The United States Department of Agriculture  Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has granted a statewide waiver for California of the CalFresh Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit from July 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021.

FNS issued new regulations about when states can be eligible for waivers of the time limit.  Those regulations have been enjoined while litigation continues.  While the injunction is in place, FNS is using the prior regulations to decide waiver requests.  Under the prior regulations, California qualified for a statewide wavier because it now qualifies to extended unemployment benefits.

While the new ABAWD waiver is in effect, counties must 1) screen for exemptions and inform clients of the ABAWD rule, 2) track and report registrant, ABAWD, and Employment and Training data, and 3) sanction CalFresh work registrants who voluntarily quit a job of 30 hours per week or more.

Individuals who were previously discontinued from CalFresh for not meeting the ABAWD work requirement can reapply and be approved for benefits.  (ACL 20-90, August 20, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Service (CDSS) has provided clarification that when determining the amount of a CalFresh overissuance or underissuance, the county must use the CalWORKs and CalFresh amount that the household should have received if the household has correctly reported and the county had taken timely action.  For example, if a household has income that was not considered when determining the CalWORKs and CalFresh grants, the CalFresh overissuance is determined using the corrected amount of CalWORKs as income, that is, the lower CalWORKs grant caused by the increase in income.

ACIN I-16-05 is incorrect and is corrected by this letter.  ACL 03-18 is correct.

Households with established claims as of the release of this letter may request a recalculation using the correct methodology.  (ACIN I-05-16E, August 13, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has notified counties that enrollment in a Puente Project program no longer automatically causes students to be exempt from the CalFresh student eligibility rule.

In general, college students are ineligible for CalFresh.  One exception to that rule is if a student is participating in a program to increase student employability.  This includes programs for students with low-income that are operated by state or local government where at least one component of the program is equivalent to a CalFresh Education and Training Component, such as job retention, job search, work experience, vocational training or on-the-job training.

Puente Project programs are designed to improve the college going rate for educationally underrepresented students. There are Puente Project programs at 65 California Community Colleges.  In 2017, in ACL 17-05, CDSS decided that all Puente Project programs were considered programs to increase employability, and as a result, participating students were exempt from the CalFresh student rule.

CDSS has now decided that not all Puente Project programs meet the definition of a program to increase employability.  As a result, students in Puente Project programs are no longer automatically exempt from the CalFresh student rule.  However, individual Puente Project programs can be approved by CDSS on a case-by-case basis if they provide one or more components that is equivalent to a CalFresh Education and Training program.  If the program is approved, then students in the program will be exempt from the CalFresh student rule. Individual Puente Project programs can request approval using a CDSS request form.

Ongoing CalFresh households that include a student who was exempt from the CalFresh student rule because of participation in a Puente Project program must be reassessed for an exemption from the CalFresh student eligibility rule as soon as possible, but no later than the household’s next semi-annual report or recetification. (ACL 20-34, July 26, 2020.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has notified counties that enrollment in a Puente Project program no longer automatically causes students to be exempt from the CalFresh student eligibility rule.

In general, college students are ineligible for CalFresh.  One exception to that rule is if a student is participating in a program to increase student employability.  This includes programs for students with low-income that are operated by state or local government where at least one component of the program is equivalent to a CalFresh Education and Training Component, such as job retention, job search, work experience, vocational training or on-the-job training.

Puente Project programs are designed to improve the college going rate for educationally underrepresented students. There are Puente Project programs at 65 California Community Colleges.  In 2017, in ACL 17-05, CDSS decided that all Puente Project programs were considered programs to increase employability, and as a result, participating students were exempt from the CalFresh student rule.

CDSS has now decided that not all Puente Project programs meet the definition of a program to increase employability.  As a result, students in Puente Project programs are no longer automatically exempt from the CalFresh student rule.  However, individual Puente Project programs can be approved by CDSS on a case-by-case basis if they provide one or more components that is equivalent to a CalFresh Education and Training program.  If the program is approved, then students in the program will be exempt from the CalFresh student rule. Individual Puente Project programs can request approval using a CDSS request form.

Ongoing CalFresh households that include a student who was exempt from the CalFresh student rule because of participation in a Puente Project program must be reassessed for an exemption from the CalFresh student eligibility rule as soon as possible, but no later than the household’s next semi-annual report or recetification. (ACL 20-34, July 26, 2020.)