ABAWD Work Rules Overview
Overview
If a SNAP client must meet the General Work Rules, they may also have to meet additional rules. These additional rules are the ABAWD Work Rules.
The ABAWD Work Rules were once called the “ABAWD Work Program Requirement.” “ABAWD” is a federal term that means “Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents.” You may also hear these rules referred to as the “three-month time limit” or “time-limited benefits.”
All clients who are subject to the ABAWD Work Rules are also subject to the General Work Rules. But some clients who are subject to the General Work Rules are exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules.
What are the Rules?
SNAP clients who are not exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules must:
- work an average of 20 hours per week,
- participate in a qualified employment and training program 20 hours per week,
- do a combination of work and qualified employment and training totaling 20 hours per week, or
- do community service for a certain number of hours each month.
For more information on meeting the ABAWD Work Rules, see ABAWD Work Rules Participation.
Who Must Follow the ABAWD Work Rules?
All SNAP clients must follow the ABAWD Work Rules unless they meet an exemption. The exemptions are:
- Exempt from the General Work Rules for reasons other than age
- Under age 18, or age 65 or older
- Experiencing a health problem that limits them from working 30 or more hours per week. This could be mental, physical, sensory, learning, intellectual, cognitive, developmental, substance dependency or as a survivor of domestic violence, sexual harassment, sexual assault, or stalking
- Receiving SNAP with someone under age 14
- Living with someone under age 14 who is not receiving SNAP benefits but is a member of the household. This could be an ineligible child or foster child
- Pregnant in any trimester
- An American Indian or Alaska Native as described in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act. To align with federal language, the ABAWD Work Rules Screening question states: An Indian, Urban Indian, or California Indian as described in the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
- Unable to work based on responses from ABAWD Unfit for Work Screening page
For more information on these exemptions, see ABAWD Work Rules Exemptions.
When Must a Non-Exempt Client Start Meeting the ABAWD Work Rules?
A client’s start date for the ABAWD Work Rules is based on when DTA determines that they are not exempt from the rules.
| Period When DTA Determines the Client is Non-Exempt | Example |
|---|---|
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Application If you determine the client is non-exempt at application, the client must start following the rules on Day 1 of the first full calendar month after their application period. |
Christian (he/him) applied for SNAP on 09/08/2024. His SSN ends in 3. Christian must meet the ABAWD Work Rules.
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Recertification If you determine the client is non-exempt at recertification, the client must start following the rules on Day 1 of the first full calendar month in their new certification period. |
Judah (he/him) completes his recertification. His SSN ends in 5. He was exempt from the rules, but he is now non-exempt. His next certification will be 10/08/2024 through 10/07/2025. The first full calendar month in his new certification is 11/01/2024 through 11/30/2024. He must start meeting the rules on 11/01/2024. |
|
Interim Report If you determine the client is non-exempt at Interim Report, the client must start following the rules on Day 1 of the first full calendar month after their certification midpoint. |
Melinda (she/her) was approved for SNAP from 12/11/2024 through 12/10/2025. Her SSN ends in 7. She was exempt for being homeless. In March, Melinda sent a letter reporting that she found a place to live and is no longer homeless. Because of this change, her exemption in BEACON got classified as Unclear Information.
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Case Maintenance If you determine the client is non-exempt at case maintenance, the client must start following the rules on Day 1 of the first full calendar month after the current cyclical month. |
Alfie (he/him) is certified from 01/01/2025 through 12/31/2025. His SSN ends in 0.
|
BEACON will automatically set the start date for a client coded as non-exempt. The start date will be set after you wrap the case. BEACON displays this start date in the SNAP Work Rules Screening Page and will be included in the Consolidated Notice being sent to the client.
Important: You can only start the ABAWD Work Rules at Interim Report if:
- the client’s existing ABAWD exemption is Unclear Information; or
- the client discloses that an ABAWD-specific exemption has ended, you can screen the client because they are on the phone or in person, and you determine that they are non-exempt.
See Screening for Exemptions at IR for more information.
What Happens if a Non-Exempt Client Does Not Follow the ABAWD Work Rules?
Non-exempt clients who do not follow the rules after their start date can only receive SNAP benefits for three months in a 36-month period. The 36-month period is known as the “ABAWD Clock.”
A client will get a strike for each month they do not comply. After three strikes, the client will be ineligible for SNAP for the rest of the ABAWD Clock unless they follow the rules for regaining.
The ABAWD Clock is the same for all SNAP clients. It is displayed at the top of the ABAWD Clock page.
See ABAWD Work Rules Disqualification Process for more details on disqualifications.
What Steps Must I Take to Apply the ABAWD Work Rules?
Step 1: Screen for Exemptions
To begin, you must screen each household member for exemptions. You must record the results of the screening in the SNAP Work Rules Screening page. BEACON will usually direct you to this page when you have to screen. Many of the questions will already be answered based on data in other BEACON pages.
For the ABAWD Work Rules, clients can verify their exemption by self-declaration. The self-declaration must be by telephonic signature or in writing. In rare circumstances, a VC-1 must be sent for Exemption from the SNAP ABAWD Work Rules. The VC-1 will include the SNAP Work Rules Exemption Form. The client can use this form to self-declare certain exemptions in writing.
See ABAWD Work Rules Exemptions for more details on the screening process. Also see the SNAP Work Rules Screening Page.
If you determine that a household member is non-exempt, proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Explain the Rules
If you determine at application or recertification that a client is non-exempt, you must direct them to a prerecorded explanation of the rules. This explanation is provided in a video at a DTA website: mass.gov/snapworkrules. This video is available in multiple languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Haitian Creole, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Khmer (Cambodian), Russian and Arabic. You must also give the client the option to have you read it verbally.
The SNAP Work Rules Screening page includes the Work Rules Explanation tab. At application or recertification, BEACON will direct you to this tab if it detects that a household member is non-exempt. This tab provides the URL for the website with the video. If the client chooses for you to give a verbal explanation, the tab has a button that will generate a PDF of the script you must read. See The SNAP Work Rules Screening Page for detailed steps on completing the Work Rules Explanation tab.
If the SNAP case gets approved, the household will get a written notice of the rules. The notice restates the rules that are verbally explained during certification. This is known as the Consolidated Notice because it explains both the General and ABAWD Work Rules.
Step 3: Track Participation
The non-exempt client must verify that they plan to meet the rules. The verification the client must provide depends on how they plan to meet.
If you get this verification, you must record the participation in BEACON. How you record the participation depends on how the client plans to meet.
Once the client verifies participation, they do not have to verify it again until they:
- recertify;
- resume participation during case maintenance; or
- reapply after their case closes.
If you do not record participation, BEACON will check for it each month. BEACON will issue a strike for each month that the participation is not recorded. After three strikes, BEACON will disqualify the client. See ABAWD Work Rules Participation for details on these participation procedures.
You must remove any strikes if the client regains eligibility or verifies good cause for the relevant strike month. For more information, see ABAWD Work Rules Regaining Process and Good Cause Criteria for Not Complying with the SNAP Work Rules.