The Office of Civil Rights within the USDA has issued detailed final guidance, including its responses to submitted comments, clarifying the obligations of entities receiving federal financial assistance from USDA (e,g,, the California Department of Social Services, which administers the SNAP/CalFresh program). If you work on language access issues affecting the CalFresh population, this is a must-read, to better understand USDA’s expectations of state agencies “in meeting their existing obligations to provide meaningful access for LEP persons.” 79 Federal Register 70771- 70784.

In response to recent FNS changes in the federal SNAP rules targeting illegal trafficking, the CalFresh program is changing its process for warnings to recipients who make repeated requests for replacement EBT cards. Effective 2015, County Welfare Departments will issue warning letters to any EBT cardholder after the fourth card replacement within any rolling 12-month period. Upon the fifth request, if trafficking is suspected, the County will be required to refer the case to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU).

That said, this ACL recognizes that frequent requests for EBT card replacement may be indicative of non-fraudulent situations, e.g., the recipient’s need for a disability-related reasonable accommodation, simply (although frequently) misplaced cards, or the recipient’s inability to properly use the card. The County is expected to explore these alternate reasons for the repeated requests before making an SIU referral. ACL-14-90.

Instructions regarding the new State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS) program. Lists how to cover recipients during the transfer period from LIHEAP Heat and Eat to SUAS.  The SUAS payment ($20.01) is only to be provided to those households who will actually receive additional CalFresh benefits or become eligible for CalFresh as a result of receiving the payment.  [Download]

The non-aged/disabled property limit was increased to $2,250; the aged/disabled remains at $3250. Given the Categorical Eligibility is applicable to all cases, this has no current impact on clients.  [Download]

 

Releasing the new D-Snap income and deduction tables. [Download]

Instructions on the treatment of households with three or more members who are categorically eligible (CE) to CalFresh, but whose net income would not entitle them to receive any benefits.   It is possible for the household to be gross income eligible, as a result of CE, but actually not entitled to receive benefits due to their level of net income.  Reviews the initial month and subsequent month rules for 3+ HH’s as well as the rules for the smaller households. [Download]