63-322 Transitional CalFresh Benefits Calculation

Table of Contents

	Section
Calculation of Transitional CalFresh Benefits	322.1
Incorrect Benefits and Overissuance Calculation	322.2
Benefits Issued Under Saldivar v. McMahon Court Order	322.3
Zero CalWORKs Grant – Categorical Eligibility	322.4

63-322.1

Calculation of Transitional CalFresh Benefits

Transitional CalFresh benefits are calculated by deducting the CalWORKs grant from the CalFresh budget that was used in the final month that the household received CalWORKs.

The new or increased income that resulted in the loss of CalWORKs shall not be counted when calculating the transitional benefit. For example, a household reports new earnings in the middle of February. Because of the adverse action timeframes, the March CalWORKs payment and CalFresh benefits are not changed, but when the change is processed the family becomes ineligible for CalWORKs. The Transitional CalFresh benefit would be based on the March CalFresh budget minus the cash grant, not including the new or increased income.

EXAMPLE

A CalWORKs assistance unit (mother and three children) with earned income of $1,200 per month receives a $218 CalWORKs grant and $498 CalFresh benefits. The mother’s earned income increases to $1,700 per month making the family ineligible for cash aid effective January 2012. The worker shall recalculate the CalFresh budget using the same earned income amount as the month of discontinuance (December 2011) minus the cash grant:

CalFresh Budget	December 2011 (CalFresh)	January 2012 (Transitional CalFresh)
CalWORKs grant	218	0
Earned income	1,200	1,200
Shelter	650	650
SUA	329	329
CalFresh allotment	498	-
Transitional CalFresh allotment	-	564

The recalculated Transitional CalFresh amount is then frozen for five months.

After the household is granted Transitional CalFresh, benefits cannot be readjusted when it is later determined the client had unreported income during the Transitional CalFresh period. The household’s benefits shall not be reduced to reflect the unreported income while receiving Transitional CalFresh as households are not required to report changes during the Transitional CalFresh period.

63-322.2 Incorrect Benefits and Overissuance Calculation

When a Transitional CalFresh case begins, the worker must recalculate the household's budget less the CalWORKs grant to determine the household's transitional benefit. If the transitional benefit is correctly computed based on the benefit during the final month of CalWORKs, both the agency and the household shall be held harmless for inaccuracies in the transition benefit that are due to prior errors in the CalFresh benefit. However, the agency and the household shall be liable for errors in allotment amounts prior to the Transitional CalFresh period. · If the initial Transitional CalFresh benefit amount has been determined incorrectly due to agency error, the worker shall adjust the Transitional CalFresh benefit amount during the Transitional CalFresh period. · An overissuance claim shall be established when a worker erroneously increases the Transitional CalFresh benefit amount during the five-month period. EXAMPLE A CalWORKs/CalFresh case is discontinued 12/31/2011 due to no QR 7; a Transitional CalFresh case is set up for 01/01/2012. At the time the Transitional CalFresh is approved, the worker discovers the rent amount has not been decreased when the household reported the change with the previous QR 7. The new rent deduction of $300 should have been entered for October through December. Instead, the household continued to receive a $700 shelter deduction. The Transitional CalFresh budget will include the $700 shelter deduction for January through May 2012, which is the amount allowed during the last month the household received CalWORKs and regular CalFresh even if this was the incorrect amount. However, an administrative overissuance will be established for the months prior to Transitional CalFresh, October through December. A CalFresh overissuance that is being collected in the month prior to the CalWORKs discontinuance shall continue to be recouped during the Transitional CalFresh period. · The applicable percentage of the Transitional CalFresh benefit will be applied to recoup the overissuance from the Transitional CalFresh case. · Transitional CalFresh benefits shall be adjusted accordingly when the overissuance is collected in full during the Transitional CalFresh period.

63-322.3 Benefits Issued Under Saldivar v. McMahon Court Order

The transitional benefit amount is based on the CalFresh amount the household received in the month that the CalWORKs case was discontinued minus the CalWORKs grant. If the CalFresh amount issued during the last month of CalWORKs could not be decreased because the worker could not issue timely notice to reduce benefits (e.g., in the case of Saldivar v. McMahon court order), the worker will calculate the transitional benefit amount based on what the household was receiving at the time of the CalWORKs discontinuance. EXAMPLE A CalWORKs assistance unit is receiving $200 in CalFresh benefits in addition to the CalWORKs grant. The household sends the QR 7 late in the submit month, January. The household reports new income that makes the assistance unit ineligible to CalWORKs. The household would receive the same amount of CalFresh benefits in February because the benefits cannot be decreased due to the 10-day notice requirement. Per Saldivar v. McMahon court order, the household will receive Transitional CalFresh in March in the same amount as the CalFresh benefits received in February and without counting the CalWORKs grant.

63-322.4 Zero CalWORKs Grant – Categorical Eligibility

When a CalWORKs assistance unit is receiving a zero CalWORKs cash grant at the time they are discontinued from CalWORKs and is receiving the minimum amount (63-254.7) of CalFresh benefits, because of their Categorical Eligibility Status, the household is entitled to receive the same amount of CalFresh benefits for the Transitional CalFresh period.