On June 1, the new CalFresh work requirements took effect, affecting certain adults who receive food assistance benefits.
For current residents on the program, the restrictions will go into effect when they reapply.
The new requirements apply to beneficiaries aged 18 to 64 without disabilities who don’t have a dependent under the age of 14.
To keep their assistance longer than three months in a three-year time frame, these individuals are now required to either work, attend school, job training, or volunteer 20 hours a week.
Those who are caregivers, pregnant, or experiencing physical or mental illness are still freed from these requirements. But going forward, former foster youth or veterans are no longer exempted.
State officials have predicted that over 665,000 residents will likely lose benefits.
In a press release, Assemblymember Alex Lee, Chair of the Human Services Committee, said that the new restrictions will unfairly strip away assistance from thousands of Californians.
“The work requirements are red tape traps that cut off vital food aid from low-income Californians. This is yet another federal policy to starve our families. Amid the federal regime’s direct assault on safety net programs, we must step up to mitigate H.R. 1’s devastating impacts and ensure access to food,” Lee said.
Lee further warned that due to “onerous administrative hurdles,” people who do meet the work requirements could be at risk of losing CalFresh access.
Work Registration
“Work registration is the general work rule for CalFresh. Most people ages 16 to 59 must register for work unless they qualify for an exemption,” the Los Angeles County website reads.
If someone is eligible for work registration, they may have to accept a “suitable” job if it is offered to them.
Additionally, they cannot quit and have to remain working there for at least 30 hours a week unless there is a “good reason.”
If a work registrant quits their job or works under 30 hours, they may lose their benefits or have them reduced.
But if an individual is aged 61 or older, disabled, in rehab, earning at least the minimum wage income in under 30 hours a week, in school, or getting unemployment or disability benefits, they are exempt.
About CalFresh
CalFresh is California’s version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Approximately 5.4 million Californians, including 260,000 Los Angeles County residents, utilize the program.
The statewide program provides food assistance to families or individuals whose monthly incomes are at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Californians who are students, disabled, elderly, or who receive Supplemental Security Income or State Supplementary Payment can also apply.
The Trump administration is causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans.
On a global scale the number of is in the hundreds of thousands. When this admin is done, those numbers could skyrocket into the millions. Who is next? You? Me? Your parents or children? 955 days “and change” remain for those who are keeping track (or care). Extremely sad.
What an over reaction, what is so unreasonable about this?
“The new requirements apply to beneficiaries aged 18 to 64 without disabilities who don’t have a dependent under the age of 14.
To keep their assistance longer than three months in a three-year time frame, these individuals are now required to either work, attend school, job training, or volunteer 20 hours a week.
Those who are caregivers, pregnant, or experiencing physical or mental illness are still freed from these requirements. “
Only a moron wouldn’t realize that people will die from this decision.
The same sociopaths who complain incessantly about the homeless think that policies that make people homeless are perfectly reasonable.