CalFresh / SNAP

EBT card replacement with chip/tap cards

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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.)

This letter is updated by ACWDL December 19, 2024, summarized here.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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.)

CalFresh denials for missing verification waiver extension

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions regarding denials of CalFresh applications for failure to provide requested verification.  California has been granted an extension of a waiver by the federal government that allows counties to choose to deny CalFresh applications for failure to submit requested verification within 10 days of the written request even if 30 days have not passed since the application date.  The new waiver is in effect until April 30, 2029.  46 counties have chosen to implement this waiver.

Counties must meet several conditions to deny an application for failure to submit requested verification within 10 days of the written request even if 30 days have not passed since the application date including:

  • The county schedules an interview for all applicants who are not interviewed on the day of application. The county cannot deny the application prior to the 30th day if the household does not appear for the first scheduled interview.
  • The county sends a notice of denial on the 30th day after the date of application if the household does not appear for a scheduled interview and has not contact the county.
  • The household is given at least 10 days to submit missing information
  • The denial notice states why the application was denied and that the application will be reopened if the required verification is received within 30 days of the date of application and benefits will be provided from the date of application. (ACL 24-30, April 25, 2024.)