County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Number Page 63321 1 of 5 Background Food Stamp Program law and regulations 7 USC 2020s 7 CFR 27312f4 provide state agencies the option to offer transitional food stamp benefits to households leaving the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF program Transitional benefits ensure that such households can continue to meet their nutritional needs as they make the transition from welfare to work Assembly Bill AB 1752 signed August 9 2003 and AB 7231 signed October 2003 established a transitional CalFresh benefit program in California The Transitional CalFresh program was implemented effective January 1 2004 ACL 0366 Policy633211 Transitional CalFresh Eligibility When a Public Assistance CalFresh PACF household loses CalWORKs cash assistance eligible households will receive uninterrupted Transitional CalFresh benefits for five months The amount of transitional benefits will be equal to the allotment received in the last month of CalWORKs eligibility adjusted for the loss of the CalWORKs grant Transitional benefits will not change during the fivemonth period regardless of changes in income resources or household composition Refer to 63323 for household composition changes The household will be eligible for Transitional CalFresh even if the CalWORKs case discontinues due to o Whereabouts unknown o Request for discontinuance the household is entitled to Transitional CalFresh unless the household requests not to have transitional CalFresh benefits o Failure to provide information or verification not needed for CalFresh o An incarcerated parent when the children moves to reside with relatives Note If the child begins receiving CalWORKs in another household the incarcerated parent will continue to receive Transitional CalFresh but the child will be removed due to the receipt of CalWORKs in the other household or o Receiving Family Reunification Services Transitional CalFresh must be issued in the month that CalWORKs benefits are reduced to zero when Family Reunification begins Mixed households when some household members were not receiving CalWORKs are eligible to Transitional CalFresh However the household is not eligible to Transitional CalFresh if any member continues to receive CalWORKs Households receiving a zero CalWORKs cash grant and the minimum CalFresh allotment because of categorical eligibility at the time they are discontinued from CalWORKs are eligible for Transitional CalFresh Refer to 633224 633212 Transitional CalFresh Eligibility ExceptionsThe following households are not eligible to receive Transitional CalFresh Households discontinued from CalWORKs for failing to submit a SAR 7 or RRR County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Number Page 63321 2 of 5 Households discontinued from CalWORKs for submitting an incomplete SAR 7 or failing to complete the RRR Refer to Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Exceptions Procedures The CalWORKs assistance unit was not receiving CalFresh in the last month of cash assistance Households discontinued from CalWORKs due to the loss of state residency Households receiving CalWORKs zero basic grants due to o Administrative costs e g no grant issued due to the payment being below 10 or o The CalWORKs grant is adjusted to zero due to an overpayment adjustment In both instances the households are technically considered to be receiving CalWORKs even though the benefits have been reduced to zero Households being discontinued from Refugee Cash Assistance RCA Households receiving CalWORKs Aid Paid Pending refer to Other Impacts below Households receiving Diversion Payments instead of regular CalWORKs Households that were issued CalWORKs immediate need payments and CalWORKs is later denied due to ineligibility A CalFresh household receiving two CalWORKs grants from two different cases when only one CalWORKs case is discontinued The only eligible CalFresh individual is a fleeing felon probationparole violation Intentional Program Violation IPV or not cooperating with Quality Control QC Knowledge prior to the discontinuance of the CalWORKs case and the establishment of Transitional CalFresh that one member was a fleeing felon or a probationparole violator this household member would not be included in the Transitional CalFresh case However o If after the Transitional CalFresh has been issued it is discovered that one member of the CalWORKs household is a fleeing felon or probationparole violator this household member will continue to be included in the Transitional CalFresh case because at the time the Transitional CalFresh was established heshe was part of the CalWORKs case o If the household is suspected of fraudulently receiving regular CalWORKs or CalFresh benefits after the Transitional CalFresh has been established the household will continue to receive Transitional CalFresh After the household member has been convicted of an Intentional Program Violation IPV they will be discontinued from the Transitional CalFresh case