Starting with the recession of about a decade ago, the number of food stamp recipients in California surged, doubling to over 4-million by 2015. But there’s been a downward trend of about 400,000 over the last couple of years, including in Nevada County. Social Services Director Mike Dent says the number of residents signed up has dropped by over one-thousand, in the last year and a half, to 7,222 in June…
The Affordable Care Act expanded Medi-Cal eligibility, including income qualifications for food stamps, now known as CalFresh. A family of 4 earning less than $4,042 a month is generally eligible. Dent says that still leaves over 12,000 residents who qualify, with Nevada County having one of the lowest participation rates in the state. He says while many people may still not be aware that they’re eligible, there is still a stigma attached…
Dent also says about 20% of Californians are inadvertently kicked off the program because they didn’t file the paperwork needed for renewal.
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