County social services prepares for October SNAP ABAWD reset; audit largely procedural

Social services staff briefed the committee on an upcoming October 1 reset for able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) that will reopen eligibility for some SNAP recipients and require the office to process new applications and tracking requirements.

"Starting October 1, anyone and everyone can come back and apply for SNAP," a social services official said, describing the administrative lift required to process applications and a three-month disregard period for some claimants; staff said they do not expect a large influx but are prepared to manage increased workload. The official described the most-affected population as single-person, low-dollar cases and estimated monthly case falloff numbers in the hundreds during prior cycles.

The department is also wrapping up a SNAP audit with mainly procedural issues (timing of notices and paperwork checks); staff said the overall audit looked "fairly well" and that they will continue corrective steps on procedural items.