The General Work Rules

What are the General Work Rules?

As a condition of SNAP eligibility, SNAP household members age 16 (through and including) age 59 must follow the General Work Rules if they do not qualify for an exemption.

Non-exempt clients must:

• register for work at application and at every recertification period (registration of non-exempt household members occurs when the client signs the SNAP application or recertification form and takes effect on the application date or the first day of the household’s new certification period).
• accept an offer of employment
• not reduce their work hours if they work 30 or more hours per week. Clients subject to the General Work Rules cannot reduce their hours without a good reason, if reducing their hours means they make less than $217.50 per week,
  • For example, if the client earns $16 an hour and they work 30 hours per week, they can’t reduce their hours below 14 hours per week.

OR

• not voluntarily quit a job that earns $217.50/week or more in gross earnings (or if the client makes less than this but works 30 hours per week) unless the client has a good cause reason for quitting, or they have taken another job that earns them $217.50/week or more.

Note: Clients who terminate their self-employment enterprise are exempt from the voluntary quit rule.

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How Does a Client Become Exempt?

To be exempt from the General Work Rules, the client must meet one of the following:

• is younger than 16, or age 60 or older.
  • If a child has their 16th birthday within the certification period, they must be screened for any exemptions at the household’s next recertification. If not exempt, they will be work registered at that time and subject to the General Work Rules
• is 16 or 17 years old and not the head of the SNAP household
• is federally certified as disabled
• is temporarily unfit for employment, either physically or mentally, but may not be federally certified as disabled
• is pregnant and within 120 days of their due date
• is an active TAFDC/EAEDC recipient
• is an Unemployment Compensation applicant or recipient, as they are subject to and participating in unemployment compensation work requirements
• is the caretaker of a dependent child under age 6 or a person with a disability (at any age), even if the child or person with a disability does not live in the same household
• is a student at a recognized school or participating in a training program at least halftime.
• is a regular participant, either on a resident or nonresident basis, in a substance use disorder treatment program
• is employed or self-employed and receiving $217.50/week or more in gross earnings (or if the client makes less than this but works 30 hours per week)

You must review the chart below and the Distinctions About Specific General Work Rules Exemptions/Conditions sections on how to apply certain exemptions.

Note: In some circumstances, a client’s earned income verification may not include the number of hours worked. The number of hours worked may be calculated provided the earned income verification includes the client’s hourly rate. For more, see Entering Hours When Not Available on Wage Stubs.

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How to Determine if a Client has a General Work Rules Exemption?

Below is a list of all the screening questions in BEACON. The screening questions are used to determine if a client is exempt from the General Work Rules. Some exemptions are automatically verified through current case details, such as age or if the client is receiving TAFDC/EAEDC. Others need either a self-declaration (either telephonic or written) or documentary evidence.

You must accurately fill out all pages in the BEACON workflow. This allows BEACON to automatically update certain exemption reasons based on what you enter in the corresponding BEACON screens. For example, BEACON will automatically exempt a client for pregnancy if you complete the Pregnancy page and enter a due date that is within 120 days. In addition, you must screen each client for all exemptions, including the ones that are automated to ensure all exemptions are accurately captured. For example, while you are screening a client for exemptions, they tell you that they are eight months pregnant, however the screening question says No. You will need to go to the Pregnancy page entered required fields and revisit the screening page. For more information, see the SNAP Work Rules Screening page.

If you determine after screening that the client meets one or more of the General Work Rules exemptions, you must follow the appropriate verification procedures for each of the exemptions, as listed in the table below.

Important: For the optional General Work Rules Exemption VC-1 items, BEACON will only require the client to verify the most permanent exemption based on the hierarchy below. For instance, if a client indicates during the screening process that they are actively receiving services from MassAbility (Unable to Work – Temporary Illness or Disability) and are participating in a substance use treatment program, BEACON will only display the Unable to Work - Temporary Illness or Disability exemption in the verification tab for the client to verify.

* If a client self-declares any of the above self-declarable exemptions and it is determined that it is questionable, the client must provide documentary evidence of that exemption. This must be clearly documented in the narrative to let staff know that a self-declaration is no longer sufficient.

Reminder: If a client is exempt from the General Work Rules through any of the Unable to Work – Temporary Illness or Disability exemptions, you must assess the client for potential eligibility for EAEDC and inform the client how to apply for EAEDC if it appears that they could be eligible. See Informing Clients about Possible TAFDC and EAEDC Benefits.

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Distinctions About Specific General Work Rules Exemptions/Conditions

This section provides more information for the worker to assist in determining if the client is eligible for these specific exemptions/conditions.

