The Social Security Administration has issued a new form to request payment continuation, that is, that benefits continue while reconsideration or a hearing is pending. The form is called the SSA-792. It is a mandatory form to request payment continuation. (Social Security letter, June 18, 2025.)
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Stephen Goldberg
2025 SUN Bucks program
The California Department of Social Services has provided information about the 2025 SUN Bucks program. SUN Bucks provides nutrition benefits to families with school age children during the summer.
The 2025 SUN Bucks eligibility period is July 1 to September 2, 2025. CDSS will begin mailing EBT Cards in June. Cards will be mailed to the address on file in CALPADS or CalSAWS. The benefit is $120 per child. Each child in home will get a separate EBT card.
Children are eligible for SUN Bucks if:
- They are ages 6-18 and categorically eligible. Categorically eligible is if they are eeceiving assistance under CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]), or are In foster care, homeless, migrant, in Head Start, and a runaway.
- They are enrolled in a National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP)-participating school and are categorically eligible, certified to receive Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FRPM), otherwise determined eligible to receive FRPM; or determined eligible through a Universal Benefits Application (UBA); or.
- They are enrolled in a special provision school, and categorically eligible, otherwise meet the requirements to receive FRPM; or determined eligible through an UBA.
Children are eligible for streamlined application, and are automatically eligible if they are ages 6-18 who and categorically eligible, or ages 0-22 attending an NSLP/SBP-participating school and certified for FRPM
Children who are not automatically eligible must complete a school meals application with their school or a Universal Benefits Application on the California Department of Education website by September 2.
SUN Bucks benefits are expunged 122 days after funds are loaded onto the EBT card and cannot be restored.
Families can get assistance about SUN Bucks by calling the Helpline at (877) 328-9677. This includes not receiving a card by the end of August, replacement of a lost or stolen card, and disputes about eligibility.
Families may be eligible for replacement SUN Bucks in case of family misfortune such as a power outage lasting four hours or more, or a disaster. Families must report the loss to the Helpline within 10 days.
SUN Bucks does not affect eligibility for CalFresh or other nutrition programs. (ACWDL, May 14, 2025.)
New ABAWD forms
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued two new forms for CalFresh ABAWD requirements. The new CF 887 is an optional form to verify an individual’s physical or mental unfitness to work when it is not obvious or is considered questionable. This form may be used to determining exemptions from the ABAWD time limit, work registration, or the student eligibility rule.
The new CF 888 is an optional form to verify volunteer work hours for non-exempt ABAWDs. ABAWDs may engage in community service or volunteer work to satisfy the ABAWD work requirement. ABAWDs must verify their participation hours, and this form will verify that participation. (ACL 25-34, May 14, 2025.)
ABAWD waiver now ends on January 31, 2026
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has informed counties that the United States Department of Agriculture rescinded California’s two-year waiver of the CalFresh Able Bodied Adults Without Dependants (ABAWD) requirements. In its place, the United States Department of Agriculture issued a new one year waiver of the ABAWD requirements that expires on January 31, 2026.
The ABAWD rule is that CalFresh recipients between the ages of 18 and 54 with no children and who is not disabled, are limited to three months of CalFresh benefits every three years unless they are working at least 20 hours per week or 8 hours per month.
Regardless of the status of the waiver, counties must: identify ABAWDs, screen for exemptions, inform participants of the ABAWD and work rules, and track and report work registrant, ABAWD, and Employment and Training data. (ACL 25-41, June 13, 2025.)
CalWORKs MBSAC increase
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has informed counties that the CalWORKs Minimum Basic Standard of Care (MBSAC) will increase by 3.42% effective July 1, 2025. This is an annual cost of living increase. This will increase the MBSAC in Region 1 to $930 for a 1 one-person assistance unit, $1,526 for a two-person assistance unit, $1,892 for a 3 person assistance unit and increasing with increases in assistance unit size. The MBSAC for Region 2 will increase to $882 for a 1 one person assistance unit, $1,449 for a 2 person assistance unit, $1,795 for a 3 person assistance unit and increasing with increases in assistance unit size.
The MBSAC is the maximum income before deductions that a family can have to be eligible for CalWORKs.
The same increase will apply to the MBSAC for Refugee Cash Assistance, Entrant Cash Assistance and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program. The same increase will apply to the CalWORKs Income in-kind level, which is the maximum amount of in kind income that is counted against the grant. (ACL 25-36, June 10, 2024.)
Increase in CalWORKs vehicle value limit
The California Department of Social Services has informed counties that the vehicle value for the CalWORKs program increases to $33, 499 effective July 1, 2025. This increase also applies to Refugee Cash Assistance, Entrant Cash Assistance, and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP). The vehicle value is the amount of the value of a vehicle that does not count toward the program resource limit. (ACL 25-37, May 30, 2025.)