Californians receive additional food stamp benefits during COVID-19 pandemic
By: Trevor Trout, Cambri Guest, and Steven Zlotolow
California residents are receiving extra benefits on their food stamps to cope with the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak, according to the California Association of Food Banks.
The impact of COVID-19 has been devastating around the globe. The ongoing threat to the economy is particularly harmful to those who depend on entitlement programs. In an attempt to help those afflicted, states are introducing changes to food stamps and unemployment benefits.
CalFresh (formerly known as Food Stamps) helps low-income households in California purchase adequate amounts of food. Benefits are deposited via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) to a card that functions like a debit card. CalFresh recipients can use EBT cards at most places that sell food, such as supermarkets and some farmers’ markets.
To help with the unprecedented outbreak of Covid-19, CalFresh recipients who are not already receiving the maximum for their household will receive two Emergency Allotments (EA) on their EBT Card; one on April 12 and one on May 10. As of now, only a household approved to receive CalFresh benefits in March or April will receive an EA.
According to Scott Murray, the director of public affairs at the California Department of Social Services, “[We are] providing emergency allotments to eligible households to help ensure that California children, families, and individuals have access to food during the COVID-19 emergency.”
Murray also said that the Emergency Allotments are available for older adults and people with disabilities who receive Supplemental Security Income.
The value of the EA for each household is determined by subtracting the amount of CalFresh benefits the household is eligible to receive from the maximum benefit amount for eligible recipients in the household, according to The California Department of Social Services.
The extra funding will be automatically loaded to users’ EBT accounts with no paperwork required and will assist over four million Californians. CalFresh applicants can submit their applications in April and be deemed eligible to receive the EA again in May.
Previously, California residents who received CalFresh benefits were not able to buy food online, forcing recipients to purchase food in person at grocery stores. With “safer at home” orders extended, California is one of seven states admitted into a pilot program, allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to purchase food online.
“Enabling people to purchase food online will go a long way in helping Americans follow CDC social distancing guidelines and help slow the spread of the coronavirus,” U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
On March 13th, a federal judge blocked a rule that would have forced nearly one-fourth of recipients off CalFresh in California. The rule change would have required able-bodied adults without children to work at least 20 hours a week in order to qualify for SNAP benefits for more than three months. U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell found the rule change likely unlawful.
“Especially now, as a global pandemic poses widespread health risks, guaranteeing that government officials at both the federal and state levels have flexibility to address the nutritional needs of residents and ensure their well-being through programs like SNAP, is essential,” Howell wrote.
