Helping You Navigate Your Benefits
The federal administration has passed legislation that will bring changes to benefit programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, also known as Health First Colorado, that will impact Adams County residents. Adams County Human Services will provide regular updates to this webpage as new information is released to help you navigate your benefits. Human Services is committed to keeping Adams County residents and community informed of the changes and for impacted individuals to stay enrolled in their benefits that they are entitled to.
Information on this page is updated through to Dec. 31, 2025.
Federal Government Shutdown Over!
The federal government shutdown officially ended last night, Wednesday, November 12, at 10 p.m.
Colorado will be delivering 100% of November benefits for SNAP within the next week. The Colorado Department of Human Services will start loading payments onto Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards and SNAP participants will see payments on their EBT cards starting Thursday afternoon (11/13).
SNAP Recipients Who Received Benefits Before the Funding Pause on Nov. 8
On Friday, Nov. 8, 32,000 SNAP recipients across Colorado, including Adams County, had benefits issued to their EBT cards. These were issued before the U.S. Supreme Court ordered a temporary ban on SNAP payments. All payments loaded onto EBT cards prior to the Supreme Court order remain available and SNAP participants are able to use those funds. No additional benefits will be received for November.
We encourage you to continue applying for and renewing your SNAP benefits. The county will continue to process applications and renewals as quickly as possible.
SNAP
SNAP provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. Discover how the federal administration has introduced legislation that will bring changes to benefit programs like SNAP, Medicaid, LEAP, and Colorado Works that will impact Adams County, Colorado.
Eligibility Changes
Effective Oct. 1, 2025:
- Additional Eligibility Requirement: A new requirement has been added that most households will need to prepare to report utility expenses. These expenses are used to determine how much SNAP benefits you receive. This new requirement does not apply to households with an elderly individual (60+) or an individual with a disability. When applying or redetermining for SNAP, clients should prepare to report heating and cooling expenses.
Effective by Nov. 1, 2025:
- Eligibility Eliminated: Certain lawfully present non-citizen immigrants, including refugees, parolees, survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, and Afghan evacuees will no longer be eligible to receive SNAP benefits. See an outline of eligibility in the tables under “SNAP Immigrant Eligibility Tables”.
SNAP Immigrant Eligibility
Lawful permanent residents (LPR) (also known as Green Card holders)
Eligible after a 5-year waiting period, as long as they meet all other SNAP financial and non-financial eligibility requirements. LPRs may still be eligible for SNAP without a waiting period if they meet one or more of the following conditions:
- Are under 18 years old
- Have 40 qualifying work quarters
- Are blind or disabled
- Were lawfully residing in the U.S. and 65 or older on August 22, 1996
- Have a U.S. military connection
- Are admitted to the United States as an Amerasian immigrant
- Are an American Indian born abroad
- Certain Hmong
Not Eligible
- Deportation Withheld
- Refugees
- Individuals Granted Asylum
- Parolees
- Certain Afghan Nationals Granted Parole Between July 31, 2021, and September 30, 2023
- Certain Ukrainian Nationals Granted Parole Between February 24, 2022, and September 30, 2024
Not eligible unless a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR), then eligible immediately. See eligible groups table.
- Certain American Indians Born Abroad
- Hmong or Highland Laotian Tribal Members
- Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants (SIV)
- LPR Pursuant to Section 249 of the INA6 (8 USC 1259)7
- Conditional Entrants
- Battered Immigrants
- Victims of Severe Trafficking and Certain Family Members
Work Requirements
Effective Immediately:
- Work requirement exemptions eliminated: SNAP recipients who are veterans, who are experiencing homelessness, and adults 24 years of age or younger who aged out of foster care will no longer receive work requirement exemptions.
Effective Oct. 1, 2025:
- Work Rules Requirement: Individuals that are adults ages 55–64 without children or other dependents and are known in the SNAP program as Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) aged 55-64 will now be required to volunteer or work a certain number of hours to receive more than 3 months of SNAP benefits in 36 months.
If you have questions, please contact the Human Services Call Center at 720.253.2700
Medicaid
Medicaid provides health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.
Eligibility Changes
No changes currently announced, please continue to provide required documentation and information.
Work Requirements
No changes currently announced, please continue to provide required documentation and information.
Connect for Health Care Colorado Health Insurance
Open enrollment has started for Connect for Health Care Colorado. Connect for Health Colorado is an organization Adams County residents can use to receive financial help to purchase health insurance. Insurance costs are rising and there may be assistance to help with premiums.
Apply now for coverage for 2026. Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026.