Alaska's SNAP work-requirement waiver ends Oct. 31, and the time limit already applies in Anchorage

A federal waiver that spares most Alaska SNAP recipients from a work-hour time limit expires Oct. 31, 2026. Anchorage has never been covered by that waiver, so the federal time limit already applies there to adult SNAP recipients who aren't otherwise exempt. Alaska News reported the waiver's end date Tuesday in a story on new SNAP benefit levels and covered the Anchorage requirement in August.

The Office of Citizenship Assistance, part of the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, laid out the split in its September newsletter. "For SNAP, work requirements now apply to adults ages 18 to 64, including in Anchorage, where the statewide waiver does not apply," the newsletter says.

Covered adults generally cannot receive SNAP for more than three full months in a 36-month period, according to the federal SNAP handbook. An exception applies to those who work or take part in an approved work program at least 20 hours a week, or who qualify for an exemption or good cause. Exemptions include people who meet federal legal definitions of "Indian" or "Urban Indian," which cover members of tribes, including Alaska Native villages.

The state's SNAP guidance says the waiver began Nov. 1, 2025, and covers every borough and census area except Anchorage. That page lists the age range as 18 through 54, not the 18 to 64 the newsletter gives. A U.S. Department of Agriculture memo to states says a 2025 federal law raised the age limit from 54. "Individuals aged 18 to 64 are now subject to the time limit, unless they meet another exception," the memo says.

The office urges recipients to keep a current address, phone number and email on file with the Division of Public Assistance, which can be updated through Alaska Connect. It also urges recipients to reply to any renewal form or request for information by the date shown. "Getting a letter does not mean you are losing your benefits," the newsletter says. DPA takes case questions at 1-800-478-7778, with free interpreters available. Alaska Relay is 7-1-1.

The citizenship office offers free help reading DPA letters at 907-754-3470 or [email protected]. Its services are open to anyone in Alaska. "We cannot decide your eligibility, since only DPA can do that," the newsletter says.

The National Center for Law and Economic Justice has litigated over delays in Alaska's public-assistance system. Saima Akhtar, a senior attorney with the group, said in a statement posted in June 2025 that the work requirement itself is extremely administratively burdensome to the agency.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that the time limit applies to adults who are not otherwise exempt and to note one of the exemptions.