Author: Stephen Goldberg

CalFresh Elderly Simplified Application Project extension

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding extension of the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP).  ESAP is federal waivers to allow elderly and disabled CalFresh households to waive recertification interviews, use data matching to reduce needed verifications, extend certification period for up to 36 months, and waive the requirement to contact the household every 12 months, which eliminates the need to send and collect SAR-7 reports.

These waivers apply to households where all members are either elderly (age 60 or older) or disabled with no earned income.  Households that include excluded or ineligible members who are also elderly or disabled are eligible for ESAP.

This is an extension of existing federal waivers until September 30, 2026.  The elimination of periodic reporting is new and is expected to be effective on March 1, 2022 when programming is completed.

When the waiver of periodic reporting becomes effective, ESAP households will still need to complete mandatory mid-period reporting, including gross income over the Income Reporting Threshold during the 36 month-certification period.

The interview waiver allows counties to waive recertification interviews unless the case is set to be denied.  This means there will not be a recertification interview unless requested by the household, the county is going to deny the recertification application, or information provided is questionable, incomplete or contradictory.  An ESAP case cannot be denied at recertification without an attempt to schedule an interview.  Counties must continue to conduct interviews at initial certification for ESAP household except that the initial interview may be waived for other reasons.

The verification waiver means that ESAP households are only required to submit verification of income, non-citizen eligibility, utility expenses, medical expenses, social security numbers, residency, identity, or child support payments if they are questionable.

If a household becomes ineligible for ESAP during the 36-month certification period (for example because of employment or a change in household composition) the county must convert the household to non-ESAP and the household will need to comply with all reporting requirements.  However, the household must complete their 36-month certification period.  The county cannot shorten the certification period once it is assigned.  At the end of the 36-month certification period, the county must determine continuing CalFresh eligibility and whether the household continues to be ineligible for ESAP.  The county must send a written notice to the household when it is converted from ESAP to a regular CalFresh household.  (ACL 20-145, December 29, 2020.)

CAPI application process

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued reminders about the application process for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).

Any person who wants to apply for CAPI must be allowed to do so immediately.  People attempting to apply for CAPI cannot be turned away by the county for any reason.  This is true even if the an applicant is applying in a county they do not reside in.  In that situation, the county must offer to start the application and that the application will be forwarded to the correct county.

Counties cannot dissuade persons from applying for CAPI.  Counties may not issue verbal eligibility decisions and must follow all notice requirements.  Counties may not redirect CAPI applicants to other county offices or agencies until they have made a determination of CAPI eligibility.

Counties must assist applicants as needed to establish CAPI eligibility.  This includes providing required application forms, information on how to obtain required documents, and information about alternative types of documentation.  Counties must provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the application process.

Counties must assist applicants in their preferred language.  CAPI applicants may not be turned away based on unavailability of county staff who speak the applicant’s preferred language.  Counties can use telephone interpreter services.  CAPI applicants can use their own interpreter if the interpreter is at least 18 years old.  Only under extenuating circumstances or at the specific request of the applicant can a minor temporarily act as an interpreter.  Whenever the applicant provides their own interpreter, the county should inform the applicant that they have a right to a free interpreter.

All CAPI forms are available in English, Armenian, Spanish and Chinese on the CDSS website.  Applicants requesting assistance in any other language must be provided with interpretation of CAPI forms in their preferred language.

When a married couple applies for CAPI, each spouse must complete and sign their own application, must be assigned a separate case number, and get separate notices of action.

Counties must accept CAPI applications and documents at any county welfare department office. Applicants may not be redirected to other offices to apply.  County residents who call an office that does not process CAPI applications must be transferred to a county office that does and be given the direct phone number for that office.  Counties with call centers that accept CAPI applications must be given the opportunity to apply over the phone and the application should be sent for processing within 24 hours.  Counties cannot redirect phone applicants to apply in person or by mail.

Members of one of the CAPI consortia must accept CAPI application in-person, by mail or by phone, at any county welfare department office.  Consortium counties cannot direct callers or transfer callers to the lead consortium county.  Applications and forms must be scanned and emailed to the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance or the San Mateo Human Services as appropriate.

Counties must collect a photo id from the applicant.  CAPI applicants who apply based on age must provide evidence of age.  For people who do not have birth certificates, other evidence may be submitted to establish date of birth.

Counties must collect evidence of immigration status.  An applicant who does not have this documentation must still be allowed to apply.  There are many ways to prove immigration status or intent to obtain immigration status for victims of serious crime or trafficking survivors.  Counties must require qualified aliens to apply for SSI and to get evidence of the application or a denial based on immigration status.  Counties must not require an SSI application as a condition of applying for CAPI.  People who are not qualified aliens are not required to apply for SSI to be eligible for CAPI.  Because of COVID-19, verbal attestation of applying for SSI is sufficient until the end of the state of emergency.

All CAPI applicants are usually required have a face-to-face interview.  However, because of COVID-19, interviews can be done electronically until the end of the state of emergency.  (ACL 20-143.)  The interview should be within five days of the application so the county can make an eligibility decision within 30 days.

