CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Benefits pilot

Posted on by

The CalFresh Minimum Nutrition Pilot (MNP) will provide 12 months of state funded food assistance to eligible households receiving less than sixty dollars ($60) from CalFresh or California Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Eligible households will receive no less than sixty dollars when the MNP benefit is combined with either CalFresh or CFAP.  The implementation will occur when  automation is complete in the California Statewide Automated Welfare System. When MNB starts, it will be subject to available funding. Households that are eligible for this program are:

  • Meeting the Elderly Simplified Application Project,
  • Receiving monthly food benefits of less than sixty dollars, and
  • Having two or more CalFresh eligible members in the household.

To participate in the MNB program, households must be already receiving CalFresh or have a pending application approved with a set beginning date of aid on or before the MNB start date. Households getting less than sixty dollars due to repaying a CalFresh overissuance will be eligible for MNB and the overissuance reduction will be deducted from their final benefit amount. Households that are not eligible for MNB are:

  • Households that apply to CalFresh after the MNB start date,
  • If the household receives more than sixty dollars of benefits, but that amount is reduced to less than sixty dollars because of grant adjustment to recoup an overissuance,
  • Households in the Supplemental Nutrition Benefit program.

Once a household is eligible for MNB, they will have it for 12 months after the start date unless they lose access for any of these reasons: household is no longer eligible for CalFresh, household no longer has at least 2 CalFresh eligible members, and if they no longer qualify for ESAP. If the household has a CalFresh allotment of over $60, but that allotment is reduced because of overissuance recoupment, the households will not be eligible for MNB because full benefits from CalFresh have been put at $60.

Households that lose eligibility will lose the benefit in the next month following a timely notice. Households that lose eligibility for MNB but get it back without a break in aid they will be able to continue with the program. However, if they are discontinued from CalFresh and there is a break in aid before they can re-apply, they will not be able regain access to MNB. If the county determines that a household is eligible for more than sixty dollars through CalFresh, they will be ineligible for the MNB program and the county will correct the amount of CalFresh benefits they receive while removing them from the MNB program.

Counties may not use MNB benefits to repay CalFresh overissuance. If the county finds an error in CalFresh calculations, or there is an error in the MNB program, the county will have to re-calculate and determine the MNB amount. Any MNB errors must be corrected no later than June 30, 2026.

MNB benefits will be automatically transferred into the person’s EBT card. The person can use the funds in the same way as CalFresh and CFAP, including restaurant meal plan and market match. The county will provide forms for when a person is approved for MNB that are required to be filled out. The county will also provide a notice if services are discontinued from MNB. If there is a request for hearing, MNB benefits will not continue until there is a decision in the hearing.  (ACL 25-01, January 8, 2025.)

CAPI requirement to apply for SSI

Posted on by

To be eligible for the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), an individual must be ineligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) solely because of their immigration status.  To remain eligible for CAPI, the recipient’s eligibility for SSI must be redetermined every 12 months.

Noncitizens who meet the definition of “qualified alien” for SSI must be referred to the Social Security Administration to apply for SSI annually.  As of March 9, 2024, “qualified alien” includes citizens of the Compact of Free Association states.  This also includes victims of human trafficking who have received a certification letter from the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

When the county determines that a CAPI applicant or recipient is not a “qualified alien” they must not be referred to the Social Security Administration to apply for SSI.  This includes U Visa applicants or holders, asylum seekers, or another PRUCOL status.  Counties must investigate a CAPI applicant or recipient’s immigration status prior to referring them to apply for SSI.

A CAPI applicant or recipient who does not apply for SSI within 30 days of being told to do so by the county is not eligible for CAPI unless they have good cause for not applying for SSI.  In this circumstance, counties must complete the SSI application with the Social Security Administration, if possible, or must otherwise initiate the SSI application process.

The California Department of Social Services states several ways that CAPI applicants or recipients can verify that they have are ineligible for SSI or have applied for SSI.

When a CAPI recipient naturalizes, they are no longer eligible for CAPI.  However, CAPI can conditionally continue for recipients who naturalize while receiving benefits, as long as they remain otherwise eligible, request conditional benefits, apply for SSI, and cooperate with the Social Security Administration.  (ACIN I-13-25, March 18, 2025.)

Social Security restarting debt collection by Treasury Offset Program

Posted on by

Effective immediately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has restarted debt collecting using the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) for debts that accrued before March, 2020.  TOP is operated by the Department of the Treasury.  It intercepts federal payments to pay federal debts, including debts owed to the Social Security Administration.  TOP was suspended because of COVID-19.

The Social Security Administrative estimates that 280,000 people will be subject to collection through TOP.  (Social Security Matters, March 20, 2025.)

Posted in SSI

Social Security identity verification

Posted on by

Effective March 31, 2025, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will require identity verification either online or in person.  Individuals will be able to verify their identity in ther mySocialSecurity account.  Individuals who are unable to do that will need to verify their identity in person at a Social Security office.

People who cannot start their claims online will be able to start their claims by telephone, but the claim will not be completed until the person does in person identity verification.

Social Security will also complete changes to direct deposit in one day.  (Social Security Matters, March 18, 2025.)

UPDATE:

The effective date of the identity verification requirement is now April 14, 2025.  Medicare, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income will be exempt from the in-person identity verification requirement.  Individuals applying for those programs who cannot use a personal mySocialSecurity account will be able to complete their applications by telephone without needing to come to an office in person.

Individuals applying for retirement, survivors or auxiliary benefits who cannot use mySocialSecurity to verify their identity will need to come to an office in person.  Social Security will not enforce this requirement in extreme dire-need situation such as terminal illness or prisoner pre-release.

Individuals who do not or cannot use mySocialSecurity to change their direct deposit information will need to come to a Social Security office in person to process that change.  (Social Security Press Release, March 26, 2025.)

 

 

Posted in SSI

CalFresh and CalWORKs electronically reported information

Posted on by

The California Department of Social Services has clarified requirements about how the County Welfare Departments (CWDs) will accept information for participants of CalWORKs and CalFresh electronically.  Electronically submitted information can include reporting changes, submitting verification, and other information that might affect the participants’ case.

CWDs must accept and process all information submitted by participants by e-mail, fax or the BenefitsCal Portal, even if that information is sent fby email to individual staff, general, shared or unencrypted. CWDs will not be cited in error for confidentiality if the participant has sent an unencrypted email. While all of these will be acceptable forms of information, CDSS says submitting by email may lead to some operational challenges and encourages participants to submit information via the BenefitsCal Portal. Making a BenefitsCal account is encouraged but information may be submitted anonymously without an account. (ACIN I-01-25, January 29, 2025.)

 

Social Security overpayment default withholding

Posted on by

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will increase the default overpayment withholding rate for collection of Social Security overpayments to 100 percent of a person’s monthly benefit effective March 27, 2025.  The increase will apply to overpayments of Social Security benefits established on or after March 27, 2025. People can contact Social Security to request a lower repayment rate.  This reverses a Biden-administration policy about the default rate of withholding for overpayment collection, summarized here.

People continue to have the right to appeal overpayment determinations.  People can also request waiver of the overpayment.  Social Security will not pursue recovery while an initial appeal or a waiver request is pending.  (Press Release, March 7, 2025.)

Posted in SSI