This page provides information about work requirements for public assistance in Kentucky as of December 2024.
Work requirements for public assistance refer to conditions that require participation in employment-related activities to qualify for the assistance. These activities may include job searching, engaging in job training, volunteering, or working a specified number of hours each week.
Public assistance programs involve the division of responsibilities between the federal government and state governments. The federal government sets eligibility criteria, provides guidelines, and allocates funding for these programs, while states are responsible for administering them and, in some cases, have the authority to tailor the programs to meet local needs.
Ballotpedia has tracked work requirements in Kentucky related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), child care subsidies, Medicaid, and public housing. Click here to see work requirements for public assistance in other states.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Previously called food stamps, the federal work requirement is generally 30 hours per week, but for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), it is 20 hours per week. States can request temporary waivers from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to exempt recipients from ABAWD work requirements in areas with an unemployment rate above 10% or insufficient job opportunities. ABAWDs who fail to meet the work requirement can only receive SNAP benefits for up to 3 months in a 36-month period unless they meet the requirement or are exempt.
Child care subsidies
Federal law requires parents receiving Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies to work or engage in work-related activities. States have flexibility in defining eligible activities, which may include employment, job search, self-employment, education or training, foster care, and subsidized guardianship. Employment is an approved activity for CCDF subsidies in all states, and some states also allow subsidies for education and training.
Medicaid
Medicaid work requirements are eligibility conditions that require recipients to complete certain work-related activities—such as working, pursuing education, participating in a work program, or volunteering—in order to qualify for or maintain benefits. The budget reconciliation bill that was signed into law on July 4, 2025 requires states to adopt community engagement requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents on Medicaid by January 1, 2027.
Public housing
Public housing work requirements mandate that adult residents (who are not elderly, disabled, or already employed) complete 8 hours of community service per month to remain eligible for assistance. Public housing authorities (PHAs) in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Moving to Work (MTW) Program can establish additional work requirements. PHAs must apply to the MTW program to create such requirements.
The following table outlines Kentucky's public assistance work requirements by type as of December 2024, including both state and federal requirements, as well as the options available to states for establishing or temporarily suspending work requirements.
Kentucky work requirements for public assistance, by type
Type of public assistance
Kentucky requirements
Federal requirements
State options
SNAP
Partial waiver as of 2024
20 hours (general)/30 hours (ABAWD)
States can request and implement temporary waivers for the ABAWD work requirements.
Child care subsidy(CCDF)
20 hours per week
Required, but undefined
States have the authority to set work requirements for child care subsidies.
Medicaid
None
None
States can apply for Section 1115 waivers to implement work requirements, but they must receive approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Public housing
None
8 hours of community service
Public housing authorities must apply to the Moving to Work (MTW) Program to implement work requirements.
Federal law establishes foundational guidelines for SNAP work requirements, setting minimum standards that include defined work hours—SNAP work requirements do not vary by state. While states do not have the authority to fully implement their own specific rules, there is some flexibility in how they administer SNAP. States can determine the specifics of work requirements, define acceptable work activities, and establish processes for tracking compliance.
Kentucky SNAP work requirements
The general SNAP work requirement in Kentucky is 30 hours per week. Additionally, for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), the requirement is to work at least 80 hours per month or 20 hours per week. As of the fourth quarter of the 2024 fiscal year, Kentucky has a partial waiver for work requirements.[1]
Kentucky code regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements
The following is the text of the Kentucky code regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements:[2]
921 Kentucky Administrative Regulations 3:027
“
(8) Work requirement.
(a) Except for individuals who may be eligible for up to three (3) additional months in accordance with paragraph (e) of this subsection, an individual shall not be eligible to participate in SNAP as a member of a household if the individual received SNAP for more than three (3) countable months during any three (3) year period, during which the individual did not:
1. Work eighty (80) hours or more per month;
[3]
SNAP has two types of work requirements: general work requirements and able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements. The following sections provide information about the two types of SNAP work requirements.
General SNAP work requirements
General SNAP work requirements mandate that individuals aged 16 to 59 who can work must complete the following work-related activities:
Register for work
Participate in SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs
Take a suitable job if it is offered
Not voluntarily quit a job or reduce work hours below 30 hours a week without cause.[4]
Individuals do not have to register for general work requirements if they already meet the following conditions when they apply for SNAP benefits:
Work at least 30 hours a week
Meet work requirements for another public benefits program
Care for a child under six years old or an incapacitated person
Are unable to work due to a physical or mental limitation
Are participating in an alcohol or drug treatment program
Able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements for SNAP
The ABAWD (Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents) work requirement under SNAP applies to individuals aged 18 to 64 without children. To remain eligible for SNAP, ABAWDs must meet one of the following work-related activities:
Work or Volunteer: At least 80 hours per month (about 20 hours per week).
Participate in a Work Program: Participate in a federal, state, or local work program, such as SNAP Education and Training (E&T), for at least 80 hours per month.
Time Limit for ABAWDs
ABAWDs who do not meet the work requirement can only receive SNAP benefits for three months in a 36-month period. After reaching this time limit, they lose eligibility for benefits unless they start meeting the work requirement.[4][5]
Requalifying for SNAP Benefits
If an ABAWD loses eligibility due to failing to meet the work requirement, they can requalify for benefits by meeting the work requirement for 30 consecutive days. However, if they do not meet the work requirement within this 30-day period, they will be ineligible for SNAP for the next three years.
