Here is the updated (as of 4/08) Disaster Food Stamp guide, and the new (effective October 1, 2008) benefits charts. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
calfresh | food stamps
ACIN I-95-08: CalWORKs And Food Stamp: Impacts Of Social Security COLA Effective December 1, 2008 (12/17/08)
Social Security recipients will receive a 5.8 percent cost-of-living increase in their Social Security benefits effective December 1, 2008, payable January 2009. For new applicants in both the CalWORKs and FS programs, the actual amount of the Social Security benefit, including the increase, shall be used for eligibility and budgeting purposes beginning with the month of January 2009.
For CalWORKs and FS households currently in the October, November, and December quarter, the County Welfare Department (CWD) will reasonably anticipate the increase in the SSA income. This means that starting with the QR Data month of November 2008, the SSA COLA will be reasonably anticipated to be received in the QR Payment Quarter of January/February/March 2009. counties shall take mid-quarter actions based on SSA COLAs. Since the SSA COLA is effective December 2008 and payable in January, counties are to take a mid-quarter county-initiated action to decrease benefits effective January 1, 2009.
The requirements for a timely and adequate Notice of Action shall apply. [Download]
ACIN I-92-08: Indigent Sponsored Noncitizen Reporting (12/12/08)
Just reporting a change in address for sending referrals of indigent sponsored noncitizens. (A sponsored noncitizen is considered “indigent” if the sum of the sponsored noncitizen’s household’s own income and any cash or in-kind assistance provided by the sponsor or others is less than 130 percent of the federal poverty level. [Download]
ACIN I-83-08: Nonassistance Food Stamp Restricted Account Coversheet And Agreement (12/3/08)
California implemented a Farm Bill option on Restricted Accounts (“RA”) on November 1, 2006 with the release of All County Letter 06-31. This letter transmits new Food Stamp RA forms, for use with Nonassistance Food Stamp (NAFS) households. County Welfare Departments no longer need to rely on the CalWORKs RA forms to establish RA accounts for NAFS households. [Download]
ACIN I-57-08E: Food Stamp Program (FSP) Policy Interpretation Procedures-Rotation Schedule For County Questions (10/17/08)
The attachment to this letter includes a corrected rotation chart for FRAT (Food Stamp Review and Advisory Team) members who are to be contacted by counties with policy questions and issues. [Download]
ACIN I-80-08: ABAWD Statewide Waiver for FFY 2009 (10/17/08)
Yippee! The Food and Nutrition Service has approved a statewide waiver of the Able-Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) work requirement. The waiver would last for a one-year period beginning October 1, 2008 and ending September 30, 2009. The ABAWD work requirement would be waived for all counties within California, unless a county declines to participate. Counties wanting to decline the waiver would need to get Board approval and send that to DSS before the end of November. [Download]