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🗞️ DOL-USDA Partnership to Connect SNAP Recipients with Workforce Training Programs

The U.S. Departments of Labor and Agriculture signed a Memorandum of Understanding on December 17, 2025, to better coordinate job training and employment opportunities for SNAP recipients through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

onthelaborfront

onthelaborfront

— 2 min read
🗞️ DOL-USDA Partnership to Connect SNAP Recipients with Workforce Training Programs

The December 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Labor and the Department of Agriculture establishes a formal partnership to streamline access to job training and employment services for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. This collaboration comes in the context of expanded SNAP work requirements under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, which now requires able-bodied adults without dependents aged 18-64 to work, volunteer, or participate in qualifying training programs for at least 80 hours per month to maintain benefits beyond a three-month limit.

The MOU specifically addresses how SNAP recipients can access services through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, a federal program designed to help job seekers gain employment through training, education, and support services. WIOA programs are administered through state workforce development boards and local American Job Centers, providing services including on-the-job training, classroom instruction, apprenticeships, and work experience opportunities.

Under this agreement, the departments commit to developing shared strategies to reduce dependency on public benefits, issuing joint guidance to states clarifying that SNAP participants can fulfill work requirements by actively participating in WIOA programs, and providing coordinated technical assistance to help states maximize federal resources. The partnership also encourages states to explore program flexibilities through WIOA waiver requests to better align services for low-income job seekers.

This coordination responds to recent legislative changes that removed certain exemptions from SNAP work requirements, including for homeless individuals, veterans, and former foster youth ages 18-24, while expanding the age range subject to requirements from 54 to 64. States are implementing these changes with varying timelines, with most required to begin enforcement by March 1, 2026. The first potential month for benefit loss due to noncompliance would be June 2026.

The partnership aims to create clearer pathways for SNAP recipients to access the workforce development system while ensuring states can effectively navigate both programs' requirements. By establishing formal coordination mechanisms, the departments seek to reduce administrative barriers and improve outcomes for individuals transitioning from public assistance to employment.

Key Points

  • MOU signed December 17, 2025 between Department of Labor and Department of Agriculture
  • Clarifies WIOA participation counts toward SNAP work requirements (80 hours/month minimum)
  • Expanded work requirements now apply to adults ages 18-64 (previously 18-54) under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
  • Implementation timeline: States must screen SNAP recipients by November 1, 2025; enforcement begins March 1, 2026
  • Lost exemptions: Veterans, homeless individuals, and former foster youth now subject to requirements
  • Coordination mechanisms: Joint guidance, technical assistance, and state plan review between agencies
  • WIOA services available: On-the-job training, classroom training, apprenticeships, work experience programs
  • State flexibility: Encourages waiver requests to better align SNAP and WIOA programs
  • No fund transfers: Each agency uses its own resources; no cross-agency funding required
  • First benefit loss: Earliest noncompliance terminations possible in June 2026

Primary Author: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration

Primary Source: U.S. Department of Labor News Release

Primary Source Link: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20251219

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