Caretaker Exemption when a Child Under Six Lives in the SNAP Household

When a household has a child under 6 years old, the adult household member responsible for the care of the child will be exempt from the General Work Rules through the Caretaker exemption. You must manually select Yes for the Caretaker exemption, as this exemption does not automatically populate in the Work Rules Screening page because the Caretaker exemption can be used for a person being cared for who does not live in the SNAP household.

If there is one adult household member residing with a child under 6 years old, that adult will receive the Caretaker exemption. However, if there are multiple adults in the household with a child under 6, only one adult household member can receive the Caretaker exemption. You must explore who is the primary caretaker for the child during the interview to determine which adult household member will receive the Caretaker exemption.

Important: BEACON will not automatically set the Caretaker exemption to Yes if there is a child under 6 in the SNAP household. You must select the exemption for the adult household member who is caring for the child under 6 during the screening process.

If a client is receiving wages for caring for an individual, the client is unable to claim the Caretaker exemption. However, they may be exempt from the General Work Rules by earning at least $217.50/week or working 30 hours a week.

If the client receives foster care payments, PFML, or similar payments to care for an individual, the client will be exempt under the Caretaker exemption.

Example 1: John (he/him) is a PCA through Tempus Unlimited and cares for his neighbor, Nate, who is disabled.  He works as a PCA for Nate for 4 hours per week at $15 per hour.  John cannot receive the Caretaker exemption by caring for Nate, as John receives wages by being Nate’s PCA. Additionally, John cannot receive the Working 30hrs/wk or Equivalent exemption as he is not working 30 hours per week or the equivalent of $217.50/week.

Example 2: Sandra (she/her), is 35 years old and cares for her mother who is disabled. She receives adult foster care payments to assist in caring for her mother and has chosen to not include her mother on her SNAP case. Sandra can receive the Caretaker exemption as she is not receiving wages for caring for her mother.

Example 3: Jules (she/her), fosters a 16-year-old child and receives foster care payments through the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The 16-year-old child is not disabled, nor needs any specialized care. Jules cannot receive the Caretaker exemption because the foster child is over 6 years old and the child does not need any specialized care or is considered disabled.

Example 4: Carly (she/her), is 60 years old, and goes to her daughter’s house to care for her 10 year old disabled granddaughter while her adult daughter is at work. Carly is exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules under the Caretaker exemption.

Example 5: Paolo (he/him) is 57 years old and supports his aging parent who lives a few minutes away by cooking and cleaning for them and running errands. Paolo’s parent is unable to do those tasks on their own. Paolo is exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules under the Caretaker exemption.

Participating in a Training Program that Allows for the Student Exemption Under the General Work Rules

If a client indicates that they are participating in a training program that does not require a high school diploma or equivalent, the clients can self-declare that they are participating in a training program by providing the name of the training program and whether they are enrolled at least half-time. This program must be documented in the Education page in BEACON, so that the exemption can carry over to the SNAP Work Rules Screening page. Additionally, if a client indicates that they are enrolled in a refugee training program, you must document this in BEACON by entering the Refugee Training Program information on the Education page and selecting the Refugee Training Program drop down under Type.

In order for a training program to qualify under the General Work Rules Student exemption, the program must have a structured and organized course of training that requires a specific number of hours and focuses on enhancing skills for better employment opportunities.

These include, but not limited to:

• Education Programs 
• Job Search Training 
• Work Readiness Training
• Vocational Skills Training 
• Work Based Learning Programs
• Refugee Training Programs

Example 1: Julie (she/her) 25, is applying for SNAP for herself.  During the interview, Julie is asked the General Work Rules screening questions. Julie indicates that she attends an online training program 25 hours per week for work readiness training that helps her with interview skills, cover letter and resume writing, and how to network. Julie qualifies for the Student exemption as she is participating in a training program at least half-time. Julie is exempt from the General Work Rules and ABAWD Work Rules.

Example 2: Randy (he/him), 28, is applying for SNAP for himself. During the interview, Randy is asked the General Work Rules screening questions.  Randy indicates that he is learning to code on freeCodeCamp.com and provides his certifications of all the courses he has completed thus far. Randy does not qualify for the Student exemption, because the freeCodeCamp is an online, self-paced course that is not monitored or evaluated by a program representative. Furthermore, the client can attend this online training at any random time. Randy must meet another exemption or be subject to the General and ABAWD Work rules.

Clients Applying for EAEDC or TAFDC

When a client applies for EAEDC or TAFDC, they will be exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules once their Economic Assistance case is approved through receiving the TAFDC/EAEDC Recipient exemption.

