The California Department of Social Services has issued clarification regarding notices of action terminating, denying or changing benefits for failure to provide required verification. Before denying or terminating a household for failure to provide verification, the county must give the household a Request for Verification (CW 2200) form and must give at least 10 days from the request to provide the verification.
If the household fails to provide required verification after the county sends a CW 2200, the county must send an adverse notice of action. That notice of action must individually list what verification the household failed to provide. This applies whether one or multiple verifications are missing.
The county can only send an adverse notice of action for failure to provide mandatory verification. If the household does not provide verification for certain expenses but the county determines that the household is eligible for CalFresh without deducting the expense, the county must approve the case without the deduction.
Counties can only request verification of shelter costs if questionable. If a household claims heating and/or cooling costs, or other utility costs, and a bill is not available, the county must accept the applicant or recipient’s statement as verification. Counties must use the standard medical deduction for households that verify between $35.01 and $155 per month in medical expenses. Household that verify medical expenses over $155 may deduct actual expenses. (ACIN I-33-21, April 26, 2021.)