CalFresh work rules verbal script

The CalFresh Work Rules Oral Script provides guidelines for county welfare departments (CWDs) to explain work rules to CalFresh recipients. Section 1 provides information on CalFresh Work rules which may vary by household. Section 2 only applies to households with a work registrant. The section communicates CalFresh work rules and how to receive CalFresh benefits. Section 3 only applies to households with able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD). The section communicates the work requirements for ABAWD’s including exemptions, punishments for non-compliance, and the process to regain CalFresh benefits within a 3 year period. Section 4 only applies to households if the county provides an employment and training program (E&T). The section provides information on the E&T voluntary program and must be introduced by CWD’s to household members considered work registrants. Section 5 is for questions raised during the oral explanation.

California currently has a waiver of the ABAWD rules, which means that, except for work registration, none of the ABAWD rules currently apply in California.  However, CWDs are still  required by federal regulation to provide a written and oral explanation of CalFresh work rules to eligible members. After submitting a CalFresh application, applicants are automatically registered for CalFresh work requirements. CalFresh work rules must be followed to ensure benefits are not decreased or stopped.

CDSS’ CalFresh work rules script explains the ABAWD rules.  CalFresh recipients are required to work at least 30 hours a week and cannot decrease hours worked unless they have a valid reason. Examples include being sick, caring for a child younger than 12 years old, working in unreasonable conditions, or physically being unable to work.

Recipients are excused from CalFresh work rules if they are:

  1. Under 16 years old or over 60, or
  2. Taking care of a child that is under 6 years old, or
  3. Taking care of someone with a disability, or
  4. Getting or applying for unemployment or disability benefits, or
  5. Going to school or a training program, or
  6. Meeting work rules for another program like CalWORKS, or
  7. Attending a drug abuse treatment program.

The first violation of CalFresh work rules results in a 1-month suspension of benefits. The second violation results in a 3-month suspension. A third violation results in a 6-month suspension of benefits. Once benefits are suspended, applicants must reapply and meet or be excused from the work rules to access benefits.

. ABAWD work requirements apply to people between the ages of 18 and 52 who don’t live with children under 18 years old and are physically and mentally able to work. Adhering to ABAWD work requirements allows recipients to keep CalFresh benefits for longer than three months in a three-year period. In order to maintain benefits, ABAWDs must work, volunteer, or participate in employment and training activities for at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month. Examples of work activities include a job, workfare, community service, volunteer work, or joining a training program. If ABAWDs begin working below 20 hours per week/80 hours per month, the county must be notified within 10 days. ABAWDs are exempt from work requirements in the following scenarios:

  1. Struggling with mental and physical health issues
  2. Experiencing homelessness
  3. Struggling with drug and alcohol problems
  4. Victims of domestic violence
  5. Living with a child under 18
  6. Pregnant
  7. Veteran
  8. Under 28 years old and were in foster care on their 18th birthday

If CalFresh recipients do not meet ABAWD work requirements for 3 months, they will lose benefits until the end of the 3-year period. To get CalFresh benefits again, recipients must reapply and meet or be excused from ABAWD work requirements.

If the county CalFresh recipients reside in has an employment and training program, CWDs are required to explain the program. The CalFresh employment and training program (E&T) helps recipients find and train for jobs. The program is voluntary and covers costs like transportation, childcare, tools, books, uniforms, and personal safety items. CalFresh recipients are not required to participate in the program to receive benefits.

After CWDs finish explaining the CalFresh work rules, recipients will be mailed all of the information discussed.  (ACL 24-42, June 14, 2024.)

 

 

EBT card replacement with chip/tap cards

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided information about the replacement of current magnetic stripe EBT cards with chip/tap cards.  The new cards will be for CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Assistance, Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA), Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  County equipment will be replaced in May, 2024.  New cardstock will be delivered to counties in May, 2024

In Summer, 2024, new chip/tap cards will be mailed to anyone with an active case, that is anyone who has accessed benefits in the last nine months.  The new cards will be mailed in three phases.  The first phase will be combined CalWORKs and CalFresh cases, GA, RCA, TCVAP, CAPI and LIHEAP.  The second phase will be cash-only benefits cases.  The third phase will be CalFresh only cases.

