Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD)

ABAWD is an able-bodied CalFresh recipient 18 to 49 years old with no dependent children.

Note: An individual is an ABAWD beginning the month after their 18th birthday and is no longer an ABAWD beginning the first day of the month of their 50th birthday.

ABAWDs are required to meet certain work requirements or participate in approved activities to be eligible for CalFresh, unless they meet an ABAWD exemption. Otherwise, ABAWDs can only receive three months of CalFresh benefits in a 36-month period.

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ABAWD Exemptions

Individuals who are ABAWDs (age18-49), but meet an exemption criteria below are not subject to the ABAWD requirements.

  1. Pregnant
  2. Exempt from CalFresh work registration requirements, which includes any individual who is:
    1. Under 16 or over 59 years of age (note: the work registration age limits are different than the age limits under ABAWD rules).
    2. Physically or mentally unfit for employment.
    3. Subject to and complying with any work requirement under Title IV of the Social Security Act including CalWORKs programs.
    4. A parent of or responsible for the care of a dependent child under age 6 (Note: the child does not have to be a CalFresh member or living in the home for this work registration exemption).
    5. Responsible for the care of an incapacitated person including SSI/SSP or IHSS recipients (Note: the incapacitated person does not have to be a CalFresh household member or living in the home).
    6. Has applied for or is receiving unemployment insurance benefits.
    7. A regular participant in a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation program.Employed or self-employed at least 30 hours per week or receiving weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours.
    8. Enrolled in a school, training program or institution of higher education on at least a half-time basis and meeting CalFresh student eligibility.
  3. Physically or mentally unfit to work (even if temporarily) for one of the following reasons:
    1. Applied/receiving temporary or permanent public or private disability benefits
    2. Obviously unfit or unable to work based on the EW’s observation or if one of the following indicators are present:
      1. Unfit or unable to work due to domestic violence
      2. Unfit or unable to work due to chronic homelessness.
      3. Unfit or unable to work due to alcohol or drug addiction
    3. Medically-certified as physically or mentally unfit or unable to work
  4. Participating in an ORR training program for at least half time.

Related Topics

Vocational Services Program

Workfare

Supervised Job Search

Educational and Vocational Training

Self-Initiated Workfare

Vocational Services and ABAWD Work Requirements

Transportation

External Service Providers