- See also: Reform proposals related to work requirements for public assistance programs
This page provides information about work requirements for public assistance in Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island 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 eight 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 Rhode Island'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.
| Rhode Island work requirements for public assistance, by type
|
| Type of public assistance
|
Rhode Island 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 |
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 |
Eight hours of community service |
Public housing authorities must apply to the Moving to Work (MTW) Program to implement work requirements.
|
Work requirements by type of public assistance
Click the tabs below to learn details about each public assistance program:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Child care subsidy (CCDF)
Medicaid
Public housing
- See also: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 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.
Rhode Island SNAP work requirements
The general SNAP work requirement in Rhode Island 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, Rhode Island has a partial waiver for work requirements.[1]
Rhode Island policy regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements
The following is the text of the Rhode Island policy regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) work requirements:[2]
218-RICR-20-00-1
| “
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B. Work Requirements
1. Unless exempt, an ABAWD is ineligible to participate in SNAP as a member of any household if s/he has, in a thirty-six (36) month period, received SNAP benefits for three (3) months (consecutive or otherwise) during which s/he did not:
a. Work twenty (20) or more hours per week, averaged monthly;
b. Participate in and comply with the requirements of a work program for twenty (20) or more hours per week;
c. Participate in and comply with the requirements of an appropriate SNAP E&T (unpaid) Work Experience Program (if it is an available component under the RI SNAP E&T plan);
d. Receive benefits due to exemption from these work requirements; or,
e. Receive benefits due to regaining eligibility as discussed in § 1.11.9(H) of this Part.
[3]
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”
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Federal SNAP work requirements
- See also: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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
- Are studying in school
- Are attending a training program[4]
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]
- See also: Child care subsidy work requirements
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.
Rhode Island child care subsidy (CCDF) work requirements
The work requirement for the child care subsidy (CCDF) in Rhode Island is 20 hours per week. The following is the text of the Rhode Island law regarding child care work requirements:[8]
3.1.2 Eligibility criteria: Reason for care
| “
|
For income eligible families: Paid employment for a minimum of an average of twenty
(20) hours per week in a month, earning per hour an average of the greater of either
the state or federal minimum wage. Self-employment is included in this definition,
except for those self-employed as child care providers. Any parent whose income is
derived solely from self-employment as a child care provider shall not be eligible for
CCAP authorized services. (However, a parent who is self employed as a child care
provider on a part time basis may be eligible to receive CCAP authorized services for
an eligible child for a period of time while working in some other capacity or
participating in a RIW-approved activity.)Travel time is calculated by adding 1 hour per
day to account for ½ hour travel between work and child care provider. Families may
request additional travel time with justification. For categorically eligible families (RI
Works families who meet CCDF requirements and receiving CCAP services): work
consists of any combination of education and work-related activities contained in a
parent's written Employment Plan, as approved by their RI Works caseworker.
Volunteer activities or time spent in any capacity in which no wages are earned, paid,
or expected, shall not count toward the hours required to meet an acceptable need for
services unless expressly approved as a component of an unemployment plan.[3]
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”
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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]
- See also: Medicaid work requirements
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]
Rhode Island Medicaid work requirements
There are no Medicaid work requirements in Rhode Island as of December 2024.
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.
- See also: Public housing work requirements
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.
Rhode Island public housing work requirements
There are 28 public housing authorities (PHAs) in Rhode Island. One PHA is 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
There are no noteworthy events in Rhode Island related to work requirements for public assistance.
See also
External links
- ↑ USDA Food and Nutrition Service, "ABAWD Waivers," accessed January 31, 2024
- ↑ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, "218-RICR-20-00-1," accessed April 21, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 USDA, "SNAP Work Requirements," accessed May 16, 2023
- ↑ HHS, "SNAP ABAWD work requirements," accessed June 2, 2023
- ↑ Congress.gov, "H.R.1 - 119th Congress (2025 - 2026)," July 4, 2025
- ↑ USDA Food and Nutrition Service, "ABAWD Waivers," accessed July 1, 2025
- ↑ [ file:///C:/Users/HANDL/Downloads/Child%20Care%20and%20Development%20Fund%20(CCDF)%20State%20Plan%202022-2024.pdf 2022 State Plan Details, "Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Plan For Rhode Island: FFY 2022-2024", accessed April 21, 2025]
- ↑ Urban Institute, Child care subsidies, accessed May 31, 2023
- ↑ HHS Child care, parental activities and reason for care, accessed May 31, 2023
- ↑ Child care aware, child care and development block grant, accessed May 31, 2023
- ↑ Social Security, Demonstration Projects, accessed May 15, 2023
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