However, it is important that the Economic Assistance worker still screens the client for all General and ABAWD Work Rules exemptions during their interview, as the TAFDC/EAEDC Recipient exemption will only be applied once the Economic Assistance case is approved.  If the Economic Assistance case is denied for whatever reason, BEACON will remove the exemption.

In many situations clients applying for EAEDC or TAFDC may meet additional General and ABAWD Work Rules exemptions.  For instance, a client applying for EAEDC will most likely be exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules through the Unable to Work exemption, or an age exemption.  A TAFDC applicant may be exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules as they may be caring for a child under 6 years old.

If the worker fails to screen the client for any additional exemptions and their Economic Assistance case is eventually denied, the client may become erroneously subject to the General and ABAWD Work Rules.

Good Cause Condition for Noncitizens who are Not Authorized to Work in the United States

There are certain noncitizens that are eligible for SNAP that are not yet authorized to work in the United States. These noncitizens are typically Cuban/Haitian Entrants that may be waiting for their Work Authorization due to USCIS backlogs, or may have come into the United States legally, but not permitted to work at all. These noncitizens may not meet any SNAP Work Rules exemptions but would not be able to comply with the SNAP Work Rules due to not being permitted to work.

Staff must screen these clients as usual and apply any exemptions the client has. However, if an eligible noncitizen without work authorization does not meet any exemptions, you must select Yes for the, “Is this individual a noncitizen who is not authorized to work in the US?” so that the client can receive the Good Cause condition and not be subject to the General and ABAWD Work Rules.

Example 1: A client is applying for SNAP as a Household of 1. They are an eligible Cuban/Haitian Entrant as they provided their I-862 Notice to Appear.  The client’s SAVE response indicates they are not work authorized. A Non-Work SSN Letter has been sent to SSA.  The client does not meet any exemptions for the General or ABAWD Work Rules. You must select Yes for the, “Is this individual a noncitizen who is not authorized to work in the US?” so that the client can receive good cause for not being able to meet the General and ABAWD Work Rules.

Example 2: At Recertificaiton, the same client becomes work authorized and it is verified through SAVE. During the interview, the client still has no other exemptions. The client is now subject to the General and ABAWD Work Rules.

Example 3: A client is applying for SNAP as a Household of 2: the client and their 4-year-old daughter.  They are eligible Cuban/Haitian Entrants as they provided their I-862 Notice to Appear documents.  The clients’ SAVE responses indicate they are not work authorized.  Non-Work SSN Letters have been sent to SSA.  The client is exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules as they care for a child under 6 years old, and the child is exempt as they are under 16 years of age.  If the client has a reason that makes them exempt, you must use the actual exemption reasons that apply to code the clients as exempt from the General and ABAWD Work Rules and set the “Is this individual a noncitizen who is not authorized to work in the US?” to No.

Examples of Certain General Work Rules Exemptions that Need Documentary Evidence

Example 1: Sofie (she/her) states during her application interview that she is working 30 hours per week. This will exempt Sofie from the General Work Rules, which will exempt her from the ABAWD Work Rules. SNAP rules require clients to verify income for eligibility reasons. Sofie cannot self-declare this exemption. You must send a VC-1 for earned income.

Example 2: Gianna (she/her) states during her application interview that she only works 14 hours per week at $18 per hour. Although Gianna is not working 30 hours per week, she is making the equivalent of working 30 hours per week as she is earning above the federal minimum wage amount x 30 hours = $217.50. Gianna’s 14 hours x $18/hour = $252/week, which is higher than $217.50. This will exempt Gianna from the General Work Rules, which also will exempt her from the ABAWD Work Rules. SNAP rules require clients to verify income for eligibility reasons, therefore Gianna cannot self-declare this exemption. You must send a VC-1 for earned income.

Example 3: Troy (he/him) completes his SNAP application interview, and it is determined he is subject to the General Work Rules as he did not meet any exemptions during the screening process. The worker begins to go over the work rules explanation to describe the General Work Rules, but Troy states that he just remembered he is participating in an outpatient substance use treatment center. Considering this was asked previously during the screening process and he initially stated he was not participating in a substance use treatment program, this is considered questionable. You must send a VC-1 for the substance use treatment program exemption. Troy must provide documentary evidence of this exemption, such as a letter from the substance use treatment center indicating Troy participates in an outpatient treatment program.

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What Happens if the Client Does Not Verify a General Work Rules Exemption?

