Using SNAP E&T to Offer Job-Driven Training for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs)

Under Federal law, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) may only receive SNAP benefits for 3 months in a three-year period unless they meet work or training requirements. Until recently, almost every State had chosen to use a temporary waiver of the three-month time limit because of high unemployment or lack of sufficient jobs. However, many of these waivers expired at the end of 2015 due to an improving economy and ABAWDs in most States are now subject to the time limit. This brief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service highlights the potential—and limits— of the SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) in responding to the needs of ABAWDs. The most promising role for SNAP E&T may be to offer job-driven education and training services that can open a path for ABAWDs to transition from the program the right way: by becoming self-sufficient through better paying jobs.