CalFresh / SNAP

Counting homework time for Cell-Ed

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In ACIN I-55-20, summarized here, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) described its partnership with Cell-Ed to provide distance learning for Welfare-to-Work, CalFresh Education and Training, and Refugee Support Services.  People assigned to Welfare-to-Work, CalFresh Education and Training, and Refugee Support Services may also be assigned supervised or unsupervised homework time.  Cell-Ed coursework homework time hours are considered supervised homework time and can be documented by the case manager.

Cell-Ed recommends for every hour spent on the application, three additional hours of are credited for homework time.  This recommendation depends on a client demonstrating satisfactory progress as defined by the educational provider.  (All County Welfare Directors Letter, October 19, 2020.)

COVID-19 CalFresh waiver of interview requirements

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is implementing federal waivers of the initial application and recertification interview and face-to-face interview.  These waivers were previously in effect, and are not being reimplemented because of the Continuing Appropriations Act.  These waivers are effective from now until June 30, 2021.  The waivers can be applied to any application pending at the time of the release of the guidance.

Counties must waive the requirement for an interview at initial certification and recertification of eligibility for benefits if the county has verified the identity of the applicant and has completed all mandatory verifications.  Households entitled to expedited service and whose identity is verified within the three-day expedited service timeframe will have their initial interview waived prior to benefit issuance.  If an expedited service household does not provide missing mandatory verification, benefits will be discontinued per existing CDSS policy.

To verify identity counties must accept any readily available documentary evidence which reasonably establishes the applicant’s identity.  If documentary evidence is not readily available, counties may verify identity using collateral contacts.

For other verification, counties should proactively use electronic verification when it is available.

Verification of job loss is not a mandatory verification for CalFresh.  Verification of job loss should be requested only if the job loss is questionable. A client’s statement of job loss is sufficient evidence that the client cannot reasonably anticipate income from that job.

If the county determines that any of the information provided on the application is questionable or incomplete, or the applicant does not complete identity verification or other mandatory verification, then an interview is required.

For households whose interviews cannot be waived, counties may require the household to completed a telephone interview even if they request a face-to-face interview.  (All County Welfare Directors Letter, October 21, 2020.)

Disaster CalFresh October 2020 additional counties

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California has been approved to issue Disaster CalFresh in Butte, Napa, Sonoma and Santa Clara Counties for persons affected by the wildfires.

Disaster CalFresh provides food assistance to households affected by natural disasters.  To be eligible, families must live or work in the disaster area, plan to purchase food during the benefit period, experience adverse effects from the disaster and meet Disaster CalFresh income guidelines.

Disaster CalFresh has three verification requirements: identity, residency and loss or inaccessibility of income, and household composition and food loss, if questionable.  Benefits should be issued within 72 hours of application.

The application period is Wednesday October 28 to Friday October 30 and Monday November 2 to Thursday November 5.  For Santa Clara County, the application period is Monday November 2 to Friday November 6 and Monday November 9 to Tuesday November 10.  Applications can be submitted by phone, online or in person.  Applications will not be accepted by mail.  Applicants can verbally attest to information. Verification can be submitted, using the Disaster CalFresh pre-registration tool, the SAWS client portals, secure email or fax, and in person at application sites. Pre-registration will be available from October 21 to October 27. For Santa Clara County, pre-registration will be available from October 26 to October 30.

The start date of the disaster for Napa, Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties is August 14, 2020. The start date of the disaster for Butte County is September 7, 2020.  (ACWDL, October 16, 2020.)

Disaster CalFresh October 2020

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California has been approved to issue Disaster CalFresh in Lake, Monterey, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Yolo Counties for persons affected by the wildfires.  Note that after this letter was issue, Santa Clara County was also approved for Disaster CalFresh.

Disaster CalFresh provides food assistance to households affected by natural disasters.  To be eligible, families must live or work in the disaster area, plan to purchase food during the benefit period, experience adverse effects from the disaster and meet Disaster CalFresh income guidelines.

Disaster CalFresh has three verification requirements: identity, residency and loss or inaccessibility of income, and household composition and food loss, if questionable.  Benefits should be issued within 72 hours of application.

The application period is Wednesday October 14 to Friday October 16 and Monday October 19 to Thursday October 22.  Applications can be submitted by phone, online or in person.  Applications will not be accepted by mail.  Applicants can verbally attest to information. Verification can be submitted, using the Disaster CalFresh pre-registration tool, the SAWS client portals, secure email or fax, and in person at application sites. Pre-registration will be available from October 7 to October 13.

The start date of the disaster for Napa, Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties is August 14, 2020. (ACWDL, October 5, 2020.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for October 2020

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for October, 2020.  The emergency allotment will be issued on November 15 to raise each household’s monthly CalFresh allotment to the maximum allowable for the household size.  Per guidance from the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), households already receiving the maximum allotment are not eligible to receive an emergency allotment.

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. (ACWDL, September 29, 2020.)

CalFresh Water Pilot

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance for the CalFresh water pilot, which is a time-limited supplemental benefit to CalFresh households that live in a disadvantaged community, and receive drinking water from a public water system that does not meet primary drinking water standards.

Based on workgroup recommendations, the pilot will take place in two zip codes in Kern County, 93241 and 93203.  CalFresh recipients living in those zip codes at the beginning of the pilot can be eligible.  Based on workgroup recommendations, the benefit will be $50 per month per household.  The pilot will last for 12 months, and will be completed by November, 2021.  CDSS estimates 6,147 households will be eligible for the pilot.

The pilot also includes creation and automation of a flexible benefit issuance mechanism in CalSAWS that can be used in the future for purposes beyond the initial pilot.  (ACL 20-97, September 2, 2020.)