On Feb. 1, people who get help buying food through the SNAP program will face new requirements to keep their benefits. About 190,000 people in Cuyahoga County rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. As many as 25,000 people would fall under the new work requirements, according to estimates from 2025.
New federal rules that were part of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” expand work requirements, remove exemptions from work requirements for some people and change the way utility bills are calculated as part of a person’s monthly income.
Who falls under the new work requirements?
People deemed “able-bodied adults” no longer qualify for work exemptions. That means people between aged 18 to 64 have to complete a work activity to continue receiving benefits.
Previously, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, former foster youth, and adults over 54 were exempt. Those exemptions are eliminated beginning Feb. 1.
The following groups will now generally be required to meet SNAP work requirements (unless they fall under another exemption):
- Adults ages 55-64
- Parents whose children are all aged 14-18
- Veterans
- People experiencing homelessness
- Youth aging out of the foster care system
What is a work activity?
This requirement means a person must generally work at least 80 hours per month or 20 hours per week. Participating in approved education, job training or community service programs also fulfills the work requirement. This includes the SNAP Employment and Training or workfare program.
Proof of compliance is required by March 1, 2026
Who is still exempt from SNAP work requirements?
Adults ages 60-64 can still get an exemption if they are pregnant, living with a child under age 14, or physically or mentally unable to be employed.
Native Americans are also exempt from SNAP time limits if they meet the definition of an “Indian,” “Urban Indian,” or “California Indian” as outlined in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA).
Adults who are age 59 or younger also may be exempt if they are
- Employed or self-employed 30 hours per week or more
- Caring for an incapacitated person
- Applying for or receiving unemployment benefits
- Enrolled at least half-time as a student
- Participating in a substance use treatment program
These additional exemptions do not apply to the 60-64 age group.
How to report and verify you are meeting work requirements
By March 1, SNAP recipients who aren’t covered by an exemption will have to submit proof of employment, like a recent pay stub. If a person does unpaid or volunteer work to meet requirements, they’ll have to fill out and submit a special verification form.
Forms can be submitted online through the Ohio Benefits Self-Service Portal, by mail, or in person to a local Job and Family Services office. Find the Cuyahoga County locations.
SNAP recipients are encouraged to keep income and household information updated, create an account at ssp.benefits.ohio.gov to track their case, and sign up for text alerts to avoid disruptions in benefits.
What happens if the new SNAP requirements are not met?
Adults who don’t meet the work requirements can receive SNAP for three months within a three-year period. Starting May 1, 2026, people who have received SNAP benefits for three months and have not proven an exemption will lose benefits.
To get benefits back, a person would need to:
- Work 80 or more hours over 30 consecutive days
- Qualify for an exemption
- Wait until the three-year limit resets
Credit for utility bill payments is changing. How?
The government looks at household income and costs when deciding whether someone is eligible for SNAP benefits. That includes the cost of utility bills, including gas and electric.
It can be hard to track utility costs because they can change based on the season or where someone is living. States use something called a “standard utility allowance” to represent the general costs of paying utilities in a given area. That amount is then deducted from the income considered for SNAP eligibility and used to calculate the amount of benefits allowed.
Previously, households receiving more than $20 annually in energy assistance, such as HEAP, automatically qualified for the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA). No utility bills or additional proof were required
The new rules limit this automatic process.
Only households with an elderly or disabled member can automatically qualify if they receive help paying for utilities through programs like HEAP, which pay part of a bill for someone with a low income. Households without an elderly or disabled member must now verify actual heating or cooling costs by submitting utility bills.
That means that only the cost a person pays for their utility – and not the full costs – will be counted to calculate how much SNAP assistance a person gets. The “standard utility allowance” can only be claimed if the cost to heat or cool a home is more than the assistance received through other programs such as HEAP.
Households that can’t claim the “standard utility allowance” will likely see smaller monthly SNAP benefits or lose eligibility. Ohio’s implementation began Nov. 1, 2025.
Changes will be applied at the latest during a household’s next SNAP recertification Many households will now have to track down utility bills, submit verification to their county agency, and navigate additional paperwork. If verification is delayed or missing, SNAP benefits can be reduced, delayed or denied.