Cassidie Bates, Author at Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Breaking Down the Proposed Changes to CalFresh/SNAP

February 7, 2020 By Cassidie Bates

If you’ve turned on the news lately, you’ve probably heard about cuts to SNAP (knowns as CalFresh in California, or “food stamps”). We’ve broken things down to help you better understand recent legislation and their implications on hunger and the Food Bank. Changes made at the federal level hurt the people we serve at the local level.

Public Charge:

WHEN does Public Charge come up? The Public Charge Assessment happens when a person: applies to enter the US, applies to adjust status to become a Lawful Permanent Resident (obtaining a green card), or a green card holder leaves the US for more than 180 consecutive days (6 months) and reenters. Most immigrants are not eligible for public benefits for up to 5 years; the new Public Charge rule would determine if this individual would likely use public benefits when in the US, based on certain criteria.

WHICH public benefits are examined? Utilizing the following public benefits could make a recipient subject to the Public Charge Test: CalFresh (SNAP)/Food Stamps, CalWorks (TANF/Cash Aid), Medicaid*, and Housing Assistance (Public Housing, Section 8, Rental Assistance). Those who would be impacted by this rule change are individuals deemed by the Public Charge Test to be more likely than not to receive public benefits for a cumulative 12 months or longer during a 36-month period. Two separate benefits (such as SNAP and housing assistance) used during the same month, count as 2 months out of the 12 months, and so on.

WHEN and WHERE does this happen? This is a federal proposal and would impact Californians who are enrolled in the public benefits listed above and are seeking to change their immigration status on or after February 24, 2020.

Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD):

What does ABAWD mean? If a person is determined to be able-bodied and does not have any dependents, their CalFresh benefits could be limited to 3 months in a 36-month period. Someone may fall into this category if they are between the ages of 18 and 49, they do not have any children living in their household, and they are not working 20 hours a week or more. A person who matches those standards, may be exempt if they are homeless, pregnant, in school, or receiving disability-related income– just to name a few exemptions.

When would the ABAWD Time Limit start? Currently, the final ABAWD rule was published on December 4, 2019 by the Federal government and it will take effect in almost every California county on April 1, 2020, UNLESS a court case can be brought against this ruling before April. The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano is supporting litigation in opposition to this rule due to the negative impact this would have on the community members we serve.

Categorical Eligibility:

What is Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (BBCE): BBCE provides states the ability to streamline benefits and adjust the gross income eligibility requirements to make SNAP most responsive to the living standards of those in that state. Broad-based categorical eligibility allows states to look at the income requirements of people who are starting to earn more money and see whether or not the expenses they have for basics, like rent and childcare are leaving them enough money to budget for food. The federal cutoff to qualify for SNAP is an income at or below 130% of the federal poverty line; yet with BBCE, California has been able to let those with a gross income at or below 200% of the federal poverty line to be eligible for benefits. This is due to the high cost of living in California, compared to other states. The proposal would eliminate BBCE and apply the same income requirements (130% of the federal poverty line) to all individuals in all states.

Who: The Administration estimates 3.1 million people would lose their current access to SNAP. Currently, 12% of American households are food insecure, meaning they don’t have “consistent access to sufficient food.” SNAP serves 40 million people annually in the US; to qualify, your gross annual income is 130% or lower than the federal poverty line ($33,000/year for a family of 4). In California, 120,000 households, who are living between 130-200% of the federal poverty line would be impacted. Additionally, categorical eligibility allows families who are already eligible for other means-tested programs and children who are in SNAP households to receive free and reduced lunch. This proposal would eliminate the automatic enrollment and states would need to allocate staff to review separate applications for SNAP, free and reduced lunch and other means-tested programs.

Where and When: This is a nationwide policy, impacting Californians who receive SNAP (CalFresh) and meet the new income qualifications. Public comments were due on September 23, 2019. The USDA will most likely propose an official rule sometime in 2020.

