# Plain Language Summary: Let's Get to Work Act of 2025

This bill makes work requirements stricter for people receiving government assistance with food and housing. Right now, most able-bodied adults without dependents must work or participate in work programs to keep their food stamps (SNAP benefits). This bill extends those same work requirements to parents and caregivers, requiring them to work at least six months out of the year to maintain their benefits. It also raises the age threshold for seniors who are exempt from work requirements—people now have to be over 60 instead of 55 to be automatically excused from working.

The bill also applies these work requirements to people living in public housing and those receiving rental assistance vouchers. Currently, these housing programs don't have the same work requirements as food assistance. Under this bill, anyone living in public housing or using a rental assistance voucher would need to meet the same work standards as SNAP recipients, with limited exceptions. People caring for young children under six, seniors, people with disabilities, and those married to someone already meeting work requirements would be exempt.

The practical effect is that many low-income families would face new pressure to find employment or lose their housing assistance and food benefits. Parents juggling childcare, people with health issues, and others facing barriers to employment could lose support if they can't meet the six-month work requirement. Supporters argue this encourages self-sufficiency, while critics worry it could push struggling families into poverty or homelessness if they can't find jobs that fit their circumstances.

Let’s Get to Work Act of 2025

Kennedy, Mike

Let's Get to Work Act of 2025This bill modifies and expands work requirements under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and certain housing programs of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).Specifically, the bill expands the applicability of the work requirements for SNAP recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). As background, SNAP recipients who are ABAWDs have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.The bill applies the work requirements for ABAWDs to adults who are not over 60 years old, whereas these requirements currently apply to adults who are not over 55 years old.Further, the&nbsp;ABAWD exemption for a parent or household member with responsibility for a dependent child is restricted under the bill to a dependent child under the age of&nbsp;six. Currently, the child must be under the age of 18.&nbsp;The bill allows a member of a household with responsibility for a dependent child to participate in SNAP&nbsp;for up to 6 months (currently 3 months) over a 36-month period without meeting the ABAWD work requirements.The bill also includes an exception for an individual who (1) is responsible for a dependent individual, and (2) is married to and resides with an individual who complies with the SNAP work requirements.Additionally, the bill establishes work requirements for families residing in public housing by applying the SNAP work requirements for ABAWDs to the HUD public housing and tenant-based rental assistance (voucher) programs.