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FoodShare: Basic Work Rules and Work Requirement Information

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In the event of a federal government shutdown, FoodShare members will still receive January benefits on their QUEST card. A shutdown will not change benefit amounts or when benefits are issued. DHS will share information as it becomes available. For updates, visit the FoodShare News page.

This webpage contains detailed information about FoodShare basic work rules and the FoodShare work requirement.

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What to know

  • Some FoodShare household members may have to follow FoodShare basic work rules or meet the FoodShare work requirement to keep getting FoodShare benefits. Each member of the household may have different things that they need to do to continue getting their FoodShare benefits.
  • Even if you do not have to follow FoodShare basic work rules or meet the FoodShare work requirement now, you may have to in the future. At a later date, if you have to follow FoodShare basic work rules or meet the FoodShare work requirement, you will get a letter (PDF) telling you this. If you have questions or need more information about your FoodShare benefits, please call your agency.

FoodShare basic work rules information

Federal rules require FoodShare applicants and members who are ages 16 through 59 to follow FoodShare basic work rules. When you complete a FoodShare application or renew your benefits, you are agreeing to follow the FoodShare basic work rules and are registered for work.

Person sitting at a table working on a laptop

If you do not follow FoodShare basic work rules, and you do not have an exemption, you will not be able to get FoodShare benefits for a period of time. This is called a sanction period.

If you need to follow FoodShare basic work rules, you must:

  • Provide your agency with your employment status or ability to work.
  • Not quit a job of 30 or more hours per week voluntarily and without good cause (or a job with weekly earnings of $217.50 or more).
  • Not reduce your work hours to less than 30 per week without good cause (unless you are earning weekly wages of $217.50 or more).
  • Accept a job offer, if you are offered a job that is a good fit.
  • Meet the unemployment compensation program work requirements if you applied for or are getting unemployment benefits.
  • Meet the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program work requirements if you are taking part in W-2.

FoodShare basic work rules are different than the FoodShare work requirement.

Exemptions from basic work rules

If you have a qualifying reason (also known as an exemption), you do not need to follow FoodShare basic work rules to keep getting FoodShare benefits.

You are exempt from following FoodShare basic work rules if any of the following are true:

Young adult caregiver with senior outdoors
  • You are 16 or 17 years old and are not the primary person in the FoodShare household.
  • You are 16 or 17 years old and are the primary person in the FoodShare household but are enrolled in school or in an employment and training program at least half-time.
  • You are found to be unfit for work. This applies if you get temporary or permanent disability benefits from the government or a private source.
  • You are found to be mentally or physically unable to work by your agency.
  • You are verified as unable to work by a statement from a health care professional or social worker.
  • You are enrolled in W-2 and complying with the W-2 work requirements.
  • You are the primary caregiver for a dependent child younger than age 6 (whether the child lives in your home or out of your home). However, if you and another person both have parental control of the child, only one of you can be exempt from FoodShare basic work rules as the primary caregiver of that child.
  • You are the primary caregiver for another person who cannot care for themselves (whether the person lives in your home or out of your home).
  • You have applied for or are receiving unemployment compensation.
  • You are regularly taking part in an alcohol or other drug abuse (AODA) treatment or rehabilitation program.
  • You are working 30 or more hours per week or earning weekly wages of $217.50 or more.
  • You are enrolled at least half-time in a recognized school, training program, or institution of higher education.

Note: You may need to provide proof that you have an exemption. You will get a letter from your agency if proof is needed.

If you think one of these exemptions describes you, call your agency to see if you are exempt from the FoodShare basic work rules.

Additional questions about FoodShare basic work rules

If you lose an exemption, you must follow FoodShare basic work rules. If you lose the exemption and do not meet the basic work rules, you will not be able to get FoodShare benefits for a specified sanction period, unless you have another exemption or good cause.

Good cause means there is something you cannot control that stops you from being able to follow FoodShare basic work rules. If you have good cause, you may be able to get FoodShare benefits even if you are not following FoodShare basic work rules or you do not have an exemption.

