CALFRESH

 For households to receive CalFresh benefits they must provide certain information in the follow areas:

• Citizenship/Immigration Status
• Income
• Reporting Changes
• Resources
• Work Requirements
• ​Work rule for able-bodied adults not receiving cash aid

If you think you may be eligible for CalFresh benefits, download an application form, fill it out, and submit it to your local County Welfare Department. Or you can file online at the Benefitscal.com website. 

Certain non-citizens such as those admitted for humanitarian reasons and those admitted for permanent residence may be eligible for CalFresh benefits. Eligible household members can get CalFresh benefits even if other members of the household are not eligible.

In general, CalFresh eligibility is available to most lawfully-present immigrants who:

• Have lived in the country (in a qualified status) for five (5) years, or

• Are receiving disability-related assistance or benefits, regardless of entry date, or

• ​Are children under 18 years of age who are qualified and lawfully-admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationalization Act.

California also has a program for immigrants who have not lived here for five years, but have a lawful permanent residents status or "qualified" immigration status and meet all other program eligibility criteria. This CalFresh Program is known as the California Food Assistance Program  (CFAP).

Non-citizens that are in the U.S. temporarily, such as students or tourists are not eligible just as undocumented individuals are not eligible.

CalFresh households, except those containing an aged (60 or older) or disabled member or where all members receive cash assistance, are subject to gross and net income determination  tests. Gross Income - all non-excludable income from any source including all earned income and all unearned income. The maximum gross allowed is 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) [except for households who are sanctioned, households with certain convicted drug felons (until April 1, 2015) or households who have been convicted of an Intentional Program Violation]. If the household passes the gross income test, then the net income test is computed. Net income is computed by deducting the following, if applicable, from gross income. The resultant amount cannot exceed 100% of the FPL.

• ​Earned income has an allowable deduction of 20% (i.e., 80% of the gross earned income counts in the calculation of benefit levels). Examples of earned income include wages and salaries, striker's benefits, etc.

• ​Standard deduction - A deduction allowed per household per month. $155 for households of 1-3 persons, $165 for 4 persons, $193 for 5 persons, and $221 for 6 or more persons (effective 10/1/14).

• Excess shelter - A monthly shelter cost in excess of 50% of the household's income after all above deductions are considered. The excess shelter deduction must not exceed the current maximum of $490 (effective 10/1/14).

• ​Homeless Household Shelter - Available to homeless persons who are not receiving free shelter for the entire month. If the homeless shelter allowance is used, separate utility costs are not allowed because the homeless shelter allowance includes a utility component. The current allowance is $143 and remains unchanged (effective 10/1/14).

• Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) - Allowed for a household that incurs utility costs, which are separate and apart from the household's rent/mortgage payment. The current allowance is $373 (effective 10/1/14).

• Limited Utility Allowance (LUA) - Allowed for a household that incurs expenses for at least two separate utilities other than heating and cooling are eligible for a LUA. The LUA allowance is $113 (effective 10/1/14).

• ​Telephone Utility Allowance (TUA) - A household that is not eligible for the SUA or LUA but incurs a telephone expense or in its absence an equivalent form of communications, is eligible to receive a telephone deduction. The TUA allowance is unchanged and remains $20 (effective 10/1/14).
  
• ​Dependent Care - A household shall be entitled, with respect to expenses for dependent care, to a dependent care deduction for the actual cost of payments necessary for the care of a dependent if the care enables a household member to accept or continue employment, or training or education that is preparatory for employment.
  
• Medical Deduction - The portion of medical expenses, excluding special diets, in excess of the allowable amount of $35 per household per month (incurred by any household member who is elderly or disabled).
  

Exempt Income

• In-kind Benefits - Any gain or benefit that is not in the form of money (i.e., meals, clothing, housing provided by the employer, etc.)
  
• Vendor Payments - Money paid to a third party for a household expense by a person or organization outside of the household.
  
• Deferred Educational Loans
  
• Grans and Scholarships
  
• Cash donations from a charitable organization of not more than $300 in a calendar quarter.
  
