CalFresh / SNAP

COVID-19 processing IEVS matches

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued guidance regarding processing IEVS matches because of COVID-19.  Processing of Recipient-IEVS matches for March, April, and May, 2020 are suspended.  Counties must not process Recipient-IEVS matches received during March, April, and May, 2020.  Counties have been granted an extension of the IEVS follow-up timeframes.

However, processing continues of matches from the Payment Verification System, which includes information on CalWORKs and CalFresh recipients who receive or are entitled to Social Security, Unemployment Insurance and State Disability Insurance benefits.

Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation all count as income for CalFresh.  Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation count as income for CalWORKs.  Pandemic Unemployment Compensation does not count as income for CalWORKs but counts as income for CalWORKs applicants.

CDSS is working with the Employment Development Department to develop an electronic match for Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.

For CalFresh, if a recipient responds to a notice of adverse action with by stating they receive Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, the county must verify receipt of those benefits and take appropriate action.

For CalWORKs, any Unemployment Insurance benefits with be added to other earned income and exceed the Income Reporting Threshold to be considered a missed mandatory report.  If the county discovers the recipient may have missed such a report, the county must send the recipient a verification letter to request verification of Unemployment Insurance, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation.

Beginning June 1, 2020, all IEVS matches will continue except for the Annual IRS Match, which will not resume until 2021.

Cases of suspected fraud must still be referred to Special Investigative Units (SIU) regardless of any temporary waiver periods or restrictions because of COVID-19.  SIUs can continue to conduct face-to-face interviews.   No application or benefits should be delayed, denied or interrupted without sufficient evidence to take case action.  (ACWDL, June 5, 2020.)

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.)