MFIP, DWP, MSA, GA, GRH:
No provisions.


SNAP:
Time-limited SNAP Recipients (TLRs) are applicants/recipients who are:

●	Age 18 - 49.
●	Not exempt from Work Registration. See 0028.06.12 (Who Is Exempt From SNAP Work Registration).
●	Not residing in a unit with a member under the age 18, even if the unit member is not eligible for SNAP. Uncle Harry Food Support units that are residing in a home with a unit member under the age of 18 meet this exemption even if the person under the age of 18 is in an MFIP or RCA unit.
●	Not pregnant. For MAXIS coding instruction when the pregnancy is and is not verified, see TEMP Manual TE02.05.70.02 (SNAP STAT/WREG Coding – Pregnant Women).
●	Participants of Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) who are NOT working with a Refugee Employment Services Provider. If there is no Refugee Employment Services provider available, you may refer them to a SNAP E&T provider to not be considered a TLR. See 0030.12 (Refugee Employment Services).

TIME-LIMITED WORK RULES

TLRs must follow time-limited work rules to receive SNAP more than 3 months each fixed 36-month period. TLRs must:

●	Work at least 80 hours a month. Work can be for pay, for goods or services (for something other than money), unpaid, or as a volunteer.
●	Participate in an approved work or training program at least 80 hours a month. Approved work and training programs are described later in this section.
	OR
●	Participate in a combination of any of the above work and work or training program hours for a total of at least 80 hours a month.

TLRs must also follow general work rules. See 0028.07 (General Work Rules for SNAP).

All of the work rules (general work rules and time-limited work rules) must be verbally explained to the SNAP unit at application, recertification, when a person moves into the unit and is subject to work rules, and when a recipient has a change to the work rules they must follow. You must also give or send Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Work Rules Notice (DHS-8159) (PDF) explaining the work rules TLRs must follow.

DETERMINING THE 3 INITIAL COUNTED MONTHS

Any month a TLR is not following the time-limited work rules is counted as 1 of the 3 initial months following these steps:

1.	Review the case to see if the TLR is exempt from time-limited rules as described in 0028.06.12 (Who Is Exempt From SNAP Work Registration), 0028.07 (General Work Rules for SNAP). If exempt, this person is not a TLR and not subject to time-limited rules and months are not counted. The case must be updated and reapproved. If not exempt, move onto the next step.
2.	Count the verified hours the TLR has spent working or in approved work activities for the entire month. If the work or work activities equal at least 80 hours, the month is not counted against the 3 initial months. If the work activities are less than 80 hours, the month is counted.

NOTE:

●	Counted months do not have to be consecutive.
●	Months in which a TLR household receives prorated SNAP benefits do not count.
●	TLR counted months used in another state count towards the time limit in Minnesota. This needs to be verified by contacting the other state. To check if the other state was under a waiver from the lime-limits, see https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/ABAWD/waivers.
●	TLRs can earn more than the initial 3 counted months of SNAP by following the time-limited rules. More information about gaining additional months of eligibility can be found later in this section.

TLRs are not subject to the time limits if they live in a county or on an Indian reservation where all recipients are waived or when the entire state is waived from the time limits. See TEMP Manual TE02.05.68 (Tribal Nations Waived from Work and Time-limited SNAP Provisions), TE02.05.69 (Counties Waived from Work and Time-limited Provisions).

THE 36-MONTH FIXED CLOCK

Minnesota uses a fixed clock to measure the 36-month period. The current 36-month fixed clock began 01/01/2023 and runs through 12/31/2025. The next 36-month fixed clock period will be 01/01/2026-12/31/2028.

APPROVED WORK AND WORK-RELATED ACTIVITIES

Months when a TLR follows time-limited work rules by participating in approved work or work-related activities 20 hours per week/80 hours per month are not counted as 1 of the 3 initial months. Approved work or work-related program activities are:

●	Working, including paid employment, self-employment, in-kind, and unpaid work. This includes use of accrued sick or vacation time, if available.
●	Participating in Title 1 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) services.
●	Participating in Trade Adjustment Act (TAA) services.
●	Participating in SNAP E&T activities. SNAP E&T providers will communicate when a client meets the 80-hour minimum requirement for these activities. See 0028.03.03 (Employment Services/SNAP E&T Required Components).
●	Any employment and training program operated by the Department of Labor or Veterans Affairs that serves veterans.

REQUIRED VERIFICATIONS

Work hours or participation in approved work activities must be verified in order to not count towards the 3-month time limit. Obtain verification from the employer, from the SNAP E&T provider, or from the work-related program. Once verification is received that they are following the time-limited work rules, do not count the month. Continue to not count months if it is determined the client will prospectively follow the time-limited work rules.

NOTE: When a TLR follows time-limited work rules, they can receive more than 3 initial months of SNAP. Following work rules is not the same as meeting an exemption. They are still subject to the time-limited work rules but continue to receive SNAP since they are following the time-limited work rules.

REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES

TLRs subject to the time-limits must report when their work hours fall below 20 hours per week, averaged 80 hours per month. Work includes paid employment, self-employment, in-kind, and unpaid work. This is a reporting requirement for all reporting types. They do not need to report a change in training or other approved work-related activity hours. See 0007.03.01 (Monthly Reporting - Uncle Harry FS), 0007.03.02 (Six-Month Reporting), 0007.03.05 (Change Reporting).

You must retroactively count (or uncount) a TLR’s month of benefits as 1 of the 3 initial counted months if you later learn that your determination of the TLR’s exemption status, or whether or not the TLR was following time-limited work rules and when good cause cannot be granted. You must make this change in MAXIS. See TEMP Manual TE02.05.70 (Coding the WREG Panel for SNAP) for system instructions. When a TLR meets an exemption for any part of a month they are exempt for the entire month.

ENDING SNAP BENEFITS

Once a TLR uses all 3 initial counted months during the fixed 36-month period, they are ineligible for SNAP unless they meet an exemption or a way to regain eligibility listed below (second 3-month period or regaining eligibility). However, their income and deductions may still count for the additional unit members receiving SNAP. See 0016.39 (Income of Ineligible Time-limited SNAP Recipients).

TLR ELIGIBILITY AFTER THE INITIAL 3 COUNTED MONTHS - SECOND 3-MONTH PERIOD

TLRs may be eligible for ONE second 3-month period if they meet certain criteria. If, during the same fixed 36-month period the TLR has met all the criteria below, the second 3-month period may be available for use:

●	Used all 3 counted months.
	AND
●	Has worked or participated in approved work or training program activities at least 80 hours total in a 30-day period.
	AND
●	The work or work-related activities have ended or been reduced to less than 80 hours total per month.

The second 3-month period starts the 1st day of the 1st full month in which SNAP benefits are provided under this second 3-month eligibility period. A partial or prorated month is not counted as part of the second 3-month period. The second 3-month period runs for 3 consecutive countable months regardless of whether or not the recipient receives benefits in all 3 months. This second 3-month period is only available ONCE during each fixed 36-month period.

REGAINING ELIGIBILITY

A TLR who has used the initial 3 counted months or the second 3-month period can regain eligibility under these circumstances:

●

If they meet an exemption from the time-limited rules.

●

When, during any 30 consecutive days, they follow the time-limited rules as described above. The hours must be completed before eligibility can be granted. The 30 consecutive days may occur at any time after the TLR used the 3 initial counted months. Once the recipient has participated in work or work-related activities at least 80 hours a month, eligibility can be granted back to the date of application. Once eligibility is granted, eligibility will continue as long as it is prospectively anticipated that the person will meet the time-limited work rules for the next month.