The existing PIN will carry-over to the new chip/tap card.  Cardholders will need to enter the PIN for each transaction with the chip/tap card.

SunBucks and Women, Infants and Children benefits will not be moved to the new chip/tap cards.

Counties should tell cardholders to use their replacement cards as soon as they receive them.  A successful transaction with the new card will activate it.  Cardholders can also activate their new card using the EBT Edge application, or by contacting the EBT customer service center.  Cardholders will have approximately 45 days after they receive their new card before their old magnetic stripe card will be unusable.

CDSS will monitor activation data and do direct outreach to cardholders who receive their new card but do not activate it.

Counties should refer questions to the EBT customer service center.

Any remaining magnetic stripe cards will be deactivated approximately 60 days after mass replacement is completed.  Cardholders who do not receive a new card can ask for their chip/tap card through the EBT Customer Service or the county.

Some retailers may not have equipment to accept chip/tap cards.  In most of those cases, the EBT card will need fall back to a magnetic stripe or manual key-in transaction.

Cardholders who are unhoused can have their replacement cards mailed to the county welfare department.  County welfare departments will get a list of cardholders who use the county welfare department mailing address for triage.  (ACWDL, June 24, 2024.)

Extension of CalFresh waiver for alternate procedures for change of address reporting

The California Department of Social Services has announced that the CalFresh waiver for alternate procedures for change of address reporting is extended effective July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2026.

Under the waiver, if a county receives a verified change of address, but does not receive updated shelter cost information, the county will not change the household’s shelter cost.  The county must send a notice encouraging the household to report any changes in shelter costs.  The county must also ask about shelter cost at the household’s next recertification or periodic report.  If the county believes the change of address information is questionable or unclear, the county must respond to the information as required in 7 C.F.R. 273.12(c)(3).  (ACL 24-47, June 28, 2024.)

GetCalFresh sunset

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has announced that the GetCalFresh online application tool for CalFresh will sunset on September 30, 2025.  The sunset will happen in phases.  The GetCalFresh tool for joint applications processing of CalFresh and Social Security applications with counties the Social Security Administration will sunset and transition to BenefitsCal on September 30, 2024.  The Semi-Annual reporting (SAR 7) feature in GetCalFresh will sunset in December 2024.  The GetCalFresh application assistance tool, including the community based organizations portal, and the document uploader tool in GetCalFresh will sunset in June 2025.  The GetCalFresh website and customer service will sunset on September 30, 2025. (ACWDL, May 14, 2024.)

CalFresh Student Handbook Version 2.0

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has released its CalFresh Student Eligibility Handbook version 2.0.  The Handbook provides guidance regarding student eligibility for CalFresh, key definitions, student exemptions, student income, and verification procedures.

Version 2.0 updates sections about the Restaurant Meals Program, paid work exemption, Local Programs that Increase Employability, exception for community colleges offering baccalaureate degrees, student income eligibility for CalFresh, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and verification of exemptions.  (ACL 24-31, May 3, 2024.)

Lottery winnings match

The Income and Eligibility and Verification (IEVS) system now a has match with the California Lottery. The system will provide monthly reports of people who received over the maximum allowable resources for a CalFresh or disabled household.

Federal law requires CalFresh households to report substantial lottery and gambling winnings during the certification period within 10 days of receiving the winnings.  Substantial winnings is defined as 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 CalFresh elderly or disabled households.

The reason for this match is to comply with federal requirements.

When there is a match, counties must review the case information to determine if the household reported the lottery winnings.  Case narration is acceptable as a report of lottery winnings.  If the winnings have not been reported, the county must send a verification letter to the household within 45 days.  If the recipient does not respond to the letter with sufficient information to resolve the discrepancy, the county must discontinue the entire household. A household that is discontinued can reapply at any time, but the household cannot be considered categorically eligible for CalFresh.

For CalWORKs, the assistance unit must be terminated if the lottery winnings take the household above the current CalWORKs resource limit.  (ACL 24-29, April 24, 2024.)