TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Florida has expanded SNAP work requirements, affecting rural communities with limited job training and transportation access.
- The new work requirements expand age limits and reduce exemptions.
- A volunteer with Second Harvest of the Big Bend say the changes come at a time where food insecurity is on the rise.
- Watch the video below to learn how many hours of work or training are required for eligibility.
New SNAP work requirements could hit rural Big Bend communities hard
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
New SNAP changes affect who qualifies for food assistance and could create new pressures in counties where food access is already limited.
The Florida Department of Children and Families confirms able-bodied adults without dependents ages 18 through 54 must now work or take part in approved training for at least 80 hours a month to keep SNAP benefits.
And according to the 2026 SNAP Employment and Training State Plan, the state has expanded mandatory participation up to age 59 for some recipients.
For residents in Jefferson, Madison, Taylor and other rural counties, these rules come with real challenges. Many families there already have to travel longer to get to a grocery store. They also have fewer public transportation options and limited access to job training programs.
And for workers in industries like agriculture, timber or food service, hours can be unpredictable.
Those barriers make it harder to meet the 80-hour monthly requirement.
Neighbor and Second Harvest volunteer Scott Goodlin says he sees this struggle every week.
He restocks food lockers in rural communities and says demand has grown fast, especially among the most vulnerable.
“We shouldn't be really putting food dangling food in front of people to help them survive. I mean, we all know that you can't survive severe illness. You can't recover fully without having good food and ways to move forward. You've got to have a nutritional aspect as well,” Goodlin said.
Previous work requirements for SNAP applied only to adults 18 to 49, and many counties in the Big Bend had waivers that protected residents from losing benefits. And during the pandemic, those limits were not strictly enforced.
The new rules eliminate much of that flexibility. They expand age requirements through 54 and mandatory work participation up to 59. They also reduce exemptions and bring back strict enforcement.
“The fact that we're talking about actual work requirements, especially with minimal caveats, I think we're going to hurt people like our retirees or individual who may be disabled,” Goodlin said.
I have asked the DCF for local estimates on how many people in our rural counties could lose benefits under the new guidelines. As soon as we receive those numbers, we will update our coverage.
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