63-323 Changes in Household Circumstances during the Transitional CalFresh Period

Table of Contents

	Section
Changes During the Transitional CalFresh Period	323.1
Rescission/ Reapplication of CalWORKs after Transitional CalFresh is Approved	323.2
Transitional CalFresh Household Moving In with Another CalFresh Household	323.3
Household Member Approved for CalWORKs or CalFresh in Another Case	323.4
Household Member Becomes Ineligible During the Transitional CalFresh Period	323.5
Inter-County Transfer	323.6
Transitional CalFresh Households Moving Out of the State	323.7

63-323.1 Changes during the Transitional CalFresh Period

A Transitional CalFresh household may reapply for regular CalFresh and/or CalWORKs at any time during the transitional period when their income drops or there is any change in circumstances that may result in the household being entitled to more CalFresh benefits or become eligible to CalWORKs. Regular Public Assistance CalFresh benefits will be determined according to the household’s current circumstances. Refer to Section 63-325. When a Transitional CalFresh household member moves out and is granted CalWORKs or CalFresh either as a new household or as a new member of another household, the household member and his/her income and deductions (if any) will be discontinued and/or adjusted from the Transitional CalFresh case at the end of the month the information becomes available. Refer to Section 63-323.4 below.

63-323.2 Rescission/ Reapplication of CalWORKs after Transitional CalFresh is Approved

After a CalWORKs case is discontinued and a Transitional CalFresh is approved: · The household that reapplies and is approved for CalWORKs could receive one to two months of Transitional CalFresh benefits before regular Public Assistance CalFresh is issued depending on when CalWORKs is approved and when Transitional CalFresh can be terminated. · If the CalWORKs discontinuance is rescinded within 30 days of the discontinuance date with good cause, and the case is determined to be eligible for Public Assistance CalFresh, the Transitional CalFresh case would be transferred back to Public Assistance CalFresh the following month. There would not be an overissuance, because the worker correctly granted Transitional CalFresh based on available information.

63-323.3 Transitional CalFresh Household Moving In with Another CalFresh Household

Transitional CalFresh households moving in with a household receiving regular CalFresh benefits shall not be required to be in the same household. In this case, the Transitional CalFresh case will continue unless the household reapplies for benefits. At the end of the Transitional CalFresh period, the household would be subject to regular CalFresh household composition rules (Section 63-101). EXAMPLE Mom (under age 22) and her child receiving Transitional CalFresh. They move into the senior parent’s home during the Transitional CalFresh period. The Transitional CalFresh case will continue for the entire five-month period. Regular CalFresh household composition rules would not take effect until the end of the five-month period or the household decides to reapply for CalFresh and is approved. However, if the senior parent is receiving CalWORKs then the Transitional CalFresh shall be discontinued and the regular CalFresh household composition rules would take effect because of the restricted household status (under age 22 living with a parent per Section 63-101.4).

63-323.4 Household Member Approved for CalWORKs or CalFresh in Another Case

Transitional CalFresh benefits shall be adjusted after a household member who was part of the Transitional CalFresh case is approved for CalWORKs and/or CalFresh benefits with another household. · The household member shall not be removed from the Transitional CalFresh case prior to being approved with the other household because there is no guarantee that the household member will receive CalWORKs and/or CalFresh benefits with the other household. · The household member along with his/her income and deductions (such as the 20% earned income deduction or medical deduction) shall be removed from Transitional CalFresh case when the household member is approved in the other CalWORKs and/or CalFresh case. Transitional CalFresh benefits will be recalculated for the remaining Transitional CalFresh household members according to their current household composition. · If a proration was part of the original Transitional CalFresh budget due to pooled income with an SSI/SSP or ineligible noncitizen, the proration will be recalculated based on the remaining Transitional CalFresh members. · The household member will be removed from Transitional CalFresh the following month after being approved with the other case. o A 10-day notice is required if there is a decrease of Transitional CalFresh benefits; o No overissuance will be assessed since Transitional CalFresh households have no reporting requirements. EXAMPLE The Transitional CalFresh household consists of five members; a mother on SSI, a father and three children. The father moves out of the household on January 25, 2012, and this is not reported to the county. The father is approved for CalWORKs and CalFresh on February 5, 2012, in another case. · The father shall be removed from the Transitional CalFresh case at the end of February. The Transitional CalFresh household composition and budget must be readjusted effective March 1, 2012, for the remaining household members. In this case a ten-day notice is required if there is a decrease in Transitional CalFresh benefits. · The rent, which was prorated when the father was included in the Transitional CalFresh household ($1,500/5x4=$1,200) shall be recomputed because the father’s income is also removed. The new rent shall be prorated to $1500/4x3=$1,125. · There is no Transitional CalFresh overissuance since there are no reporting requirements for Transitional CalFresh.

63-323.5 Household Member Becomes Ineligible During the Transitional CalFresh Period

If a member of a Transitional CalFresh household becomes otherwise ineligible for CalFresh (e.g., fleeing felon or receipt of SSI/SSP benefits) during the Transitional CalFresh period, the household’s Transitional CalFresh benefits shall not be re-adjusted. However, if a member of the Transitional CalFresh household moves and starts receiving CalWORKs and/or CalFresh benefits in another household they would have to be discontinued from the Transitional CalFresh household. · If the county receives information in the month after the Transitional CalFresh is granted that one member of the CalWORKs household is a fleeing felon, the fleeing felon will continue to be included in the Transitional CalFresh case because at the time Transitional CalFresh was established they were part of the CalWORKs case. · The fleeing felon would not be included in the Transitional CalFresh case if the County knew prior to the discontinuance of the CalWORKs case and the establishment of Transitional CalFresh. However, if an individual was discontinued from CalWORKs or CalFresh because of an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) conviction, then the individual would not be eligible for Transitional CalFresh. · If the County discovers the fraud after Transitional CalFresh has been started, and once the individual was convicted of the IPV, then the worker would have to remove the IPV household member from the Transitional CalFresh case. · If the individual convicted of an IPV has income, the individual’s income will continue to be counted in the Transitional CalFresh budget.

63-323.6 Inter-County Transfer

Transitional CalFresh Households When households receiving Transitional CalFresh move from one county to another, the original county will continue to provide Transitional CalFresh benefits. However, the Transitional CalFresh case shall be discontinued if the entire household applies for and is approved for CalWORKs and/or regular CalFresh benefits in a different county. Refer to Section 63-329.10. CalWORKs/Public Assistance CalFresh Households State regulations require counties to process cases for inter-county transfer when an assistance unit moves from one county to another within the same state. There is no Transitional CalFresh eligibility when a CalWORKs household moves to another county because the household has not lost CalWORKs eligibility. The new county shall continue to provide CalWORKs and CalFresh benefits to the transferred case..

63-323.7 Transitional CalFresh Households Moving Out of the State

Transitional CalFresh households moving out of state shall continue to receive Transitional CalFresh benefits. The worker shall not discontinue a Transitional CalFresh case when the household moves out of state. · If the Out-of-State EBT Usage Report shows a Transitional CalFresh household is consistently purchasing out of state, Transitional CalFresh will not be discontinued. Transitional CalFresh will continue to be issued even if the County has reliable information the household has moved out of California. · The only “reliable information” that will result in the Transitional CalFresh case being terminated is when discovering a household or household member has applied and been approved for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and/or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) out of state.