New SNAP Requirements begin Feb 1.

For the nearly 71,000 Alaskans who currently receive monthly Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, starting February 1, there will be some changes to the eligibility requirements.

The first key change comes in the work requirements. Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), aged 18-64, must work or train for at least 80 hours per month to receive benefits for more than three months in a 3-year period. Those who don’t are limited to three months of benefits in a three-year period.

The work requirements had previously applied to adults ages 18 through 54 who are physically and mentally able to work and did not have dependents under age 18. The new law applies those requirements to those ages 55 through 64, and to parents without children younger than 14.

It also repeals work exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans and young adults aging out of foster care. And it limits the ability of states to waive work requirements in areas lacking jobs. According to Alaska's Department of Health, Alaska Native adults may be automatically exempt.

Income limits have also been updated to 200% of the federal poverty level, with a 1-person household allowed up to $3,258-$3,260 monthly, or $5,552 a month for a 3-person household. There are also asset limits: $3,000 for regular households; $4,500 for households with at least one person age 60 or older, or disabled persons.

The maximum monthly benefit for one person can be up to $1,189 in 2026.

The changes come after President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill, a massive tax and spending bill, into law in July, 2025.

The new requirements are expected to reduce the average monthly number of SNAP recipients nationwide by about 2.4 million people over the next 10 years, according to reporting from the Congressional Budget Office.

For more information, please visit www.health.alaska.gov/en/services/division-of-public-assistance-dpa-services/snap-nutrition-assistance.