Refer to 633235 In a case of Quality Control noncooperation only the household members failing or refusing to cooperate with a QC review will not be eligible to Transitional CalFresh Refer to Other Impacts below CalWORKs is discontinued due to a CalWORKs sanction or disqualification County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Number Page 63321 3 of 5 633213 Certification Period The Transitional CalFresh certification period will be set for five 5 months after ending CalWORKs assistance and Public Assistance CalFresh This may result in either a shorter or longer certification period than originally assigned in the Public Assistance CalFresh case 633214 Notices of Action DFA 1239 will be sent when the Transitional CalFresh is approved The DFA 1239 notifies the household of the Amount of transitional benefits the certification period and that o The County will send a notice when it is time to recertify at the end of the fivemonth Transitional CalFresh certification period o The household may ask to recertify for CalFresh at any time during the Transitional CalFresh fivemonth certification period and o If the household applies and is approved for CalWORKs or regular CalFresh a new certification period will be assigned The DFA 1239 will also be utilized to Deny a regular CalFresh application recertification request and to inform the household of the continuation of Transitional CalFresh or Discontinue the Transitional CalFresh case In addition to the DFA 1239 the following existing notices will be used during the Transitional CalFresh recertification process CF 29 or CSC 35 Appointment Letter DFA 386 Notice of Missed Interview NOMI Verification Checklist CW 2200 or Request for Information DFA 387 QR 3772 Notice of Expiration of Certification 633215 Reporting Requirements Households are not required to report changes in their circumstances during the Transitional CalFresh period Do not act on changes reported by the Transitional CalFresh household If a Transitional CalFresh household reports a change of address the address will be updated Note Do not discontinue the Transitional CalFresh case if mail is returned unless it shows an out of State address The Transitional CalFresh case can be discontinued with Timely notice if a household verbally requests the discontinuance Adequate notice if the household submits a written request for discontinuance County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Number Page 63321 4 of 5 Procedure Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Exceptions If the household submits a SAR 7 or RRR and fails to meet all of the CalWORKs reporting requirements but meets the CalFresh requirements evaluate the households ongoing eligibility for NonAssistance CalFresh NACF If the household submits the SAR 7 in the month following the discontinuance from CalWORKs and the CalWORKs is restored convert back to PACF and adjust the CalFresh benefits to include the CalWORKs grant with timely notice Household Reporting Requirements If the household requests an adjustment of the CalFresh benefit amount due to a change in circumstances or requests regular CalFresh any time during the fivemonth Transitional CalFresh period inform the household that they can recertify for regular CalFresh benefits and explain the application process Send the CalFresh application form CF 285 to the household or Inform the household they can also apply online via My Benefits CalWIN at the nearest Family Resource Center or by calling 211 San Diego Refer to 63325 for additional information Other ImpactsQuality Control Transitional CalFresh cases are subject to Quality Control QC review Transitional CalFresh cases will be reviewed for accuracy in the following areas Establishing the Transitional CalFresh case Calculation of the benefit amount and Issues concerning duplicate aid State and federal regulations require all households to cooperate with Quality Control QC reviews Therefore the entire Transitional CalFresh case will be discontinued when a household member fails or refuses to cooperate with a QC review When a Transitional CalFresh household has been terminated for noncooperation with a QC reviewer and then complies with the reviewer the Transitional CalFresh benefits could be resumed if there is no break in benefits Otherwise the household must reapply as explained in 63325 HearingsAid Paid Pending Transitional CalFresh households have the right to request a hearing based on the Countys Transitional CalFresh eligibility determination or benefit level However a household cannot be granted Aid Paid Pending APP after the fivemonth certification period ends Households must apply to recertify for CalFresh at the end of the fivemonth certification period as explained in 63324 County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Transitional CalFresh Eligibility Number Page 63321 5 of 5 References MPP 63504 ACL 0366 ACL 1388 ACIN I5808 ACIN I5012 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or by 10312018 Release Date 10162015