ABAWD stands for Able Bodied Adults without Dependents. It is an adult between 18 and 49 years old who is not disabled, not pregnant, not ill, and not living in a household with minor children. People under age 18 or age 50 or older are not ABAWDs.
If you are an ABAWD, you can only get 12 months of SNAP (food stamps) in a 36-month period unless you work, go to school, volunteer, or meet an exception. As an ABAWD, you can volunteer to take part in training programs, including GED, ESL or Adult Basic Education (ABE) classes.