Some examples of reasons for good cause are:

  • You did not accept a job offer, or you quit a job, because the job was not a good fit.
  • You were fired or quit at the employer’s demand.
  • You were discriminated against by an employer based on your age, race, sex, gender, color, disability, religious beliefs, national origin, or political beliefs.
  • You left your job for another job that is a good fit, training, or school.
  • You were not able to continue a job because you moved.
  • Your personal health problems, or the health problems of others in your household, did not allow you to continue your job.
  • Your job hours were reduced by your employer without your permission.
  • You quit a job to join a volunteer program such as AmeriCorps or AmeriCorps VISTA.
  • You did not have transportation to get to the job.
  • You did not have child care for a child younger than age 12.
  • There were other things you could not control that the agency determines was good cause.

If you have something that stopped you from following the FoodShare basic work rules, call your agency. Your agency will determine if there was good cause.

If you do not follow FoodShare basic work rules and you do not have an exemption, you will not be able to get FoodShare benefits for a specified sanction period.

The length of a sanction period depends on how many sanctions you had:

  • The first sanction is for one month.
  • A second sanction is for three months.
  • A third or more sanction period is for six months.

You can end a sanction period early if you become exempt from FoodShare basic work rules.

You will need to reapply for FoodShare benefits. If you are part of a household that is already getting FoodShare benefits, you will need to contact your agency to have them update your case.

For more details about FoodShare basic work rules, you can refer to your Enrollment and Benefits Handbook, P-00079. You can also call your agency.

FoodShare work requirement information

An adult showing an apprentice how to use a lathe.

Some adults ages 18 through 54 who do not have any children under age 18 living in the home may need to meet a work requirement to keep getting FoodShare benefits, unless they have an exemption

FoodShare members who have to meet the FoodShare work requirement must do so each month. You can get FoodShare for three total months in a set three-year period without meeting the work requirement.

The current period began on January 1, 2022, and continues until December 31, 2024. A new period starts on January 1, 2025.

How do I meet the work requirement?

There are three ways to meet the FoodShare work requirement:

  1. Work at least 80 hours each month.
  2. Take part in a work program at least 80 hours each month, such as FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET), certain programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), or an employment and training program for veterans operated by the Department of Labor.
  3. Both work and take part in a work program for a combined total of at least 80 hours each month.

If your work hours drop below 80 hours a month, you must call your agency within the first 10 days of the following month.

The FoodShare work requirement is different from FoodShare basic work rules.

Exemptions to the work requirement

Three pregnant people sit in a circle at a prenatal class

Exemptions are reasons why people don’t have to meet the work requirement to get FoodShare.

You may not need to meet the FoodShare work requirement if any of the following are true:

  • You are the primary caretaker for a person who cannot care for themselves (whether the person lives in your home or out of your home).
  • You are the primary caretaker for a dependent child under age 6 (whether the child lives in your home or out of your home). However, if you and another person both have parental control of the child, only one of you can be exempt from the FoodShare work requirement as the primary caregiver of that child.
  • You are living with a child who is under age 18 who is part of the same FoodShare household, even if the child is not eligible for FoodShare benefits.
  • You are physically or mentally unable to work.
  • You are experiencing homelessness. This includes people who are in a temporary housing situation, such as transitional living arrangements and shelters, or staying temporarily (up to 90 days) at another person’s residence.
  • You are pregnant.
  • You are receiving or have applied for unemployment compensation.
  • You are taking part in an alcohol or other drug abuse (AODA) treatment or rehabilitation program.
  • You are enrolled at least half-time in a recognized school or institution of higher learning.
  • You are age 18 or older attending high school at least half-time.
  • You are enrolled in W-2 and meeting W-2 requirements.
  • You are an 18- to 24-year-old who was in foster care, a subsidized guardianship, or court-ordered kinship care, when you turned 18.
  • You are a veteran. A veteran is a person who served in the United States Armed Forces (including the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Armed Forces Reserve) and was discharged or released under any conditions.

If you think one of these qualifying reasons describes you, call your agency to see if you are exempt from the work requirement. You can also enter exemptions in ACCESS (ACCESS in Spanish).

Note: You may need to provide proof that you have an exemption. You will get a letter from your agency if proof is needed.

More information about FSET and other work training programs in Wisconsin

Individual computer training between two adults.