Standard Utility Allowance:

What is the proposal: The Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) refers to the current SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) policy that takes into account the utility expenses of each SNAP household. This proposal would result in regulatory changes in how SNAP benefits are calculated. States currently have the option to use a designated allowance, approved by the USDA, in place of the actual utility costs to calculate a household’s utility expenses. The proposal eliminates a state’s ability in determining the appropriate dollar amount for those expenses, based upon the relevant living conditions of that state’s residents. Each state would utilize a uniform national allowance, which is projected to be lower than the actual utility cost for many Californians.

Who is impacted: This rule would impact any CalFresh recipient in California, and SNAP recipients nationwide, if it goes into effect. This proposal could disproportionately impact households with persons who are disabled or seniors. Typically, households with these populations yield higher utility expenses, due to the usage of household medical equipment, for example. The Administration estimates that if this rule takes effect, approximately 19% of SNAP households nationwide would get lower monthly SNAP benefits than they currently receive.

When would this take effect: This rule could take effect sometime in 2020. Currently, the USDA is reviewing public and organizational comments that were due on December 2, 2019.

What is the rationale for this proposal: The USDA published on October 3, 2019, that this proposed rule would cut SNAP benefits to save the program $4.5 billion over 5 years.

If you are interested in helping with our advocacy efforts, please contact Cassidie at [email protected].

Food Bank Responds to Harmful Able Bodied Without Dependents (ABAWD) Rule

December 4, 2019 By Cassidie Bates

The USDA’s newest cut to CalFresh will increase hunger in Contra Costa and Solano Counties

Today, the federal government published a final rule that will significantly cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps and known as CalFresh in California). The rule imposes harsh time limitations for adults without dependents – impacting some 700,000 SNAP recipients, the biggest cut to food assistance since the 1996 Welfare Reform Act.

Hunger impedes any human’s ability to focus, work and thrive…when any one person in our neighborhood is hungry, our entire community feels the impact. This cut to CalFresh not only eliminates current participants from receiving CalFresh benefits but it also places harmful restrictions on the entire CalFresh eligibility process

For Contra Costa County, this comes on the heels of the September 1st, 2019 reinstallation of the time limit rule that applies to a specific population of the SNAP/CalFresh recipient population. A person within this classification may be subjected to a three-month time limit during a period of three years while they’re on CalFresh benefits unless they are determined to have an eligible exemption. The federal ruling, posted on December 4th, 2019, has additional ramifications for CalFresh state and nation-wide.

We are on the frontlines of hunger every day and know that taking food assistance away won’t make it easier for people to find work. In fact, hunger is the enemy of concentration and focus – making it harder to find and hold down a job. The people that this rule targets already face well-documented barriers to work like lack of access to adequate transportation and affordable housing, criminal records that make it difficult to qualify for jobs, and undiagnosed physical and mental illnesses. These are members of our community that we should support, not make hungrier and more vulnerable by taking their vital food benefits away.

The publication of this rule comes despite the 2018 Farm Bill, which was passed with historic bipartisan support and rejected such limitations to the SNAP program. The Administration’s publication of this rule goes against Congress, our mission as a food bank, and our decency as a united community that no one should go hungry in America.

While this rule is said to incentivize employment, the rule targets people with well-documented barriers to work like the lack of adequate transportation and undiagnosed physical or mental illnesses.

Under the rule, individuals deemed to have ABAWD status will only be able to access CalFresh benefits for three months within a 36-month time period. CalFresh is often the only support they are eligible to receive, and the rule will force them deeper into hunger.

We are still analyzing the final rule, which is significantly different than the proposed rule, but we believe it will still result in unprecedented cuts to the country’s most successful anti-hunger program.

About hunger:

In Contra Costa County, 10.1% of residents experience hunger MAP HERE
In Solano County, 12.6% of residents experience hunger MAP HERE
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano serves 178,000 community-members each month
In California, 11.2% of residents experience food insecurity

For every meal provided by California’s food banks, CalFresh proves nine. There is simply no way that California’s statewide network of food banks will be able to fill the gap to food access that this rule change will create.