Time Limit Waivers
States can request temporary waivers for ABAWD work requirements in areas where jobs are scarce. These waivers apply in places with an unemployment rate above 10%, or in noncontiguous states (Alaska and Hawaii) if the unemployment rate is at or above 1.5 times the national unemployment rate.[6]
As of the third quarter of the 2025 fiscal year, three states had full ABAWD time limit waivers, and 25 states had waivers for specific counties with high unemployment.[7]
States are responsible for defining the activities that qualify a family for child care subsidies through the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), such as work requirements, education participation, and community service. Employment is an approved activity for CCDF funding in every state and some states also approve subsidies for parents participating in education and training activities.
Kentucky child care subsidy (CCDF) work requirements
The work requirement for the child care subsidy (CCDF) in Kentucky is 20 hours per week. The following is the text of the Kentucky law regarding child care work requirements:[8]
3.1.2 Eligibility criteria: Reason for care
“
Work is defined as employment in either a public or private sector for which the recipient receives a wage, thus making them gainfully employed. It can be either permanent or seasonal. It also includes unpaid activities, such as student teaching, internships or practicums. A combination of employment activities can be used to meet the required number of hours per week. The requirement is a minimum of 20 hours per week for a single parent and a minimum of 40 hours per week for 2 parents, with one of those parent not working less than 5 hours. If at the end of the minimum 3 month grace period, the client isn't meeting CCAP eligibility requirement (e.g. combination of working and/or participating in a full time educational activity) their case would close[3]
”
Federal child care subsidy work requirements
Federal law requires that parents receiving CCDF child care subsidies work or complete work-related activities. States are responsible for defining the activities that qualify a family for assistance through CCDF, including work requirements, education participation, and community service. Employment is an approved activity for CCDF funding in every state and some states also approve subsidies for parents participating in education and training activities. Working, periods of job search, self-employment, attending job training or education-related activities, foster care, and subsidized guardianship are activities that meet eligibility standards for CCDF subsidies in different states. State agencies have flexibility in determining eligibility for CCDF subsidies, according to HHS regulations.[9][10][11]
Medicaid work requirements are mandated work-related activities that Medicaid recipients must complete to qualify for benefits, such as applying for a job, interviewing for a job, or participating in job training or volunteer activities. Section 1115 of the Social Security Act of 1935 allows states to apply to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for approval to develop state-level Medicaid work requirement programs.[12]
Kentucky Medicaid work requirements
There are no Medicaid work requirements in Kentucky as of December 2024.
Kentucky's Medicaid history includes a significant legal battle over work requirements for eligibility, starting with the state's submission of a Section 1115 waiver in 2016, which was approved by CMS in 2018. However, after multiple court rulings deeming the work requirements unlawful, Governor Andy Beshear (D) withdrew the waiver in December 2019, ending the state's push for Medicaid work requirements.[13][14]
Federal Medicaid work requirements
Federal law does not universally impose work requirements for Medicaid until 2027. Instead, work requirements have been introduced through state-level waivers under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act. These waivers allow states to experiment with different approaches to Medicaid, including work-related criteria. As of 2024, only Georgia has a Medicaid work requirement.
Public housing work requirements are mandated work-related activities that public housing recipients must complete to maintain eligibility for housing assistance, such as applying for a job, interviewing for a job, or participating in job training or volunteer activities.
Kentucky public housing work requirements
There are 114 public housing authorities (PHAs) in Kentucky. Two PHAs are part of the Move to Work (MTW) program and none list work requirements in their annual applications, as of August 2023.
Federal public housing work requirements
The federally required work-related activity is eight hours of community service per month for adult residents of public housing who are not elderly, disabled, or already working. Public housing authorities (PHAs) in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Move to Work (MTW) program have the flexibility to implement additional work requirements.
Of the 123 public housing authorities (PHAs) authorized to establish work requirements under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Move to Work (MTW) Demonstration Program, 17 had work requirements as of January 9, 2024.
Public housing authorities with work requirements
Noteworthy events
Kentucky legislature overrides governor's veto, enacting HB 695, which requires the state to apply to implement Medicaid work requirements (2025): On March 27th, the Kentucky Legislature voted to override Governor Andy Beshear's(D) veto of House Bill 695, which requires the state to seek work requirements for able-bodied adult Medicaid recipients.[15]
Kentucky is a divided government, with a Republican-controlled legislature and a Democratic governor. The veto was overridden with a 29-7 vote in the Senate and an 80-20 vote in the House.[16] The vote was along party lines in the Senate and almost along party lines in the House, with only one Democrat, Rep. Matthew Lehman (D), voting in favor.[17][18]
Kentucky's program under HB 695, should CMS approve the waiver, will require able-bodied adults without dependents who have been enrolled in Medicaid for 12 or more months to complete minimum community engagement or work activities that qualify under federal code, including:
working a job for 20 hours per week,
participating in a work program for 20 hours per week,
doing a combination of these for 20 hours per week, and
participating in a workfare program for 20 hours per week.[15]
Azar v. Stewart (2018): Kentucky submitted a Section 1115 waiver to establish work requirements for Medicaid eligibility on September 8, 2016. CMS approved Kentucky's Section 1115 waiver on January 12, 2018. A group of Medicaid recipients in Kentucky sued HHS Secretary Alex Azar in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing that HHS' approval of Kentucky's work requirements was unlawful because they impeded the goals of Medicaid to promote medical assistance for low-income citizens. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia on June 29, 2018, ruled that Kentucky’s work requirements were unlawful because CMS failed to consider the impact on coverage. The court vacated Kentucky’s waiver and remanded it to CMS, which reapproved Kentucky’s work requirement for Medicaid. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia on March 27, 2019, again found that the approval of work requirements was unlawful because HHS Secretary Alex Azar "never adequately considered whether Kentucky HEALTH would in fact help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid." The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on January 8, 2020, dismissed the appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Columbia because Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) withdrew Medicaid work requirements.[19][20][21]
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