Federal officials are proposing tighter standards for waiving SNAP work-related time limits, while putting into regulations changes Congress already made to who must meet those requirements.
The USDA proposal, published Tuesday, would generally require states seeking a waiver to show a recent 12-month average unemployment rate above 10 percent. It would also restrict how states draw waiver areas, limiting them to defined areas such as counties and commuting zones rather than broad groupings.
What It Means For Lakewood Families
The proposal is not a new order ending benefits today. Several of the work-rule changes it describes are already law under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, and New Jersey already lists them in its SNAP guidance.
In New Jersey, adults ages 18 through 64 who are physically and mentally fit for work and do not have a child under 14 in their SNAP household may be subject to the time limit, unless another exception applies. Those covered generally must work or take part in qualifying activities for at least 80 hours a month. Otherwise, benefits are generally limited to three months in a 36-month period.
Adults in a SNAP household with a child under 14, pregnant recipients and people unable to work because of physical or mental limitations are among those who may qualify for exceptions. Eligibility depends on the household’s circumstances; not every adult receiving SNAP is subject to the time limit.
New Jersey says its current geographic waivers cover only Camden City and Cape May County. Ocean County is not on that list. Lakewood recipients should not assume that a statewide waiver protects them or that the proposal’s comment period puts existing requirements on hold.
The proposal would also change the SNAP definition of a homeless individual by removing people described as “imminently homeless.” USDA says that definition still affects other parts of eligibility even though homelessness is no longer a separate exception from the time limit.
Public comments on the proposed rule are due December 10. Recipients who believe they qualify for an exception should contact their county social service agency to have their circumstances reviewed.
