After 8 Years - A Food Stamp ABAWD Victory in California

 

For the past 8 years, nutrition advocates in California have fought to mitigate the punitive impact of the time limits placed on “ABAWDS” in the 1996 federal welfare bill. For many years (with the exception of some brief help in the Central Valley during the citrus freeze in 1998), the state refused to use a valuable tool to keep ABAWDs fed:  the “ABAWD waiver”.  As a result, ABAWD participation in the Food Stamp Program plummeted.

 

Advocates were persistent.  In 2001, we were able to get the state to allow counties to apply for waivers at a county option (they had to affirmatively vote to “opt-in” within a specific time frame).  This new policy was much better, but it came with significant hassles, and as a result, eligible people and counties still continued to lose millions in ABAWD food stamp benefits. 

 

But now, thanks to persistent legislative efforts, the situation is reversed.  The legislature has passed SB 68, the Human Services Budget Trailer Bill (see section 37 from the bill below).  Eligible counties will be given the waivers automatically each year!  This is tremendous progress and will ensure continued nutritional support for tens of thousands of low-income Californians each year. 

 

So please take a moment to celebrate this hard-earned victory.  Another food stamp barrier in California has been knocked down.