• ​Income received too infrequently/irregularly to be reasonably anticipated but not more than $30 in a quarter.

CalFresh recipients must notify their local County Welfare Department about changes in their income or other circumstances. Such changes may affect their eligibility for benefits. There are two kinds of reporting: Change and Semi-Annual, which are described below:

Change Reporting

​Change reporting households are those in which household members are seasonal and/or migrant farm workers, elderly, disabled or homeless.

• These households are required to report within 10 days from the date of a change in writing, verbally, or in person.
  
• Changes required to be reported are:
  
  • ​the source and amount of gross income of more than $25; addition or loss of a household member, address changes and shelter costs; when cash on hand, stocks, bonds, money in a bank account or savings reach a total of $2,000 ($3,000 for elderly and disabled households); a change in child support payments made to a non-household member.
    

Semi-Annual Reporting

Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR) households submit one periodic report from (SAR 7) once a year followed by a recertification form no later than six months later.

The SAR 7 asks the household to report income, medical, and dependent care expenses, and any other change the household is expecting for the remainder of their certification period.

In-between reporting changes on the SAR 7, SAR households are required to report when their household income exceeds their Income Reporting Threshold (200% of the Federal Poverty Level in most cases).

​Households may report, during the certification period, any change that could increase benefits, such as a job loss or increased shelter expenses.

Resources

Most households are not subject to the resource limit. A resource is something the household can draw upon or sell for financial assistance. For those households who are still required to meet eligibility requirements for resources*, the resource limits and the type of resources which are considered are listed below.

Resource Limits

​Resource limits are $2,250 for all households except those that have a member who has a disability or who is 60 years of age or older. These households can have up to $3,250 in resources. Any countable resource will be added to the household's resource limit when making an eligibility determination.

Type of Resources:

• ​Liquid Resources - Includes all funds readily available to the household such as cash on hand, money in checking or savings accounts, savings certificates, trust deeds, notes receivable, stocks, or bonds, non-recurring lump sum payments [which includes retroactive payments, funds held in an individual retirement accounts (IRA) and funds held in accessible Keogh plans].
  
• ​Non-Liquid Resources - Includes personal property, buildings, land, recreational properties, and any other property. The value of non-exempt resources shall be its equity value, which is the fair market value less encumbrances.
  
• Excluded Resources - Resources which are excluded are the home and surrounding property, vehicles, household goods, personal effects, resources with an equity value of $1500 or less (excluding financial instruments), and resources with a cash value that is not accessible to the household (such as irrevocable trust funds, security deposits on real property, etc.)
  

​*Household contains a member who has been disqualified from participating in CalFresh because of an International Program Violation, the head of household does not comply with work requirements, or if any member of the household has been convicted of certain categories of drug felony. Effective April 1, 2015, the drug felony ban will be modified.

Work Requirements

If you only get CalFresh, there are some work rules you may need to meet. You may need to take part in certain employment and training activities such as searching for work, performing community service, or going to school or training. Your country will tell you if you need to participate in any of these activities or if you are excused. You may be given the chance to volunteer to participate in order to help you prepare find work or go to school. There are some exceptions, so contact your local County Welfare Department to find out if you are eligible.

Work Rule for Able-Bodied Adults Not Receiving Cash Aid

​If you only receive CalFresh and you don't have minor children, there is another work rule which you also may need to meet. You do not have to meet this work rule if it is waived in your county. At this time this work rule is waived in all counties until at least September 30, 2015 and you do not need to meet it. You also are excused from it if you are under 18, over age 49, pregnant, living in a CalFresh household with a minor child, and for other reasons your county can explain. Your county worker will tell you if you have to meet this work rule. There are some exceptions, so contact your local County Welfare Department to find out if you are eligible.

In California, each county may have a different way to apply for CalFresh benefits. Apply in your county, or online at the Benefitscal.org website.

You can also mail or deliver your application to your local county office. You can download and print an application.

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• ​You may request an application for CalFresh by phone, in person, by fax, or by mail from your county office.
  