In the rare circumstance where a client is unable to telephonically verify an exemption that is required for the General Work Rules, but optional for SNAP eligibility reasons, you must request verification of the specific exemption reason as outlined in the exemption table above. If the exemption is not verified by the time the case is wrapped, the SNAP Work Rules Screening page will revert the client back to General Work Rules required Yes if no other exemption applies, and BEACON will send out the Consolidated Notice. If the client was also exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules due to claiming a General Work Rules exemption reason, the client would also be subject to the ABAWD Work Rules.

Reminder: Exemption from the General Work Rules is an optional verification, unless the exemption is tied to SNAP eligibility (i.e. earned income or student status). If nothing else is missing from the application or recertification, you must follow the rules for Processing Cases with Only Optional Verifications Outstanding.

Example

Leo (he/him) is at recertification. He completes the SNAP Work Rules Screening page during his interview and states that he has a health problem and is not be able to work for at least 4 months. Unfortunately, the call gets disconnected before a telephonic self-declaration can be obtained. The worker calls again and no answer. The worker must send out the optional VC-1 item of General Work Rules Exemption: Unable to Work – Temporary Illness or Disability for Leo to provide either a self-declaration or a letter from a medical authority or agency. There is nothing outstanding on the case. The recertification must be wrapped as there are no mandatory verifications outstanding. Since the General Work Rules exemption was not verified, BEACON will mark the client as General Work Rule required and send out the Consolidated Notice once the case is wrapped if no other exemptions apply. If Leo was ABAWD exempt due to being exempt from the General Work Rules, BEACON will also mark the client as ABAWD required if no other exemptions apply.

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What Happens if the Client Loses a General Work Rule Exemption During Case Maintenance or Interim Report?

When a client loses an exemption during their case maintenance or Interim Reporting period, BEACON will first look to see if the client meets another General Work Rule exemption. In instances where no other exemption applies, the client will still not be subject to the General Work Rules. Clients can only be subject to the General Work Rules once they are work registered, which only happens after the client signs their application or recertification form, the screening process has taken place during the interview, and it was determined that they are General Work Program required.

If you are on the phone with the client or receive documentation that General Work Rules exemption ended, you must not screen the client as it is not required at case maintenance or Interim Report. Instead, you must update the ended exemption screening question to “no” in the SNAP Work Requirements Screening page or remove any information/end the applicable records in the corresponding BEACON pages, and BEACON will automatically select “yes” for the, “Did this client lose a General Work Rules exemption during case maintenance/IR?” screening question. This will trigger the GWR Exempt Until Recert Reason in BEACON. This reason will prevent the client from becoming General Work Rules required during the certification period. The client will be rescreened at their recertification.

Remember: Every time you update a BEACON page that impacts the SNAP Work Rules Screening Page, you must revisit the screening page to recalculate the client’s exemption status.

If a client was exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules due to being exempt from the General Work Rules, the GWR Exempt Until Recert “Reason” will also continue to prevent the client from being subject to the ABAWD Work Rules until a screening can occur at their next recertification period.

Example 1

Sarah (she/her) calls the DTA Assistance Line and indicates that she is no longer in a substance use treatment program. Sarah was exempt from the General Work Rules due to being in a substance use treatment program. On the SNAP Work Requirements Screening page, you must set the Participating in a Substance Use Treatment Program exemption to “no.” If no other General Work Rule exemption applies, BEACON will automatically set the GWR Exempt Until Recert exemption to “yes” and Sarah will not be subject to either the General Work Rules and ABAWD Work Rules. Sarah will be rescreened for work rule exemptions at her next recertification.

Example 2

Theo (he/him) is the grantee of a household of 2. He resides with his 17-year-old daughter, Ava (she/her). During case maintenance, Ava turns 18. Since Ava was exempt from the General Work Rules as being under age 18 and not the head of household, the age exemption will be automatically set to “no,” and the GWR Exempt Until Recert exemption will automatically be set to “yes” if no other exemption applies, to prevent Ava from being subject to both the General Work Rules and ABAWD Work Rules until the household’s next recertification where a screening will take place.

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What Happens if a General Work Required Client Becomes Exempt During Case Maintenance or Interim Report?

If a client provides information during case maintenance or at Interim Report and it is determined that the client is now exempt from the General Work Rules (i.e. provides self-declaration that they are now a full-time Community College student), you must update the applicable BEACON windows with the updated information and update the screening page accordingly. Once the exemption is verified and the case is wrapped, the General Work Rules start date will be cleared and the client will no longer be subject to the General Work Rules, and the ABAWD Work Rules, if applicable. However, a screening must still take place at the client’s next recertification.