CAPI applicants under age 65 who have not already been found disabled for purposes of Med-Cal must be evaluated by the Disability Determination Service Division and are not eligible until that evaluation is done unless they are presumptively eligible.  (ACIN I-84-20, November 16, 2020.)

CalFresh reporting responsibilities for substantial lottery or gambling winnings

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding reporting requirements for CalFresh applicants and recipients who receive substantial lottery or gambling winnings.  Households must report receipt of substantial winnings within 10 calendar days of receipt of winnings at any time during the certification period.  This mid-period reporting requirement is in addition to existing mid-period reporting requirements.

Substantial lottery winnings are a cash prize won in a single game, purchase of a ticket, hand, or similar bet, which is equal to or greater than the resource limit for elderly or disabled households, which is currently $3,500.  The dollar amount is determined before taxes or other withholding.  If a household member shared in the purchase of a ticket, hand, or similar bet, with a non-household member, the total portion of the winnings allocated to the household must be considered when determining whether a household is required to report during the certification period.  This reporting requirement applies even if the household immediately spends or loses a substantial portion of the winnings and the remaining winnings are below the resource limit for elderly and disabled households.

The county must verify the winnings, and if the dollar amount is above the resource limit, must discontinue the entire household based on receipt of the winnings.  A household with substantial winnings will remain ineligible until the household’s income and resources do not exceed the resource limit.  This applies to all households, including categorically eligible households where all members receive CalWORKs, general assistance, SSI, and households certified under modified categorical eligibility.

A household may reapply for CalFresh at any time.  The household must not be considered categorically eligible or modified categorical eligible.  Counties must apply the CalFresh gross income, net income and resource test.  This requirement only applies the first time the household is certified following the loss of eligibility.

If the household composition has changed, the household is considered a different household that is treated as any other CalFresh applicant household.

Counties must verbally inform all new and existing households of the new substantial lottery and gambling winnings reporting requirement during the initial certification and recertification interview.  Counties must inform the household that benefits will be discontinued if the household receives substantial winnings during the certification period.  (ACL 20-132, December 11, 2020.)

CAPI date of entry

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) reminds counties that qualified aliens who entered the United States prior to August 22, 1996 can be eligible for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).

Qualified aliens who entered the United States before August 22, 1996 can be eligible for CAPI if the Social Security Administration denied their SSI applications due to immigration status because they were not lawfully residing in the United States on August 22, 1996.  This policy reiterates the 2005 settlement agreement in Jamal Eddin v. Bolton.  (ACIN I-81-20, November 17, 2020.)

New CAPI payment standard

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) transmits the new payment standard for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI).  Effective January, 2021, the 1.3 percent SSI cost of living increase will cause both the SSI/SSP payment standard and the CAPI payment standard to increase.

The cost of living increase will also increase the presumed maximum value for in-kind support and maintenance, the allowance for ineligible children in deeming situations, the sponsor’s allocation in alien deeming situations, and the allowance for parent(s) in parent-to-child seeming situations.  (ACIN I-78-20, November 17, 2020.)

CalFresh verification procedures

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding implementation of AB 79 regarding verification of information for CalFresh.  To the extent permitted by federal law, counties must seek verification via available electronic sources or client statement when allowed, before requiring submission of additional information, use of collateral contacts, or home visits.  Before sending a household request for missing verification, the county must check all available electronic resources to verify the missing information, and use the client statement to the extent allowed by federal law.

Counties must not send a request for missing verification or deny a case based on missing verification, unless they have first checked all available electronic sources or determined whether client statement is an allowable option.  If verification cannot be obtained by electronic sources, and client statement is not an allowable form of verification for the information in question, counties must make the request for information using the CW 2200 Request for Verification form.

Available electronic sources include IEVS, MEDS, SSA, CMIPS, or any other source available to the county.  The Work Number can only be used for verification when confirmed by the household to be accurate.

Counties must accept a client statement as the standard verification for dependent care expenses, and counties cannot seek other verification unless the information provided by the household is questionable.

If a household does not provide verification of certain expenses, or provides questionable information, but the household is eligible for CalFresh without deducting the expense, the county must approve the case without the deduction.

There are other ways to verify information.  For example, residency must be verified to the extent possible, using all documents already provided by a household.

For factors other than mandatory verifications, a client statement must be accepted as verification unless the information provided is questionable.

Counties must accept verbal confirmation from the household whenever client statement is a valid form of verification.  For information that can be verified by client statement and that is not questionable, counties are not required to also check electronic sources, and cannot delay processing of an application, recertification or periodic report by checking electronic resources.

When regulations only allow for verification via client statement under specific circumstances, and all other attempts at verification have failed, counties can use the best available information which can include verbal client statement.

Counties must document in the case record why information provided by a household is questionable before requesting additional information.  Counties cannot require a specific type of verification when verifying questionable information.  (ACL 20-135, December 15, 2020.)