The rule change is pending a 60-day waiting period. For now, those subject to the ABAWD rule can continue accessing benefits, as usual, anyone with questions should contact the Food Bank. Most provisions of the rule are slated to take effect on April 1, 2020, unless Congress or the courts act to stop or delay it.

This is the third proposed cut to CalFresh this year, with USDA also proposing to cut Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility that primarily harms children and working families, and the Standard Utility Allowance that disproportionately impacts older adults and people with disabilities.

We urge all CalFresh participants and community members concerned about this to call 925-849-8361 and visit www.foodbankccs.org/abawd.

Child Nutrition Reauthorization vital to fighting child hunger

August 27, 2019 By Cassidie Bates

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Urges Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris to support efforts to close the summer child hunger gap which impacts over 2 Million children in California.

We realize summer is coming to end and most kids are back in school, but there is important legislation we want everyone to be aware of. Congress has a chance to help feed hungry children next summer and beyond with the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization process by improving access to summer meals sites, providing summer grocery cards, and allowing alternate delivery models in areas where kids are not able to access the other programs.

More than 22 million children nationally receive free or reduced-price lunch during the school year, yet a mere 17% of them access free meals in summer through the Summer Food Service Program. What this translates to is 2,139,517 children in California who are at an especially high risk of going hungry during summertime.

We are on the front lines of the fight against child hunger in Contra Costa and Solano counties in California and we see how hunger affects a child’s growth, ability to learn and their health. Every child deserves to have access to enough food whether school is in session or not.

The school districts in Contra Costa and Solano counties work hard to provide food to children in our community, but they are burdened by administrative rules that make it hard to operate summer meal sites. The reality is some children cannot access a summer meal because of geographic and transportation obstacles, which is why we support expanding nutrition programs to allow for summer grocery cards and alternate delivery models to give children in need equitable access to meals no matter where they live.

Congress can help by streamlining how summer and after school programs work together, which will result in the ability to feed more children in need. We urge our senators to support the following three bills that would help us ensure every child has access to the nutritious meals they need to grow, learn and thrive.

Hunger Free Summer for Kids Act of 2019 (S.1918): Introduced by John Boozman (R-AR), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and John Hoeven (R-ND)
Summer Meals Act of 2019 (S.1908): Introduced by Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 2019 (S.1941): Introduced by Patty Murray (D-WA)

Make YOUR voice heard by calling your senators at (202) 224-3121 and encourage them to support these three bills.

We thank you for your consideration and support,

Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano

Get the Facts About Public Charge (English/Español)

August 16, 2019 By Cassidie Bates

WHAT is Public Charge and why is it a hot topic right now? Public Charge has been an aspect of US Immigration Law for over 100 years and is part of what allows immigration officials to determine who is granted visas, green cards, and citizenship. An announced change to Public Charge (Department of Homeland Security: Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds) was published by the Trump Administration on Wednesday, August 14^th. The proposed changes would allow federal officials to deny green cards to legal immigrants who are LIKELY IN THE FUTURE to receive certain public benefits.

WHEN does Public Charge come up? The Public Charge Assessment happens when a person: applies to enter the US, applies to adjust status to become a Lawful Permanent Resident (obtaining a green card), or a green card holder leaves the US for more than 180 consecutive days (6 months) and reenters. Most immigrants are not eligible for public benefits for up to 5 years; the new Public Charge rule would determine if individuals would likely use Public Benefits when in the US, based on certain criteria.

WHICH Public Benefits are examined? Utilizing the following public benefits could make a recipient subject to the Public Charge Test: CalFresh (SNAP)/Food Stamps, CalWorks (TANF/Cash Aid), Medicaid*, and Housing Assistance (Public Housing, Section 8, Rental Assistance). Those who would be impacted by this rule change are individuals, deemed by the Public Charge Test, to be more likely than not to receive public benefits for a cumulative 12 months or longer during a 36-month period. Two separate benefits (such as SNAP and housing assistance) used during the same month, count as 2 months out of the 12 months.

