Oregon SNAP changes in 2026
Rose City Benefitstracks what’s actually changing for Oregon SNAP (food benefits) so you don’t have to dig through federal law text or agency PDFs yourself. Every change below is sourced to an official Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) or USDA page we fetched directly — not a summary of a summary. If a rumored change isn’t confirmed by an official source yet, we say so instead of guessing.
Last reviewed: July 19, 2026.
Timeline of verified changes
Statewide work rules took effect December 1, 2025
USDA ended Oregon’s regional SNAP work-rule waivers in November 2025. Starting December 1, 2025, the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirement — working or doing an approved activity for at least 80 hours a month — applies statewide instead of in just a handful of counties. ODHS says the change affects roughly 37,000 people, a number expected to grow. This is carrying into 2026 as the new baseline rule, so it’s worth knowing even though the effective date is technically late 2025.
Who’s affected: adults on SNAP outside the small number of exempt counties and groups (see below) who don’t already qualify for an exemption.
What to do: if you get a notice from ODHS about work requirements, read it and respond by the deadline. ODHS’s ABAWD unit can answer questions at 1-833-947-1694 or SNAP.ABAWDTeam@odhsoha.oregon.gov.
Who has to meet work rules got broader (federal law, H.R. 1)
The federal reconciliation law (H.R. 1), signed July 4, 2025, expanded who counts as an ABAWD. The age range for the work requirement grew from 18–54 to 18–64. The caretaker exemption got narrower too: it used to cover anyone with a child under 18 in the household; now it only covers people with a child under 14. Veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and young people aging out of foster care lost automatic exemptions they used to have. On the other side, enrolled members of federally recognized tribes (and residents of certain tribal lands) are newly exempt.
Who’s affected: adults 55–64 without dependents, caretakers of teens 14–17, veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and former foster youth who were previously exempt and may not be anymore.
What to do: if you fall into one of these groups and you’re currently on SNAP, expect a notice from ODHS. Current exemptions still on the books: pregnant, in school at least half-time, caring for someone who can’t care for themselves, already getting unemployment benefits, or working 30+ hours a week (or earning at least $935.25 a month).
Seven rural counties get a work-rule exemption for all of 2026
Starting February 1, 2026 and running through December 2026, ODHS is applying a discretionary federal exemption to SNAP recipients in Crook, Gilliam, Jefferson, Lake, Morrow, Sherman, and Wheeler counties — places where employment services to help people meet the work requirement aren’t reliably available. ODHS says about 1,310 people are covered by this exemption. This is a state administrative decision under existing federal rules, not a result of the new federal law.
Who’s affected: SNAP recipients living in those seven counties.
What to do: nothing — ODHS says the exemption is applied automatically each month, no application needed.
Heating and cooling utility allowance narrowed
Also under H.R. 1, only households with a member who is 60 or older, or who has a disability, now automatically qualify for SNAP’s Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowance. ODHS estimated about 29,000 Oregon households would lose that allowance, an average reduction of about $58 a month in benefits. First notices went out October 15, 2025, with the first round of reduced benefits starting November 1, 2025 — this is already in effect and continues through 2026.
Who’s affected: SNAP households under 60 with no member who has a disability, who previously got the utility allowance automatically.
What to do: if your benefit dropped and you do have an elderly or disabled household member, contact ODHS to make sure your case reflects that.
Reported but not yet confirmed with a specific date
H.R. 1 also removes SNAP eligibility for some immigrant categories — including refugees, asylees, and trafficking survivors — but we have not found an ODHS or USDA source that gives a specific Oregon effective date for that provision. If you or someone in your household falls into one of these immigration categories, don’t rely on this page — call ODHS or a legal aid organization directly.
What has not changed
The core SNAP application process is the same: apply online at ONE.Oregon.gov, by phone at 1-800-699-9075, or in person at a local ODHS office. As of the SNAP program page we fetched, the current monthly gross income guidelines (effective March 2026 through February 2027) are $2,660 for a household of one, $3,607 for two, $4,554 for three, $5,500 for four, $6,447 for five, $7,394 for six, $8,340 for seven, $9,287 for eight, and $947 for each additional person. The three-months-in-three-years time limit for people who don’t meet work rules, and the 80-hours-a-month standard for meeting them, are unchanged.
Sources
- ODHS newsroom: “SNAP food benefit work rules now apply statewide” (published December 11, 2025)
- ODHS newsroom: “ODHS announces federal changes to SNAP so thousands of Oregonians impacted can prepare” (published September 30, 2025)
- ODHS newsroom: “Oregon takes steps to protect SNAP access in rural communities starting Feb. 1” (published January 28, 2026)
- ODHS: SNAP Work Rules (time limits) page
- ODHS: SNAP program page and current income guidelines
Read the full Oregon SNAP food benefits guidefor how to apply, or see everything else we’ve corrected or updated on the updates log.