A quick note from training -
Since 2017, California has been slowly reintroducing ABAWD regulations to the CalFresh (food stamp) program. It's been going county by county, based on employment statistics and state of the economy reports. San Francisco, San Mateo County, and Santa Clara counties reintroduced ABAWD regulations last year. Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and Marin County are reintroducing ABAWD next month.
Other counties, like Sacramento and Los Angeles, are still exempt for at least another year.
ABAWD (Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents) regulations are federal regulations. After the 2008 recession, agencies were able to waive these regulations year by year, but this was only a stopgap measure. No attempt was made to repeal these regulations in the past decade - or if there was an attempt, it was so unsuccessful that it never really made the news.
Anyway.
What you need to know if you're a California resident in an ABAWD county, is that individuals subject to these regulations and who don't qualify for an exemption are only entitled to 3 months of food stamps in a 36 month period.
BUT
This is a proposed worksheet for determining who is subject to the time limit and who isn't. Take a look. Look at how many exemptions and exceptions there are.
This is annoying, frustrating, and inhumane. But California is doing its best to implement these federal regulations from a harm reduction perspective. If you find yourself being subject to the time limits, fight back. File an appeal. Talk to your caseworker, their supervisor, whoever you need in order to find the exemption that fits your circumstances because I can all but guarantee you that if you aren't able to find work for over 3 months you very much have an exemption that can apply.
My askbox is always open if you have questions or concerns.
(Note - I'm on mobile, but if I get a chance later on my laptop I'll add a description of the worksheet photos.)
