strategies!for!california's!reimplementation!of!snap! … · 2019. 4. 23. ·...
TRANSCRIPT
-
Strategies for California's Reimplementation of SNAP
Time Limits for Able-‐Bodied Adults without
Dependents (ABAWD)
By Erin Mullin
For California Association of Food Banks
Mills College Public Policy Program
April 30, 2016
-
ii
Disclaimer Page
This study has been prepared for the California Association of Food Banks, Oakland, CA. The student author conducted this study in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Public Policy at Mills College. The judgments and conclusions are solely those of the author, and are not necessarily endorsed by the Mills College Public Policy Program, the sponsoring Client organization, or any other organization or agency.
-
iii
Executive Summary
California is faced with the challenge of implementing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) time limit, for the first time since 2007, on people who are in need of food assistance and may be unemployed at no fault of their own. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and county social service agencies are tasked with implementing the federally mandated policy for CalFresh.
The federal policy restricts anyone defined as an able-‐bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) to three months of SNAP benefits within a 36-‐month cycle set by the state program. An ABAWD is an adult 18-‐49 years old that has no work limiting disability and resides in a household with no children. ABAWDs who are employed at least 20 hours a week, participate in a work program, or qualify for exemptions are eligible for a waiver to the time limit.
Adequate policies, procedure, and programs are not in place to properly implement this policy. The reinstatement of the 3-‐month time limit on SNAP benefits in California will place hundreds of thousands of ABAWDs at risk of losing their CalFresh benefits if they are unable to meet the work requirements. ABAWDs receive approximately $700.6 million in federal benefits annually that generate $1.25 billion in state-‐economic activity. This economic activity will be lost if ABAWDs loss their benefits.
This report identifies best practices from states and counties already implementing the time limit policy and explores the potential for California to adopt individual practices in the implementation of the 36-‐month clock, use of waivers, how to screen and track, and the use of SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs. Explicit consideration was given to the potential for each practice to keep as many ABAWDs exempt from the time limit. My analysis lead to the following recommendations for the CDSS and county welfare departments to prepare for the proper implementation of the ABAWD time limit when the statewide waiver ends on December 31, 2017:
1) Use the flexible 36-‐month clock start date to begin the first 36-‐month cycle before the waiver is up and as soon as possible.
2) Make full use of waivers, 15% exemption, and individual exemptions. Apply for waivers in all eligible areas including sub-‐county areas. Apply the 15%
-
iv
exemptions to the most vulnerable ABAWDs at risk of losing their benefits. Conduct an in-‐depth analysis of the ABAWD population in California to determine who and where these individuals are.
3) Revise policies and procedures around “able-‐bodied adults without benefits” with a focus on taking advantage of the flexibility around determining “fitness to work”.
4) Expand E&T activities to ABAWDs taking advantage of funding sources and partners in order to create sustainable programs focused on moving people off welfare and towards permanent employment and self-‐sufficiency.
By following these recommendations CalFresh can maximize resources available in order to minimize the burden to state and county administrators and keep as many ABAWDs exempt from the time limit as possible. These actions will help keep food on the tables on thousands of needy Californians and generate economic activity benefiting the entire state.
-
5