The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued a clarification regarding verification of Social Security Numbers for newborns for CalFresh purposes.  CalFresh recipients may voluntarily report changes in household composition at any time during the certification period, and the change must take effect next month. When the change is reported too late in the month to increase benefits for the next month, , the County must issue supplemental benefits.

All CalFresh applicants must provide their Social Security Number (SSN) or proof of SSN application prior to certification. However, a newborn baby is exempt from this requirement for six months. If the household is unable to provide a SSN or proof of applying for a SSN for a newborn, the County must determine if there is a good cause for non-compliance and, if good cause is found, approve an additional month’s benefit. The County must review information from multiple sources, including the family member and the Social Security Administration, and must accept documentary evidence of the SSN application.

If the household cannot provide an SSN when they apply for CalFresh for the newborn, the child is eligible until the next recertification or six months after the application, whichever is later. If the recertification is earlier, the county must send the family a Request for Verification Form (CW 2200) six months after benefits are granted.  The family will have ten days to respond to the request for verification.  If the recertification is more than six months after benefits are granted, the county must request the child’s SSN during the recertification process.  If the household does not provide the child’s SSN, the child will be excluded from the CalFresh household unless there is good cause for the newborn not having a SSN.

A new baby must be added to the CalFresh program one month after verbal communication of the newborn and date of birth. Counties cannot require the household to complete an application form to add the newborn to the CalFresh household.  (ACIN I-54-22, July 22, 2022.)

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued updates regarding the assessment and approval process of campus based Local Programs that Increase Employability (LPIE) for the CalFresh program.

In general, persons who are enrolled at least half-time in an institution of higher learning are ineligible for CalFresh.  There are several exceptions to this rule which allow college students to be eligible for CalFresh.  One of those exceptions is the student is participating in an employment and training program operated by a state or local government which has one or more components that are equivalent to a CalFresh Employment and Training Component.  Those components include Adult Basic Education, Career & Technical Education, English Language Acquisition, Work Readiness Training, and Work Experience.  CDSS determines whether a state or local program qualifies under this definition.

Campus based programs that meet these requirements must submit an application to CDSS on or before September 1, 2022.  Counties will no longer participate in the process of identifying campus based LPIEs. CDSS has a list of approved programs on its website.  After September 1, 2022, the list will be updated monthly to identify new programs, newly qualifying programs and previously approved programs that no longer meet the criteria.

CDSS has determined that Campus Based Employment and Research and Teaching Assistantship Program always meet the criteria for being considered LPIEs and therefore students in those programs are eligible for CalFresh benefits.  Students enrolled in Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act will continue to eligible because those students have a different exemption from the student rule.

Programs at private institutions are no longer eligible for LPIE status because the programs must be operated by a state or local government.  Previously approved programs at private institutions are removed from the approved list effective September 1, 2022.  Students who are already enrolled in those programs and are receiving CalFresh on that basis must remain eligible for the length of their certification period.  Student eligibility status must be reassessed at the student’s next recertification.

Most state-funded and foster youth programs previously approved as LPIEs will be removed from the approved list.  These programs will need to be individually assessed and approved as meeting the criteria to be LPIEs.  Programs that were previously approved that now must be individually identified and assessed as having a component equivalent to a CalFresh Education and Training component include:  Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS), Educational Opportunity Program (EOP),  Disabled Students Programs and Services (DSPS) & Student Academic Services (SAS), Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE) Program, McNair Scholars Program, Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URM) Program, Guardian Scholars Program, Foster Youth Success Initiative (FYSI), Cooperating Agencies Foster Youth Educational Support (CAFYES), Chafee Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program, and Extended Foster Care (AB 12/AB 212).  Students who are already enrolled in those programs and are receiving CalFresh on that basis must remain eligible for the length of their certification period.  Student eligibility status must be reassessed at the student’s next recertification.

Students who are enrolled in a LPIE should be informed by their campus that they meet an exception to the student eligibility rule.  If a student states, verbally or in writing, that they are enrolled in a program that is on the list of approved LPIEs, counties should exempt the student from the student rule unless that information is questionable.  If the information is questionable, acceptable verification can include, a transcript, an email from an instructor, verbal affirmation from a campus official, or  targeted outreach emails from campuses to LPIE enrollees.  If a program does not appear on the LPIE list, counties must explore whether the student is enrolled in another LPIE or meets another exemption from the student rule before determining that the student is ineligible for CalFresh.  (ACL 22-46, June 3, 2022.)

The California Department of Social Services has issued instructions regarding changes in expungement of CalFresh benefits.  Currently, CalFresh benefits are expunged from the Electronic Benefits Card when they have been available for 365 days and there has been no activity on the card.  Effective September 2022, the timeframe for expungement of CalFresh benefits from Electronic Benefits Card with no activity is reduced to 9 months.  Household must receive 30 days notice of the first time benefits are expunged.  Subsequent expungements do not require advance notice.

CDSS must verify death matches and give notice prior to expunging benefits because a household member has died.  This allows surviving household members to respond prior to expungement.  If all members of the household have died, CDSS must expunge all benefits.

If the adult household members and Electronic Benefits Transfer cardholder dies and there are children in the home, the benefits remain on the account and the account remains active.  The household must choose a new head of household or the county will choose one for the household.  A new Electronic Benefits Card will be issued to the new head of household.  (ACL 22-62, July 22, 2022.)