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Title 7: SNAP Page 38 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter I: Specific Households and Participants Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents… Revised February 13, 2026 Changes in ABAWD Status If a person who previously qualified for an ABAWD exemption loses that status, you must determine if they qualify for any other exemption before applying the time limit. Contact the person to see if they qualify for any other exemption. You cannot penalize the person if they don’t respond. Any countable months towards the time limit cannot be assigned until the screening has been completed. If a person who was determined to be an ABAWD reports a change that would qualify them for an ABAWD exemption you must act on the change.  If verification is not necessary to allow the exemption, you must stop assigning countable months against the time limit immediately  If verification is necessary and you are unable to verify using information already available, give the household 10 days to verify the circumstances. Do not cancel a person for the sole reason that the person fails to verify an exemption from ABAWD status. If this happens, continue to apply the time limit and assign countable months until the exemption is verified. See Tracking for instructions on changing ABC system coding when there is a change in an ABAWD’s status.

Terry is an ABAWD. He receives two months of SNAP benefits while not fulfilling the work requirement during December 2023 and January 2024. In February 2024, he joins his girlfriend’s SNAP household. His girlfriend has a two-year-old child. In February, he is exempt from the ABAWD work requirement because of the child. The child’s mother is exempt from the ABAWD work requirement due to her employment. In April, Terry moves out on his own. In May, he is no longer exempt from ABAWD work requirements. Until November 30, 2026, he is entitled to one more month of SNAP benefits while not fulfilling the work requirements, unless he meets the requirements under the policy on Additional Three-Months’ Eligibility or becomes exempt again. When a new ABAWD period begins December 1, 2026, Terry is eligible for three months of benefits in the new period. ABAWD Work Requirement ABAWDs must perform one of the activities listed below to be eligible for SNAP benefits beyond their time limits. The minimum number of hours required for any of the activities is 80 per month. To be eligible beyond the limits, ABAWDs must be:  Working a total of 80 or more actual hours in a month. Do not use minimum wage criteria to determine the number of hours worked.