Alabama work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid
What the 80-hour rule means in Alabama, who runs it, and where to send your proof.
🛒 SNAP in Alabama
Called Food Assistance Program (SNAP), run by Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), Food Assistance Division.
Adults 18–64 without a child under 14 at home need 80 hours a month of work, volunteering or training, or an exemption, to keep SNAP past 3 months in 3 years.
🩺 Medicaid in Alabama
Alabama has not expanded Medicaid, so the new federal Medicaid work rule mostly doesn’t apply here.
Run by Alabama Medicaid Agency.
📌 Non-expansion state; no Medicaid expansion work requirement. SNAP: no ABAWD time-limit waiver in effect as of 2026-10-01 per USDA FNS; time limit applies statewide. ABAWD rules apply ages 18-64 with no child under 14.
Where to report and upload proof
- MyDHR: report changes and upload documents
- Food Assistance Program (SNAP) work rules (official)
- Alabama Medicaid (official)
Always follow the deadlines in the letters Alabama sends you. If you get a notice about work requirements, answer it before the due date, even if you think you’re exempt.
What counts toward 80 hours
- Paid work, including gig work like delivery or rideshare
- Volunteering or community service (usually with a nonprofit or public agency)
- Job training or a work program, including SNAP Employment & Training
- For Medicaid: school at least half-time, or monthly income of at least $580
Check if you’re exempt · How to prove volunteer hours
Keep proof of every hour
my80hours is a free app that logs your hours, saves photos of pay stubs and sign-in sheets, gets volunteer letters signed, and makes a PDF for your caseworker. No sign-up. Your info stays on your phone.
Start my free logState details last checked October 10, 2026.
This page explains federal rules as of October 10, 2026. It is not legal advice and my80hours is not a government site. Your state sets many details, so always follow the notices your state sends you, and ask your caseworker or a legal aid office if you’re unsure.
Sources
- dhr.alabama.gov/food-assistance/
- mydhr.alabama.gov/
- dhr.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Form-1942-Summarized-Eligibility-Requirements-R
- medicaid.alabama.gov/
- www.kff.org/medicaid/status-of-state-medicaid-expansion-decisions/
- www.kff.org/medicaid/medicaid-waiver-tracker-approved-and-pending-section-1115-waivers-by-
- www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/resource-files/FY27-Quarter-1-ABAWD-Waiver-Status.pdf