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21 Section 260 Change #02-2025 December 1, 2025 FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FNS 260 ABLE-BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS (ABAWD)

reportable change, e.g., turning age 18, or the youngest dependent child in the household turning age 14. Countable months cannot be assigned to an individual losing an exemption during their certification period because the individual has not been screened for all other exemptions. Screening for all other exemptions will occur during the individual’s recertification.

260.04 COUNTABLE AND NON-COUNTABLE ABAWD MONTHS A. Countable ABAWD months. Each month of the ABAWD’s participation must be evaluated individually. If the individual is exempt for one day or more, they are exempt for the entire month. A countable ABAWD month is any month that the individual: 1. Received a full month (not prorated) of FNS benefits; and 2. Was not exempt from ABAWD requirements; and 3. Did not fulfill the work requirements. B. Non-countable ABAWD months. Any month in which the individual meets at least one of the following conditions is considered non-countable and does not count toward the ABAWDS 3-month limit. 1. Prorated months. 2. Any month in which the individual meets at least one of the following ABAWD Work Requirements: a. Working an average of 20 hours per week (80 hours in the month). Consider an ABAWD to have met the 80 hours per month rule when the hours worked are at least 80 hours. ABAWDs are required to report changes by the 10th of the month following the month of change when the number of hours working reduce below 20 hours a week or 80 hours less per month regardless of simplified reporting requirements. 3. Work can be: a. Paid employment regardless of earnings. i. Request verification of income and hours worked. ii. Document the number of hours worked in NC FAST. b. Self-employment regardless of earnings. i. Request the individual’s statement of number of