PHOENIX — The One Big Beautiful Bill expanded work requirements for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), impacting the number of people who are eligible to receive benefits.
The work-related changes mean more Arizonans are considered an "Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents" who must work at least 80 hours per month.
The following people are no longer exempt and now must meet the work requirements:
- Seniors ages 55 to 64
- Veterans
- People experiencing homelessness
- People 18-24 who are aging out of the foster care system
- Adults with minor children older than 14 at home
According to the Arizona Center for Economic Progress, 147,000 Arizonans could lose access to SNAP under the new rules.
Non-profits like Tempe’s Community Action Agency saw a large increase in 2025 for food assistance, and they are preparing if people’s SNAP benefits are reduced.
“Regular folks are having a really hard time putting food on the table,” said Philip Cornes, pantry manager for Tempe’s Community Action Agency, “They're seeing grocery prices just continue to increase.”
Cornes said that they saw a 31% increase in 2025 compared to 2024 for assistance and has concerns that some may not know about the SNAP work requirements.
“My main concern is those folks finding work at a time when unemployment was also incredibly high. It's at least in my view that snap has been to kind of keep people going through those hard times. And yeah, if you've been struggling to find a job already, yeah, I can't find that very easy.”
In the video player above, ABC15’s Manuelita Back looks more into these changes and what they mean for Arizonans.
