12.21.2012 This morning USDA released “Reaching Those In Need: State SNAP Participation Rates in 2010.” Although California’s participation rate rose from 49 percent in 2009 to 55 percent in 2010, California continues to have the lowest SNAP participation in the nation.
Data from 2010 reflects the U.S. during the heart of the economic recession. Although California counties experienced high increases in caseloads, because of the economic downturn, a growing number of people were also newly eligible for benefits. California also ranked last in participation rates among working poor households; only 42 percent of eligible households with income from earnings participated.
Recent policy changes can increase access to CalFresh among working households, but those policy changes, which include a move to semi-annual reporting and the end of a finger imaging requirement, occurred after 2010. There are still a number of additional strategies that California should employ to improve participation. These include in-reach strategies to simplify CalFresh applications for likely-eligible participants of other public benefit programs, developing statewide standards to streamline CalFresh enrollment, and ensuring that CalFresh is a critical component accompanying health care, health coverage, and healthy lifestyles.
CFPA is committed to improving the CalFresh participation rate and transforming the state into a leading model. In addition to legislative and administrative advocacy, CFPA is a founding member of a coalition of nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving CalFresh.
Highlights from the report include:
- Nationally, 75 percent of eligible people in the U.S. received SNAP in FY 2010
- 44 million people received benefits in an average month in 2011
- 18 million people (41%) lived in households with income from earnings.
- In California, 42 percent of the working poor participated in SNAP, ranking California the last state in participation among working poor households.
Read USDA’s report, Reaching Those In Need, 2010 link
Read CFPA’s CalFresh goals link
Learn about the Alliance to Transform CalFresh.
Founding members include the CA Association of Food Banks (CAFB), CA Family Resource Association, CA Food Policy Advocates and Catholic Charities of CA United. Link