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What Happens if a New Household Member is Added?

If a new household member is added during the application or recertification period, you must screen them for the Work Rules.

If a new household member is added during case maintenance or at Interim Report, BEACON will review the new household member information listed in BEACON to determine if there are any exemptions known to BEACON (i.e. the new household member is coded as federally disabled, has sufficient wages in the Earned Income Status page, etc.). If there are no exemptions known to BEACON, BEACON will set the “A household member that was added during case maintenance or Interim Report?” question to Yes and that the new household member will not be subject to the General Work Rules until they can be screened at the household’s next recertification period. By extension, the client will also be exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules for the same reason.

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What Steps Must Staff Take to Determine if the Client is Subject to the General Work Rules?

Step One: Screen for Exemptions

The process begins with screening at application and recertification. As you go through the application or recertification workflow, the SNAP Work Rules Screening page will be updated with any data driven or automated exemptions. BEACON will automatically direct you to this page towards the end of every application and recertification workflow. This page keeps a record of each exemption that applies to the client.

During the interview you must check if each SNAP household member qualifies for an exemption by going through each screening question on both the General Work Rules Screening tab and the ABAWD Work Rules Screening tab. When screening and based on the client’s response you must select either Yes or No to all the user-entered exemptions. BEACON driven exemptions are greyed out and cannot be updated on the screening tabs, to update you must go to and complete the corresponding BEACON page(s). Once calculated, BEACON will then determine whether each household member is required or exempt from the work rules.

The General Work Rules screening tab will reset any screening questions that are not linked to information in BEACON for staff to revisit at every application and recertification so that the client can be screened again.

Example 1Example 1A client is previously exempt from the General Work Rules as they were participating in a substance use treatment program. At the client’s next recertification, BEACON will reset this exemption question, as the client must be rescreened for all exemptions.  

Example 2Example 2A client is previously exempt from the General Work Rules as they were actively receiving unemployment compensation. If the income is still populated in the Other Income Status page, BEACON will retain the exemption in the SNAP Work Requirements Screening page until the information is ended.  

See The SNAP Work Rules Screening Page for more details on screening procedures.

Important: Screening for General Work Rules Exemptions does not take place at Interim Report or case maintenance. Clients carry their exemption from the previous reporting period until their next recertification. Clients cannot become General Work Rules required until they are properly screened at application and recertification, at which time they will be work registered if not exempt.

Step 2: Explain the Rules

After you screen the client and it is determined they are subject to the ABAWD and/or General Work Rules on the SNAP Work Rules Screening page, BEACON will open the page’s Work Rules Explanation tab. This tab makes you read a brief script about the Work Rules and has the client attest to one of two ways they can listen to the work rules explanation regarding the work rules they are subject to. Staff must check off one of the two checkboxes to ensure that staff have explained the work rules to the client(s). The options are:

1. The client can have the worker read the script in BEACON at the time of the interview, or
2. The client can choose for the worker to provide the mass.gov link to watch and listen on their own time. The mass.gov link will also be included in the Consolidated Notice sent to the household. The Work Rules Explanation video on mass.gov is available in multiple languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Haitian Creole, Chinese (Simplified), Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Khmer (Cambodian), Russian and Arabic) so clients may elect to hear it in their preferred language.

If the client chooses to receive the verbal explanation at the time of interview, the tab has a button that will generate a PDF of the script that you must read. This tab also provides the URL for the website with the video if the client chooses to view the video themselves. See The SNAP Work Rules Screening Page for detailed steps on completing the Work Rules Explanation tab.

Once the client is coded as subject to the ABAWD and/or General Work Rules, the household will receive a Consolidated Notice, which is a written notice of the rules that the client is subject to. The notice restates the rules that apply to the client and were explained during the screening process.

For clients subject to the General Work Rules, you must ask the client if they have quit their job or reduced their work hours within 30 days of their application date or at any time if they are at their recertification period. If they state they have quit a job or reduced their work hours, you must determine if they are subject to voluntarily quit procedures.

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Relationship between the General Work Rules and ABAWD Work Rules

A client who is subject to General Work Rules may be subject to or exempt from the ABAWD Work Rules (based ABAWD specific exemptions).

However, a client who is exempt from the General Work Rules (with the exception being 60 years old or older) is never subject to the ABAWD Work Rules. Clients that are exempt from the General Work Rules due to being 60 years or older may be subject to the ABAWD Work Rules if they are between the ages of 60 through and including age 64, if no other ABAWD exemption is met.

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Related Topics

General SNAP Work Requirements – Policy and Procedures

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Last Update: March 30, 2026