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.)

The California Department of Social Services has announced a pilot project to provide laptops and cell phone for CalFresh Employment and Training participants.  The pilot project will be from May, 2021 to July, 2021.  The Pilot will be in San Francisco and Butte Counties, and the California Community College Fresh Success program.  The pilot will establish administrative processes and determine participant needs.  The Laptop Loaner program may be implemented in counties that have opted to provide CalFresh Employment and Training beginning October 1, 2021. (ACWDL, April 22, 2021.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for April 2021

California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for April, 2021.  All households will receive at least the maximum CalFresh allowment.  Households eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size are now eligible to receive an emergency allotment of $95 per month. Households who are not eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size, but whose emergency allotment would be is less than $95 per month to receive the maximum allotment will receive additional CalFresh benefits to raise their emergency allotment to the new $95 minimum.

The emergency allotment will be issued on May 16, 2021.

Moving forward, emergency allotments may be approved by FNS on a month-to-month basis until the Secretary of Health and Human Services rescinds the public health emergency.  There will be a one-month phase out of emergency allotments after the public health emergency is rescinded.  (ACWDL, April 16, 2021.)