‘Able-bodied adults’ must work or lose food stamps, under new federal rules that affect 37,000 Oregonians
The state of Oregon has announced that 37,000 “able-bodied adults” who don’t have young children or other dependents must start working or else lose their federal food aid, under a new law that took effect statewide on Dec. 1.
The stricter rules are part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed by congressional Republicans and signed by President Donald Trump in July.
Backers of the law say the cuts are necessary to prevent waste and fraud, while opponents contend the savings on food aid from people kicked off the program are meant to bolster spending on immigration enforcement, the military and tax cuts for the wealthy.
The new rules amount to a crackdown on states, such as Oregon, that allowed so-called “able-bodied adults without dependents” to continue to receive money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program is colloquially known as food stamps.
With federal permission, Oregon allowed adults ages 18-54, without children under age 18, to continue to receive monthly SNAP benefits in areas where jobs were more difficult to find, as evidenced by high unemployment rates.
But the new rules restrict that. They also expand the work requirement to include people up to age 64 and to parents with children ages 14 and older.
However, some exemptions still apply, including pregnancy, attending school at least half-time and people who live on some tribal lands, according to the Oregon Department of Human Services. But in general, people must now work or receive job training for at least 80 hours a month in order to keep their SNAP benefits. Some people who used to be exempt, such as veterans and those who are homeless, must also find work or undergo training.
The changes have been met with strong disapproval by organizations who advocate for people struggling with food insecurity.
“Plain and simple, these cuts take food away from people,” said Chris Baker, legislative strategist at Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, in an email. Baker added that many affected people face “systemic barriers,” such as disabilities that haven’t been documented and lack of transportation to get to jobs.
“Time limits are counterproductive and harmful because reducing food assistance does not itself create jobs or address obstacles people face in securing stable employment, Baker said.
Though the rules cover every Oregon county as of Dec. 1, it will take three months before their impact is felt. That’s because adults in this group can go without working or training for three months in a three-year period before they lose their SNAP benefits. That puts the SNAP cutoff date at March 1 for most adults statewide.
But the new rules rolled out in six counties — including Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas — in September and October, a few months earlier than the rest of the state. That means that in the Portland area, “able-bodied adults without dependents” who haven’t found work or enrolled in training will start to lose benefits as early as this month.
The Trump administration also has been tightening rules for federal food assistance on many categories of immigrants.
Currently about one in six Oregonians — or 757,000 residents — were on SNAP. Monthly benefits range from $24 to $298 for a single person.
