The term Able Bodied Adult Without Dependent is used to refer to adults ages 18-54 who don’t have children under the age of 18 living with them and are considered fit to work. The term is used in the context of SNAP, as ABAWD’s are subject to specific work requirements to maintain their SNAP benefits.
Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) can receive SNAP for only three months in a 3-year period if they do not meet certain work requirements. This is called the ABAWD time limit.
The Food and Nutrition Act allows states to ask FNS to temporarily waive the ABAWD time limit for areas that have an unemployment rate of over 10 percent or does not have a sufficient number of jobs. An ABAWD time limit waiver does not waive the general SNAP work requirements.
See also:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/abawd/waivers
https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements
https://dfcs.georgia.gov/services/snap/able-bodied-adult-without-dependents