• Applications for CalFresh benefits are available online.
  
• ​One adult household member or authorized representative must sign the application for CalFresh benefits under penalty of perjury.
  
• ​Complete as much of your application as you can. Your name, address, and signature are necessary on the application to be accepted by the local CalFresh office. The application will be accepted on the same day it is turned in, even if there is no interview on that day.
  
• ​As soon as all necessary information is provided and verified for eligibility, you will be able to receive your CalFresh benefits within 30 days of your dated application.
  
• ​You may be categorically eligible if you are receiving CalWORKs, General Assistance (GA), or General Relief (GR).
  
• ​You may qualify for expedited service and receive your CalFresh benefits within three (3) days if you meet the requirements.

A CalFresh household is a group of people who live together, buy food. and prepare meals together and whose members meet the eligibility 

requirements and are approved for benefits. The amount of CalFresh benefits you get will depend on the number of eligible people in your household and on how much monthly income is left after certain expenses (deductions) are subtracted.

• An interview is required before certifying your household to get CalFresh benefits. The interview can occur in the county office or by telephone (in most counties). The interview may be held with the head of household, spouse, the authorized representative or any other responsible household family member. An interview is required annually.
  
• An eligibility worker will explain the program rules and help your household complete any parts of the application that have not yet been completed.
• After the interview, the CalFresh office will send a notice. If your household does not qualify for CalFresh benefits, the notice will explain why. If your household does qualify, the notice will explain how much the CalFresh benefit will be for your household. It will also explain how many months you can receive CalFresh benefits (certification period) before being recertified.
  
•  Local CalFresh office officials may waive the face-to-face part of the interview requirement if traveling to the county welfare department would be a hardship for your household. The face-to-face feature must be waived if your household is composed only of elderly or disabled members with no earned income.

If you have a face-to-face interview, please bring verification with you of your income and expenses.  If you cannot get all the information together by your interview date, still come for the interview because you will have additional time to provide the information. If you need assistance in obtaining this information, please discuss this with your CalFresh worker at the time of the interview. The following examples of what to bring:

• Proof of identity (driver's license, etc.), alien status
• Social Security Numbers for all household members
• If employed, proof of income (wage stubs, earning statements, etc.) for the past 30 days
• Bank statements for  checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, credit union accounts, retirement accounts, stocks, bonds, dividends, etc.
  
• Proof of shelter costs (rent or mortgage payment, lot rent, household, real estate, taxes, utility bills - heat, electricity, water/sewage/garbage, telephone, etc.)

The CalFresh worker will also ask for proof of certain information that has been reported. The following must be verified prior to certification:

• Identification
  
• Immigration Status (in some cases)
  
• Sponsored Noncitizen Information (in some cases)
  
• Residency
  
• SSN number for all Household Members
  
• Gross Income
  
• Evidence of Disability
  
• Utility Expenses
  
• Medical Expenses
  
• Child Support Obligations and Payments
  

For expedited service, only identification is required and other verification can be postponed. Other verification such as shelter costs, dependent care costs, household size, and liquid resources do not require verification unless questionable.

Households in which all members are authorized or receiving cash aid, such as CalWORKS or GA/GR, are considered categorically eligible. This means the CalFresh Program accepts eligibility determinations made by the other program for resources, gross and net income limits, sponsored alien information, county residency, and social security number information. CalFresh Households containing California Food Assistance (CFAP) recipients are not categorically eligible. 

Households that qualify for expedited service (ES) go through the same application process as all other clients, but not all information has to be verified before benefits are issued. Households may qualify for (ES) based if the household:

• Has less than $150 in monthly gross income and liquid resources of $100 or less: or
  
• ​Migrant or seasonal farm workers who are destitute: or
  
• Combined monthly gross income and liquid resources which are less than the household monthly rent or mortgage and utilities: or
  
• Is homeless. 

ES CalFresh benefits will be made available to the household no later than the third calendar day following the date the application was filed. Applicants are informed of and are automatically considered for expedited service at the time the application is filed.