Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/431369
The People's Guide 2015 34 CalFresh 3. If You Get Free Meals If you do not pay for any of your meals, you may not be able to get CalFresh/ Food Stamps. Even if you don't prepare your own meals you may be able to get CalFresh/Food Stamps if you live in: • a non-profit shelter for domestic violence or homeless people • a drug or alcohol treatment facility • federally-funded housing for the elderly • or a group home for the disabled or blind Some facilities can collect your Cal- