CalFresh changes to reporting requirements

CDSS has provided implementing instructions for changes to federal regulations regarding reporting requirements.  For periodic reporting, any increase in unearned income that is less than $100 will be disregarded.  All unearned income increases must still be reported on the SAR 7 form.  However, any unearned income increases that is less than $100 reported on the SAR 7 will be disregarded.  In the future, the amount of unearned income increase that is disregarded will be adjusted annually and will be rounded to the nearest $25.

For mandatory mid-period reports, income increases over the Income Reporting Threshold (IRT) must be reported within 10 days of receipt of the first payment attributable to the change, that is, the first payment that places the household over the IRT.  For mandatory mid-period reporting of a drop in ABAWD work hours below 20 hours per week, the household must report within 10 days of the date the drop in ABAWD work hours becomes known to the household.

Federal regulations now specify that counties must send a reminder notice to households that do not submit a complete SAR 7 form by the filing date.  If a household fails to submit a complete SAR 7 report by the 5th of the month, the county must provide a reminder notice advising that household that it has 10 days to submit a complete SAR 7.  This includes failure to submit a SAR 7 at all and submitting a SAR 7 by the due date but the SAR 7 is missing required information.  CDSS developed a new reminder notice for this purpose.  If the household does not respond within 10 days, the county will send the appropriate notice of action.  (ACL 18-18, February 16, 2018.)