WHO is NOT affected? Public Charge does NOT affect everyone. The following individuals are not subject to the Public Charge Test: Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) who are applying for citizenship, Active-Duty Service members and their spouses and kids, recipients of Children’s Health Insurance Program, users of Medicaid who are either pregnant or children*, Medicare Part D (prescription drug subsidy program) recipients, WIC recipients, Pell Grant recipients, Refugees, Asylees, individuals with Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, VAWA self-petitioners, U or T visa applicants/holders, and certain parolees.

WHAT is the Public Charge Test criteria? The test would take into account: age, health, family status, financial resources, education, and skills. Immigration officials would grant a positive and a negative score for an individual in each section when making their determination of the Public Charge Test results.

WHEN and WHERE does this happen? This is a federal proposal and therefore would impact Californians who are enrolled in the public benefits listed above and are seeking to change their immigration status on or after October 15th, 2019. This proposal was posted by the Trump Administration on Wednesday, August 14th and will be officially published on October 15th, unless litigation prevents publication. Any public benefit that one applies for or uses ON or AFTER October 15th, 2019 could subject one to the Public Charge Test. Any benefit usage or application to change immigration status submitted prior to October 15th, 2019 will NOT be subjected to the Public Charge Test.

WHAT is changing from the current Public Charge rule?: This new proposal is forward-looking, meaning the assessment will judge if an individual is more likely than not to rely on public assistance in the future. Additionally, more types of public benefits would be taken into consideration by immigration officials.

Next steps for those impacted?: Remember the rule is not yet finalized and litigation may prevent it from becoming law prior to October 15th, 2019. Each person and their set of circumstances is unique and advice given to one individual doesn’t apply to all; seek advice from professionals and immigration attorneys. Continue using the benefits you and your family need to remain healthy, strong and employable. Engage in community education to know your rights and become knowledgeable about what you can do. REMEMBER: THIS PUBLIC CHARGE TEST WOULD NOT LOOK AT BENEFITS USED BEFORE OCTOBER 15TH, 2019. This will affect those who apply to change their immigration status (in one of the above categories) on or after October 15th, 2019 and are deemed likely to use public benefits in the future when they’d be eligible.

Questions? Contact Cassidie Bates at [email protected] or 925-334-2766.

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Estimado Socio Comunitario,

El Banco de Comida del Condado de Contra Costa y Solano y nuestras agencias asociadas son una red basada en la comunidad, que proporciona alimentos a las personas necesitadas, sin importar su estatus legal. Al trabajar con nuestras agencias asociadas, organizaciones gubernamentales y la comunidad filantrópica, ponemos alimentos a la disposición de las personas a través de las agencias comunitarias a las que servimos y las distribuciones directas de alimentos que operamos.

Desafortunadamente, el clima en la actualidad ha causado confusión y miedo a las personas a las que servimos, especialmente en nuestras comunidades inmigrantes. Les pido su ayuda para que la comunidad tome conciencia de que nosotros como organización privada sin fines de lucro, el Banco de Comida no está obligado a informar el estatus legal de las personas a las que servimos y nunca compartirá información personal con las autoridades de inmigración. Tomamos un reporte de la cantidad de personas a las que servimos para poder informar a la comunidad como estamos combatiendo el hambre, pero nunca compartiremos los nombres de las personas quien reciben comida en nuestras organizaciones.

El Banco de Comida también ayuda a las personas a llenar solicitudes para el programa CalFresh, la respuesta más eficaz de nuestra nación para combatir el hambre. Cuando el personal de CalFresh del Banco de Comida proporciona asistencia con la solicitud, enviamos esa información al departamento correspondiente en el condado.

Continuamos sirviendo a 178,000 personas cada mes que necesiten asistencia alimentaria. Nos preocupa que los temores de acciones inminentes a gran escala impidan que las personas obtengan la ayuda que necesitan. Es importante que las personas entiendan que respetamos su privacidad y que estamos para ayudarlos a obtener la asistencia alimentaria que sus familias necesitan. El Banco de Comida es parte de una comunidad que se preocupa por los demás. Ayúdenos a combatir el hambre en nuestras comunidades más necesitadas.

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