States start imposing expanded SNAP work requirements

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published February 4, 2026 at 11:57 AM EST

New work requirements are impacting the nation’s largest anti-hunger program.

In several states, including Ohio, South Carolina and Illinois, adults aged 55 to 64 and parents of older teens must prove they’re working, volunteering or doing job training at least 80 hours a month to get food benefits.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan speaks with Pastor Sandra Gillespie, a director of a food bank in Chicago, about how these changes will impact her patrons.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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States start imposing expanded SNAP work requirements

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