The ABAWD time limit rules apply to SNAP recipients between the ages of 18 and 52 who have no children under the age of 18 in the household and do not meet one of the exemptions below. 

Who is exempt from the ABAWD Time Limit Rules?

You may be exempt from the ABAWD Time Limit Rules if any one of the list below applies to you

• Under age 18, or age 53 and over;
• An adult in a SNAP household with a child under age 18;
• Pregnant;
• Physically or mentally unable to work as determined by the SNAP worker. Proof of this can include:
• Receipt of temporary or permanent disability benefits;
• An obvious mental or physical reason preventing you from working; or
• A statement from your medical provider;
• Age 18 to 24 and in foster care when you turned 18;
• Lacking a regular nighttime residence or living in a shelter, halfway house, temporary residence (for not more than 90 days), or a place not ordinarily used for sleeping;
• Currently serving or have ever served in the military, including the reserves, regardless of the conditions of any discharge or release; or,
• Exempt from SNAP Basic Work Rules. Check the notice we sent you about NJ SNAP Employment and Training Opportunities and Basic Work Rules for more information about this.

To stay eligible for SNAP benefits for more than 3 months in a 3-year period, you must participate in one of the activities below on a monthly basis: 

• Spend at least 80 hours each month doing one or more of the following activities:
• Working;
• Participating in a job program or similar activities that we approved; or
• Volunteering.
• Participate in workfare for the number of hours we assigned you this month.

For SNAP purposes your household includes anyone who purchases and prepares food together. There does not have to be any family or legal relationship to be part of the same SNAP household.

A physical or mental disability means a condition that prevents you from engaging in 80 hours of work per month. A doctor's note may be necessary to support any physical or mental limitation that may not be obvious to a county social service agency worker reviewing your application. You do not have to be participating in a federal disability program such as Social Security Disability.

If you are subject to the ABAWD Time Limit Rules, you must let us know if you are working, participating in a job program or approved activity, or volunteering for at least eighty (80) hours a month. You also must report if any of the above exemptions to the ABAWD work requirement apply to you. If you do not tell us that you are participating in work activities, or that you qualify for an exemption from the ABAWD Time Limit Rules, you will lose your SNAP benefits after 3 months.

If you are subject to the ABAWD Time Limit Rules and your work hours drop below 80 hours a month, you must let us know within 10 days.

Phone, Mail or In-Person: You can submit your changes to your County Social Service Agency.

We will count each full month that you receive SNAP benefits but do not meet the ABAWD Time Limit Rules without a good reason.  Once we have counted 3 full months, you will lose your benefits until January 31, 2027.

Call your County Social Service Agency as soon as possible if you think you have a good reason for not following the ABAWD Time Limit Rules.  Good reasons include issues you cannot control such as getting sick or not having transportation.  These are some examples of good reasons but there are others, too.  If we determine that you have a good reason, there will be no change to your SNAP benefits. 

If you start meeting the time limit rules, you can get SNAP benefits again. If something changes in your life and you no longer need to follow the ABAWD work rules (for example, you have a new physical or mental health reason for not working), you can also get SNAP benefits again. You need to report these changes to us by calling your County Social Service Agency.