FoodShare Employment and Training (FSET) is a free, voluntary program you can enroll in to meet the work requirement. You’ll get one-on-one support in setting career goals, pursuing education and skills training, and finding a job. FSET can also help you pay for things you might need for training and your job search, like bus passes, gas, and work clothes.

Anyone in your household who gets FoodShare and is over age 16 can take part in the FSET program, even if they do not have to meet the FoodShare work requirement. If you or someone in your household have not yet been referred and would like take part in the program, contact your agency.

Beyond FSET, there are other work training programs available to you that can help you meet the FoodShare work requirement, such as:

Additional questions about the FoodShare work requirement

You need to start meeting the FoodShare work requirement in the first full month of getting FoodShare benefits. When your FoodShare application is approved, anyone in the household who needs to meet the work requirement is referred to the FSET program. If you are referred to the FSET program, you will get another letter explaining more about the program.

Yes, FoodShare members living in some areas of Wisconsin that have a high unemployment rate do not have to meet the work requirement. These areas are approved by the federal government.

Note: The City of Milwaukee was removed from this list effective October 1, 2024.

As of October 1, 2024, members do not need to meet the work requirement if they live in:

  • The City of Racine.
  • Adams, Bayfield, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Marquette, or Menominee counties.
  • Tribal lands or reservations belonging to the:
    • Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
    • Forest County Potawatomi Community
    • Ho-Chunk Nation
    • Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
    • Lac Du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
    • Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
    • Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
    • St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin
    • Sokaogon Chippewa Community (also known as the Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians)
    • Stockbridge-Munsee Community Band of Mohican Indians

Through additional federal flexibilities, members living on tribal lands or the reservations of the Oneida Nation and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians also do not have to meet the work requirement.

This policy will last until at least September 30, 2025.

FoodShare members who have to meet the FoodShare work requirement must do so each month. You can get FoodShare for three total months within a three-year period that began on January 1, 2022, and continues until December 31, 2024, without meeting the work requirement or having an exemption.

The time limit clock will then reset and start over at the end of the three-year period. A new three-year period will begin on January 1, 2025.

If you need to meet the FoodShare work requirement and do not meet it, you may only get three months of FoodShare benefits within a three-year period that began on January 1, 2022, and continues until December 31, 2024. To keep getting FoodShare benefits after the three months, you must meet the work requirement or have an exemption.

Good cause means there is something you cannot control that temporarily stops you from being able to meet the FoodShare work requirement.

Some examples of good cause related to the work requirement are:

  • Your personal health problems, or the health problems of others, caused you to miss hours.
  • You missed hours because of bad weather.
  • You did not have transportation to get to your job or work program.
  • You had a crisis or emergency (death, domestic violence, temporary workplace shutdown).
  • You had legal issues or a required court appearance.
  • You stopped attending a job or work program activity due to discrimination or unreasonable demands.
  • Your jobsite or work program site closed due to a site-specific holiday.
  • You missed hours to observe a religious holiday.
  • You were terminated from a job or work program assigned activity due to reasons you could not control.
  • You cannot get paid by FSET for reasonable expenses needed to participate in an FSET activity that was on your FSET employment plan.
  • Your work program or activity was cancelled.
  • There were other things you could not control that the agency determines counted as good cause.

Your agency may be able to count the hours you had good cause for not working toward meeting the work requirement. If something stopped you from working hours to meet the work requirement, contact your agency. Your agency will determine if there was good cause.

You will be referred to the FSET program when you renew or apply for FoodShare benefits if you need to meet the FoodShare work requirement.

More information about FSET can be found on the FoodShare or FSET webpages.

FSET is a free, voluntary program you can enroll in to meet the work requirement. You’ll get one-on-one support in setting career goals, pursuing education and skills training, and finding a job. FSET can also help you pay for things you might need for training and your job search, like bus passes, gas, and work clothes.

Beyond FSET, there are other work training programs available to you that can help you meet the FoodShare work requirement, such as:

Job and training opportunities are available through Wisconsin’s Job Centers, by going to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s website. More information about education and training opportunities is available through the Wisconsin’s Technical College System's website.

For more details about the FoodShare work requirement, you can refer to your Enrollment and Benefits Handbook, P-00079. You can also call your agency.

For further assistance

If you have questions, contact your agency.

Glossary

 
Last revised December 10, 2024