The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions about AB 2057 regarding CalFresh processing for domestic violence survivors. A domestic violence survivor who is a resident of a shelter and whose current CalFresh household includes the abuser can apply for CalFresh as a separate household and may be eligible for an additional allotment of CalFresh once per month. Shelter residents and their children can be aided as members of the former household and as members of a new household once per month.
If the domestic violence survivor is the head of household, the survivor may ask to close the former CalFresh case that included the abuser. If the request is made is writing or in the presence of an eligibility worker, the change can be made with adequate notice. If the request is made verbally, the county must provide both adequate and timely (10 days) notice.
CDSS must provide shelters with information about CalFresh eligibility for domestic violence survivors. CDSS provided a sample with its instructions.
Domestic survivors are now deferred from mandatory participation in CalFresh Employment and Training. Counties must accept self-attestation of domestic violence unless there is strong evidence that the self-attestation is not credible. (ACL 17-30, April 17, 2017.)