FACT SHEET

Summary of Issue
As of January 1, 2010, the Alameda County Social Services Agency (ACSSA) is imposing a three-month time limit on
“employable” recipients of General Assistance (GA). In addition, ACSSA has already implemented several
devastating GA cuts. First, GA recipients without Medi-Cal have had $40 deducted from their grant. Second, those
who share housing have had their grant cut further: 15% if they share with 1 person, 20% if they share with 2 people,
and 25% if they share with 3 or more people. Finally, if the GA recipient’s rent exceeds the benefit amount after these
deductions, the housing allotment is subtracted from the grant, leaving the recipient with as little as $68 per month.

Background on General Assistance

GA is a county-funded program that provides a maximum monthly cash grant of $336 for a single person. To be
eligible for GA in Alameda County, an individual must have no other means of support and must participate in
employment service activities. All GA money is considered a loan and recipients must sign a reimbursement
agreement as a condition of eligibility.

Implications for Alameda County

Starting January 2010, “employable” individuals will be ineligible for GA benefits after receiving the benefit for three
months. In 1997, Alameda County implemented a three-month time limit, which it later discontinued due to its harmful
effects. A survey of 181 GA recipients who lost benefits during that time found that within two months after being
time-limited off GA,

• 29 % were forced to move, 20% who moved became homeless

• 57% also lost their food stamps
• 53% of reported that they went hungry for at least one day in the last week
• 18% experienced a health decline
• 85% remained unemployed and therefore had no source of income to meet their basic needs

Economically fragile families and the general community also suffered the effects of the GA time limit:
• 20% of survey respondents lived in fixed-income households where they previously paid at least half of their
GA check towards rent and now paid no rent.
• Among time-limited GA recipients, there was a 16% increase in felony arrests, a 116% increase in
misdemeanor arrests and a 133% increase in parole violations.

New Cuts and Time Limits Today

There is strong evidence that the impact of GA time limits will be even more serious today. GA recipients are already
struggling to cope with the medical care and shared housing deductions. The state is facing a $21 billion budget
deficit, and Governor Schwarzenegger has ruled out tax increases to close the gap. Safety net programs that serve GA
recipients, such as Medi-Cal, food stamps, and health care funding for the indigent, will likely be on the chopping
block once again. Given the magnitude of last year’s state budget cuts, the impact of the subprime lending crisis on
tenants, and the recession, now is not the time to impose these severe GA cuts, leaving Alameda County’s most
economically fragile individuals without even modest economic support.

Take Action
It is a difficult year for Alameda County’s budget. However, the financial savings created by imposing the $40 medical
care deduction, the shared housing deduction, and three-month time limits are short-term gains with serious long-term
financial implications. Please take a moment to express your concern about the recent GA cuts and impending three-
month time limit to the members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors.

Address for all Supervisors: Supervisor Nate Miley (510) 272-6694

1221 Oak St., Ste. 536 Supervisor Alice Lai Bitker (510) 272-6693
Oakland, CA 94612 Supervisor Gail Steele (510) 272-6692
Supervisor Scott Haggerty (510) 272-6691
Supervisor Keith Carson (510) 272-6695