CalFresh households must “recertify” their eligibility in order to keep continuously receiving CalFresh benefits. To do this, they must complete a new application before the 15th of the month when their certification period will end. [MPP § 63-504.61; 7 C.F.R. § 273.14(a); ACL 13-18]. In California, most households have a 12-month certification period. Some household with elderly or disabled members have a 24 month certification period. Households that only have elderly and/or disabled members and no earned income are certified for 36 months. [See Elderly Simplified Application Process.] Counties cannot waive or extend the recertification period for workload or budget reasons.] Counties cannot waive or extend their recertification for workload or budget reasons. [ACL 11-57.]
California received a waiver from USDA Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) permitting California to shorten certification periods for CalFresh households at any time to align with other welfare programs (e.g., CalWORKs or Medi-Cal). See ACL 13-08.
The CalFresh office must send recipients a notice giving them a chance to reapply before their CalFresh benefits stop. [7 C.F.R. § 273.14(b)(1); MPP § 63-504.61.] For the rare situation in which someone is certified for 2 months or less, the notice of approval must also be accompanied by the “NEC” notice (notice of expiring certification). [ACL 13-18.]
Federal regulations require the notice tell recipients:
The notice of recertification form is called the CF 377.2. [See ACL 18-118.]
To reapply, most applicants need an interview. All California counties are now required to waive the in-person interview, unless the person wants one that way. [ACL 12-26.]
ACL 12-26 overrides prior letters, which had implemented waiver of in-person interviews for limited populations and/or to recertification.
Whether in-person or by phone, counties can opt to provide “on demand” interviews, where clients can have the interview done any time in a 2 week (10 business days) period. [See ACL 14-20.]
Households in which all adults are are elderly or disabled on “non-assistance” CalFresh (i.e., not receiving CalWORKs or General Assistance) and who have no earned income, are not required to have recertification interviews. [ACL 13-58.] The county should only schedule an interview for this group if (1) they request one; (2) the county appears to no longer be eligible based; or (3) the information the household provided is questionable or contradictory. [Id.] However, a face-to-face interview must be conducted (1) when requested by the household or the household’s authorized representative; (2) when the county determines it is necessary to verify conditions of eligibility; or (3) when the client is in the office submitting an application and wishes to complete the interview. [MPP § 63-300.41.]
The telephone interview should follow the procedures established in MPP § 63-300.45. Otherwise, general interview procedures would apply. (See the section of this guide about the interview process for related details.)
As with the initial application, recipients will also need to give the CalFresh office verification at recertification as well. The county’s request for verification must include examples of what proof will suffice and state that the county can help in gathering the verification. [MPP § 63-300.37; 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(c)(5).] Counties must use the CW 2200 form to request verification. [ACL 14-26.]
If applicants reapply before the 15th day of the last month of their certification period, and remain eligible, the CalFresh office must make sure that the CalFresh benefits keep coming without any break. [MPP § 63-504.61(a); 7 C.F.R. § 273.14(d)(2).]
If the CalFresh office finds that recipients continue to qualify for CalFresh benefits, it will recertify them and give them a new certification period. [MPP § 63-504.61(a).]
If the household submits the recertification application late (i.e., after the 15th day of the last month of the certification period), they may have a delay in getting their benefits. This could also occur if they do not turn their verification in on time or if the county does not have enough time to process the recertification before the period end. Since the county cannot issue benefits beyond the certification period, the benefits will be provided upon completion of the whole process, which may result in a break in aid.
Households applying for a new certification period can get expedited (emergency) CalFresh benefits, if they qualify, because the recertification is not processed in time to avoid a break in aid. [MPP § 63-504.61(a).]
Example: The Usaha household is certified from January to June. They reapply before June 15. The CalFresh office must get them their July CalFresh benefits on time if they are still eligible and if they go to their interview and bring in all of the verification for which the CalFresh office asks. If the Usaha household either turned their application in after the 15th, or if the county could not finish processing the recertification before June 30th, the benefits will stop. If eligible, the county will issue the benefits (in full, to July 1) when done processing the recertification. If the Usaha household otherwise qualified for expedited service, they could request these benefits on July 1st when the aid was interrupted.