Pennsylvania’s SNAP Work Rules Changed: Who Has to Work, Who Is Exempt
If you get SNAP (food stamps) and a letter about work rules just landed in your mailbox, don’t throw it away — and don’t panic either. Since November 1, 2025, Pennsylvania applies expanded SNAP work requirements to more adults than before. Plenty of people are exempt, and the county office — not a website — decides which group you’re in. This post explains the change in plain words.
What changed on November 1, 2025
SNAP has always had work rules for most adults: register for work, accept suitable work, and — for adults the state classifies as able-bodied without dependents — work or train a set number of hours to keep benefits beyond a time limit. The November 2025 change widened who those stricter rules reach. Adults who were previously outside the stricter group — including some older adults and people in situations that used to be automatic exemptions — can now be pulled in unless a specific exemption covers them.
Who is usually exempt
Exemptions still cover a lot of Philadelphia households. You are generally exempt from the stricter work rules if you are caring for a child or an incapacitated household member, you are pregnant, you have a physical or mental health limit that keeps you from working the required hours, you are already working enough hours, you are in school or training at least half-time, or you are receiving certain other benefits. The list is longer than most people expect — which is exactly why a letter is not a final answer. Your County Assistance Office (CAO) applies the exemptions to your real situation.
If you got a letter, do this
- Read the date on it. Work-rule letters run on deadlines; missing one is how most people lose benefits.
- Call your CAO or the statewide helpline at 1-800-692-7462 and ask two questions: “Which rule applies to me?” and “Do I qualify for an exemption?”
- Say the quiet part out loud. If a health problem, a caregiving load, or no transportation is the real barrier, tell them — those facts are what exemptions and good-cause exceptions are made of, and they only count if the office knows.
- Keep your proof. Pay stubs, class schedules, a note from a clinic — whatever shows your hours or your limit, keep copies.
The basics haven’t changed
SNAP still pays up to $298 a month for a household of 1 and $994 for a household of 4 (as of October 1, 2025), and most households qualify with gross income up to $2,610 (household of 1) or $5,360 (household of 4). The full walkthrough is in our Philadelphia SNAP guide and on the SNAP program page. And a work-rule problem with SNAP does not cancel your other benefits — Medical Assistance, LIHEAP, and school meals each have their own rules.
Not sure where you stand?
Take our free 2-minute check — we’ll match you to every Philadelphia program that fits your household and email you a step-by-step guide. If your letter’s deadline is close, call the CAO first and check second.
Philadelphia Benefits is not a government agency. Applying is always free at the official sites.
