Delays until February the SNAP work requirements set forth in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

By Guy Page

Vermont ‘food stamp’ recipients not meeting the work requirements of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” will continue to receive benefits until at least February of 2026, due to joint action by the 2025 Legislature and the Vermont Department of Children and Families (DCF).

The state’s ‘‘shielding’ program  is outlined in a September 15 DCF report. Supporters of the state’s response say it’s essential to provide food to needy families and individuals. Critics say it reduces incentive to find work and re-engage as much-needed workers in the state’s economy.

The state is also “manually reviewing” the cases of the 1,532 non-citizens now receiving federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the report said. HR.1, the Big Beautiful Bill, allows food benefits only for lawful permanent residents, thus eliminating food assistance for many refugees, asylees and illegal immigrants. 

In Vermont, the SNAP program is administered by DCF and known as 3SquaresVT. It provides nutrition support to income-eligible households across the state, about 10% of Vermont’s population. 

On July 4, 2025, President Donald Trump signed H.R.1 into law, eliminating long-standing exemptions from the federal work rules tied to 3SquaresVT. The change removed automatic exemptions for three groups: homeless people (about 1,600 Vermonters), veterans (fewer than a dozen), and young adults who aged out of foster care (also fewer than a dozen). 

The federal law also expanded the age range of those subject to the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirement, raising the upper age limit from 54 to 64. In addition, parents or guardians will now only be exempt if they live with children under 14, compared to the previous cutoff of under 18. 

State officials say that many newly affected Vermonters may still qualify for other exemptions due to health conditions, disabilities, or caregiving responsibilities. The Department for Children and Families (DCF) is working with clients to determine eligibility. 

To soften the transition, the Vermont Legislature directed DCF to use its limited “discretionary exemptions” to keep participants from accruing countable months under the new rules until September 30, 2025, when the state’s exemption bank expires. At the same time, the state’s ABAWD “time clock” will reset on November 1, 2025, giving every individual subject to the rule three fresh months of benefits without a work requirement in the new three-year cycle that runs through October 2028. 

Together, these measures mean that Vermonters will not begin losing benefits due to the new federal requirements until February 2026 at the earliest, DCF said. State officials say this delay gives them time to update IT systems, educate participants, and help households determine whether they qualify for exemptions.

State reviewing SNAP eligibility for illegal immigrants, non-residents – According to the September 15 report, SNAP eligibility will now be restricted to lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants, individuals covered under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA) Ameriasian individuals, Canadian-born Native Americans, Native Americans with treaty rights and Hmong and Highland Laotian Tribal Members. “Some previously eligible individuals, including refugees and asylees, are no longer eligible. DCF is manually reviewing the current 1,532 cases during the month of September to determine eligibility starting October 1,” the report said.