Federal changes to SNAP rules could require about 55,000 New Mexicans to work, volunteer or train at least 80 hours a month to keep benefits starting Jan. 1, according to the state Health Care Authority.

Margaret O'Hara, Searchlight New Mexico

This article was originally published by Searchlight New Mexico.

Starting Jan. 1, some 55,000 New Mexicans will be subject to work, volunteer or training requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP and formerly as food stamps.

The state Health Care Authority, which administers the food aid program in New Mexico, issued a news release Wednesday warning SNAP recipients they may have to participate in work, education or volunteer service at least 80 hours per month to continue to qualify for benefits.

The new rule, which will take effect the next time recipients apply for or renew SNAP benefits after Jan. 1, is the result of a federal reconciliation bill signed into law in July by President Donald Trump. The multitrillion-dollar spending plan will slash taxes and discretionary spending through 2034, with cuts to Medicaid and SNAP among its central cost-saving efforts.

“These are federal requirements, not state policy, but our job is to make sure New Mexicans don’t lose food benefits because they didn’t know about the changes,” Health Care Authority Income Support Division Director Niki Kozlowski said in the news release.

New Mexico has the highest rate of SNAP use in the country. Some 460,000 New Mexicans — or more than 1 in 5 — rely on the federal food benefits, including over 170,000 children and 65,000 seniors.

The work requirements will apply to all adults ages 18 to 64 who are physically and mentally able to work and are not responsible for the care of a child under age 14.

Veterans, homeless people and former foster youth are no longer automatically exempt from SNAP work requirements. Rather, exceptions are available to the following groups: 

• People under 18 or over 65 years old.
• People who receive disability benefits or have a physical or mental disability that prevents them from working.
• People who meet work requirements for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits.
• People caring for children under age 14 or for an incapacitated or disabled person.
• People receiving unemployment benefits.
• People enrolled in a drug or alcohol treatment program.
• People enrolled at least half-time in school, training or higher education.
• Women who are pregnant.
• Enrolled members of Native American tribes.
• Residents of Luna County, Taos Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo or San Felipe Pueblo.

If SNAP recipients do not report their work hours and do not qualify for an exceptions, their benefits may stop after three months. However, they will be eligible for SNAP again once they meet the work requirements or become exempt.

Health Care Authority estimates indicate the reconciliation bill’s new work requirements will affect 55,750 New Mexico residents, with more than 20,000 people in the state set to lose benefits as a result of work requirements.

The work requirements come after months of unprecedented upheaval for the SNAP program. The Trump administration initially opted not to issue SNAP benefits Nov. 1 amid the federal government shutdown, which has now ended. New Mexicans eventually received their full federal benefits.

New Mexico stepped up during that period of SNAP uncertainty, providing first a $30 million stopgap for the first 10 days of November benefits and then authorizing up to $162.5 million in state funds to continue the program, if necessary, during a speedy Nov. 10 special session.

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján in November joined a team of Senate Democrats in introducing a bill that would overturn cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program included in the federal budget reconciliation law. But the odds of undoing parts of the law remains slim, and Luján’s bill hasn’t yet been heard in committee.

The work requirements — some of the first in a series of administrative and policy changes coming to the SNAP program in 2026 and beyond — may be a cause for concern for New Mexico households that rely on benefits to put food on the table, Kozlowski acknowledged.

“We know this may be stressful for families who depend on SNAP,” she said in a news release. “Our staff can help you understand whether you qualify for an exception or how to report your work or volunteer hours.”

Margaret O’Hara is a reporter for Searchlight New Mexico, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that seeks to empower New Mexicans to demand honest and effective public policy.