The County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA) strongly supports the reversal of the SSI Cash-out that was enacted as part of the 2018-19 budget to provide CalFresh benefits to individuals who were previously ineligible for the program due to receipt of SSI benefits. This momentous change will increase the food and economic security of an estimated 370,000 Californians. We also support the development of the Supplemental Nutrition Benefit (SNB) and Transitional Nutrition Benefit (TNB) programs to mitigate the negative impacts on existing CalFresh households who will experience a benefit reduction or loss due to the inclusion of the SSI recipient in the CalFresh household, as well as making the SNB and TNB programs permanent for existing CalFresh households as proposed in the Governor’s Budget. In conjunction with county and Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) consortia staff, CWDA has worked tirelessly and in partnership with the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and other advocacy organizations to prepare for SSI Cash-out reversal implementation on June 1, 2019.

Unfortunately, the county administrative costs of implementing the reversal of SSI Cash-out are understated for 2019-20 in the proposed Governor’s Budget. CWDA requests your support for an additional $15.4 million General Fund (GF) ($5.3 million one-time) to support the significant workload associated with the estimated 10 percent increase in CalFresh caseload that will result from SSI Cash-out reversal and with the new SNB and TNB programs.

Download the SSI Cash-Out Reversal budget memo – February 28, 2019