CalFresh / SNAP

COVID-19 extension of CalFresh waivers

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Federal waivers for CalFresh initial application and recertification interviews, requirement to conduct a face-to-face interview and of recording equipment for telephonic signatures have been extended to June 30, 2020.  The interview waiver has been extended to recertifications.  CalFresh recertifications for March, April and May were postponed.  Recertifications with a June submit month will occur and the interview for those recertifications is waived.  Detailed guidance on the waiver is here, summarized here.

In June, counties will begin processing recertifications for Transitional Nutrition Benefits, the program for households that lost CalFresh eligibility because a SSI recipient was added to the household.  A Notice of Recertification for Transitional Nutrition Benefit Program must be received including a signature for the household to continue receiving Transitional Nutrition Benefits.  If the county receives an incomplete recertification form, the county may contact the household to complete the form over the phone.  The county may collect an electronic signature over the phone or document the recipient’s agreement in the case file.  (ACWDL, May 28, 2020.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for June 2020

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for June, 2020.  The emergency allotment will be issued on July 12 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, May 21, 2020.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for May 2020

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for May, 2020.  The emergency allotment will be issued on June 14 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, May 11, 2020.)

COVID-19 Pandemic EBT

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided information about Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), which will provide families a standalone food benefit amount equal to the value of free or reduced-price (FRP) school means that are no longer available because of school closures caused by COVID-19.  All students eligible for FRP meals statewide are eligible for P-EBT will be eligible, including students in charter schools and private schools so long as the school participates in the federally funded School Breakfast Program and/or the National School Lunch Program, regardless of whether they receive CalFresh benefits.

Students who are directly certified for FRP because they receive certain benefits, including CalFresh, CalWORKs, Medi-Cal and foster care, will be automatically eligible for P-EBT.  Automatically eligible families will receive a P-EBT card in the mail without applying.  For these families, P-EBT card issuance will begin on May 8.  If a family thinks they are eligible but has not received a P-EBT card by May 25, they should apply online.

Students who approved for FRP meals based on a paper application or community eligibility will need to apply for P-EBT online.  CDSS will verify eligibility by checking against a list of all students who were approved to receive FRP during the 2019-20 school year.  If verified eligible, these families will receive a P-EBT card in the mail within 5-10 days of applying. The online application will be open from May 22 to June 30 at https://ca.p-ebt.org.  Families will not be able to apply after June 30 and will not be able to receive the benefit.

The benefit amount will be $365 for most eligible children.  A few children who were directly certified for the first time this school year after school closure will receive a pro-rated amount based on the date they were directly certified.  These families do not need to apply but their P-EBT card may not arrive until as late as the end of June.

P-EBT benefits will be provided on a separate P-EBT card.  It can be used just like regular EBT cards.

P-EBT eligible families can receive P-EBT, CalFresh and to go meals provided by schools at the same time.  P-EBT eligible families do not need to choose between these available resources.  (ACWDL, May 7, 2020.)

Extension of waiver to combine CalFresh reminder notice and notice of adverse action

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding an extension of a federal waiver allowing combining the reminder notice and notice of adverse action for households that fail to submit a complete semiannual report form (SAR 7) by the required filing date.

The waiver extension continues the current practice of sending the NA 960X notice to households that did not timely submit a SAR 7 and the NA 960Y notice to households that submitted an incomplete SAR 7.  Both the NA 960X and the NA 960Y act as combined reminder notice and notice of adverse action.

Counties must send the NA 960X or the NA 960Y no later than 10 days after the SAR 7 report should have been submitted.  If a household files a complete SAR 7 during the 10 days period following the date the NA 960X or the NA 960Y is mailed, the county must provide benefits no later than 10 days after the normal benefit issuance date.  (ACL 20-52, May 1, 2020.)

CalFresh verification requirements and job loss reports

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding CalFresh verification requirements and treatment of reports of job loss or zero income at initial application and thereafter.  CDSS has listed 13 categories of information that must be verified.  Not all of those mandatory verifications apply to all households.  The county must only verify information that applies to the household and/or to claim a deduction.  Of the household cannot provide verification to claim a deduction and the household is eligible without the deduction, the county must complete the eligibility determination.  The household may qualify for the deduction later if they provide the verification.

Counties cannot require a specific type of verification even if the information is considered a mandatory.  Verification can be provided by various methods including documentary evidence, electronic verification, collateral contact and client statement.   When certain verification methods are unavailable to the household, the county must use the best available information.

Counties must assist all households in obtaining mandatory verification.  Counties must use existing verification sources when available, and electronic verification when applicable to the household.

Information that is not considered mandatory verification must only be verified is it is questionable.  The county must document in the case record why the information is considered questionable before requesting verification from the household.

At initial application, households must provide verification of income earned over the last 30 days unless the household just started working.  Verification of job loss is not mandatory. When a household member reports to have lost a job, the county must not require verification unless it is questionable.  The client’s statement of recent job loss is sufficient evidence that a household cannot reasonably anticipate income from that job to continue during the certification period.

When a household has zero income at initial appliction, a statement on the application that it has zero income is sufficient evidence that the household cannot reasonably anticipate income during the certification period.  The county must not require verification of zero income unless it is questionable.

When a household member is subject to CalFresh work requirements and the county learns that the applicant voluntarily quit their job within 60 days prior to the date of the application, the county must determine whether there was good cause to quit.  The county must request verification if the information provided is questionable.

When a CalFresh household reports a job loss after initial application, counties must request verification of the decrease in income and the amount of the decrease.  If the job loss caused a decrease in income of $50 or more, the county must verify the household’s new income to determine continuing eligibility.  If the job loss led to zero income, a statement from the household that it has zero income is sufficient unless it is questionable.

For voluntary mid-period reports of a decrease in income of $50 or more, the county must change benefits no later than the month following the month when the decrease was reported.  If the change was reported after the 20th of the month and it is too late to adjust the following month’s benefits, the county shall issue an underpayment by the 10th of the following month.  (ACL 20-48, April 22, 2020.)