules eliminate exemptions for military veterans, people experiencing homelessness and young adults aging out of foster care. The law also makes it more difficult for individual states to bypass federal work requirements.

The Congressional Budget Office says the new requirements are expected to cut the monthly number of SNAP recipients by nearly 2.4 million over the next 10 years.

More than 2.9 million Florida residents rely on SNAP to meet their basic nutritional needs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. An analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows 59 percent of recipients are households with children, while 41 percent are in families with members who are older adults or are disabled.

Monthly benefits from the program, formerly known as “food stamps,” average around $180 per person. Recipients can use the funds to buy a wide range of grocery items. SNAP benefits can’t be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or “nonfood” items like pet food or cleaning supplies.

The Trump administration has claimed that SNAP has grown out of control, alleging that overreliance on the program and widespread fraud have forced elected officials to take action.

Under the new work requirements, more than 5 million people nationwide — including 253,000 Floridians — are at risk of losing some, if not all, of their food assistance, according to the Florida Policy Institute.

The bill will also require Florida to pay for 75 percent of SNAP administrative costs and up to 15 percent of benefit costs, according to the state Department of Social Services.

In the past, states and the federal government split the administrative costs of operating a SNAP program. However, under HR 1, Congress cut federal funding by half for the state’s administrative costs of running SNAP.

This cut, when added to the cost shift to states for monthly benefits, means Florida will have to pay about $205 million per year beginning in 2027 to fund SNAP operating costs, according to the Florida Policy Institute.

This week, members of a House health care spending panel said Florida needs to find another $50.6 million in its budget to help administer SNAP following the changes. The Florida Department of Children and Families has submitted a budget request to make up the difference, but whether it is funded will be decided this legislative session, reports said.

Department of Children and Families Assistant Secretary for Administration Chad Barrett tried to soften the financial blow in his appearance before the House Health Care Budget Subcommittee on Tuesday, the Florida Phoenix reported.

“Please keep in mind Florida has the lowest administrative rate in the country, which is $13 per case per month, which puts Florida in the top percentile compared to all other states,” Barrett said.