County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Joint Processing of CalFresh Applications by the Social Security Administration SSA and the Health and Human Services Agency Number Page 63333 1 of 2 Effective Date 120119 Background Effective 060119 under federal regulations households that include only Supplemental Security Income SSI applicant andor recipient members may apply and be certified for CalFresh under SSA joint processing procedures As a result of these regulations a national Memorandum of Understanding MOU has been established that explains the CalFresh related services that SSA will provide including SSA operations for taking applications Purpose This section details the policy change and impacts related to determining eligibility for these SSA joint applications Policy 633331 Households Eligible for Joint Processing All household members must be SSIState Supplementary Payment SSP applicants or recipients and Not currently receiving CalFresh benefits or Receiving CalFresh and have received a recertification notice in the last 30 days or Have applied for CalFresh in the last 60 days but were denied and Have agreed to apply through the SSA Note Households that include both SSI and nonSSI applicant or recipient members will be referred to apply online or to their local Family Resource Center FRC 633332 Application Submission from SSA Default Application Method GetCalFreshorg will be the SSA default method Secondary Application Method When a customer asks to submit a paper application it will be submitted along with a cover sheet to the Document Processing Center DPC via fax or email within one business day of receipt of the signed application Application Signature When assisting the customer to submit the application through GetCalFreshorg the SSA technician will sign on behalf of the household Federal approval allows the SSA technician attestation that the customer has designated them to sign the application on their behalf is adequate documentation Date of Application For applications received through GetCalFreshorg the date of application will be the date it is received via the interface at the DPC For applications submitted on paper at the SSA office the date of application will be the date the SSA office receives the signed paper application The date of SSA receipt will be indicated on the application County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalFresh Program Guide Joint Processing of CalFresh Applications by the Social Security Administration SSA and the Health and Human Services Agency Number Page 63333 2 of 2 633333 Expedited Services ES The ES processing time standard will begin on the date the signed application is received by the County The SSA technician will screen the application for ES entitlement on the day the signed paper application is received by SSA If the customer appears to be eligible to ES the SSA technician will write Expedited Processing on the first page of the application The County will screen all applications for ES whether or not the SSA technician has identified the application as entitled to ES 633334 No Interview Requirement Applications processed under SSA joint processing procedures will not be subject to a County intake interview The County may only contact the household to obtain information to complete the eligibility determination if The application is improperly completed or incomplete Mandatory verification is missing or Certain information on the application is questionable Customers may also be contacted to determine if they incur deductible expenses 633335 Verification Before requesting documentation verify SSISSP recipient income payment status etc using existing data matches and databases such as Payment Verification System PVS Income and Eligibility Verification System IEVS MediCal Eligibility Data System MEDS Network Program Impacts Other Programs Affected No Impact References All County Letters ACL 1890 1890E and 1944 MPP 63402226 CFR 2731b7ii and 2732k1iA AB 1811 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or by 113022 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations