SAN DIEGO (CNS) - New federal rules took effect Monday requiring some San Diego County residents who receive CalFresh food benefits to meet work or volunteer requirements to get or keep benefits.
The updated federal rules apply to certain Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, or ABAWDs, who are applying for or renewing CalFresh benefits. Those affected are individuals who:
- Are between 18 and 64 years old
- Are not living with a child under 14
- Do not meet a federal exemption
- Are physically and mentally able to work
- Are not pregnant or disabled
Those affected must show they meet work or volunteer requirements when they apply or complete their annual recertification for CalFresh unless they qualify for an exemption, according to a statement from the county.
"Those subject to the new able-bodied rules may receive only three months of benefits in a three-year period unless they fulfill work or volunteer requirements or qualify for an exemption," the statement read. "Importantly, these rules apply only to the individuals affected, not to the entire household."
County officials urged San Diegans to update their contact information in their BenefitsCal portal, check renewal dates and respond when contacted by the county.
Residents can call the Access Customer Service Call Center at 1-866- 262-9881 with any eligibility questions.
To meet the new requirements, people subject to ABAWD rules must complete at least 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month, of one of the following:
- Work activities, like a job or self-employment
- Community service or volunteer work
- Job training including the CalFresh Employment & Training program
- A combination of these activities
Exemptions apply to children, seniors above the age of 64, the pregnant, those living with a disability and those who identify as an Indian, Urban Indian, or California Indian under the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
More than 100,000 Californians will now need to complete the above requirements to keep benefits.
On Monday, San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and Elizabeth Hernández, the county's interim deputy chief of the Health and Human Services Agency, will announce a new website focused on work, job training, educational and volunteer resources related to the federal changes affecting CalFresh and Medi-Cal eligibility.
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