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7. People on CalWORKs, General Assistance (GA) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

In California, SSI (Supplemental Security Income) recipients cannot get food stamps. [MPP § 63-402.226; 7 C.F.R. § 273.20(a) .] The value of food stamps is already included in their SSI checks. This is called a “cash-out.”  People who lost their SSI/SSP because of state budget cuts or the federal lifetime limit on refugees, who are in “suspend” status with Social Security, are not cashed out for CalFresh purposes, and are eligible, pursuant to a federal waiver.  ACL 11-46.  The waiver is valid from June 23, 2011 to June 22, 2012.

CalWORKs (the name of California’s TANF program) and General Assistance (GA, also known as General Relief or GR) recipients may be “categorically eligible” (i.e., automatically qualified) for food stamps. [MPP §§ 63-102(c)(3); (g)(1)(A)( and (p)(12), 63-301.7, 63-301.82; 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(2) and (4).] Note that for a GA recipient to qualify for categorical treatment, the GA program must have comparable or more restrictive income criteria than the food stamp program criteria and must provide benefits that are not limited to one-time emergency payments. [MPP §§ 63-301.821; 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(4)(i).]  If everyone in the household is institutionalize or disqualified from the food stamps program, they will not be categorically eligible.  [MPP § 63-301.734; 7 C.F.R. § 273.2 (j)(v)(2); .]

If everyone in the household is eligible for food stamps and also receives CalWORKs or GA, the household is categorically eligible. [MPP §§ 63-301.7, 63-301.82; 7 U.S.C. § 2014(a); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(2)(i) and (j)(4).]

A categorically eligible household does not have to provide verification of certain information, such as resources, gross and net income, social security number, sponsored lien information, and residency. [MPP §§ 63-301.72, 63-301.822; 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(2)(v) and (j)(4)(iii). ]

In determining categorical eligibility, CalWORKs and GA recipients include individuals whose applications have been approved but who have yet to receive benefits, those whose benefits are suspended or recouped, and those eligible for benefits but who do not receive them because their grants are less than a minimum benefit level of $10. [MPP § 63-102(g)(1) and (p)(12); see also 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(2)(iv).]

The special rules about students getting food stamps also technically apply. [7 C.F.R. § 273.5(a), (b); MPP § 63-406.1, 406.2.] In practice, this does not matter for categorically eligible CalWORKs households since all CalWORKs household members can be students and still qualify for food stamps. [MPP § 63-406.215; 7 C.F.R. § 273.5(b)(3).] Household members who are students and are getting GA, however, cannot get food stamps unless they fall into one of the categories of students who can get food stamps. [MPP § 63-406.2; 7 C.F.R. § 273.5(b).]

A CalWORKs household cannot be considered categorically eligible if:

A General Assistance (GA) household cannot be considered categorically eligible if:

  • the household refuses to cooperate in providing information necessary for eligibility determination [MPP § 63-301.824(a); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(4)(v)(A).];
  • the entire household has been cut off food stamps because the head of household fails to comply with work requirements (including the work registration requirement, work training requirements, and not quitting work without good cause) [MPP §63-301.824(b); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(4)(v)(B).];
  • the household is ineligible for food stamps because one of its members is participating in a strike at work (unless the household is eligible at least one day before involvement in the strike begins and on the date of application) [MPP § 63-301.824(c); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(4)(v)(C).];
  • the household is ineligible because it knowingly has transferred resources to qualify for food stamps [MPP § 63-301.824(d); 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(4)(v)(C).]
  • a member of the household is excluded from food stamps based on drug felon or fleeing felon status (see ACIN I-58-08, page 4),

Individuals applying for CalWORKs can apply for food stamps at the same time. [MPP § 63-301.6; 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(j)(1).] People applying for GA can get help applying for food stamps when they apply for GA. [MPP § 63-301.81; 7 C.F.R. §273.2(j)(3)(i).]