- Paid work:
Working for at least 20 hours per week (80 hours per month) or earning wages that equal more than $217.50 per week.*
- Training:
Participating in SNAP Employment & Training (E&T) or another qualifying state or local work program.
- Volunteering or community service:
To meet the requirement you can EITHER:
- Volunteer for at least 20 hours per week
OR
- Divide your monthly SNAP benefit by the state minimum wage ($15.10 starting January 2026) to find the total number of volunteer hours (that everyone in the SNAP household can contribute to)
Any combination of these work-related activities over 20 hours per week.
*The “20 hours” for paid work is based on the federal minimum wage, but because Maine has a higher minimum wage, you can work fewer hours. To fulfill the requirement ” in Maine you need to earn and report wages that equal more than $217.50 per week (30x the federal minimum wage).
If you want to get the number of hours that you need to work, you can divide $217.50 by your current hourly wage.
For example, if your hourly wage is $16, you would take $217.50/$16 which equals 13.59 hours, so you would need to work 14 hours a week to meet the requirement.
NOTE: If you participate in workfare for General Assistance (GA), assigned hours qualify, but there are slightly different rules AND these hours can NOT be combined with other activities. Make sure to tell DHHS about your participation.
If you already meet the work requirements and have given that information to DHHS, you do not have to provide proof every month unless something changes.
Updated: October 2025
SNAP helps people pay for food. The program may also be called Food Assistance (it used to be called Food Stamps). You get a card that works like a debit card from a bank. You can use the card to buy food at grocery stores. The card is called the Pine Tree Card or an EBT card. 
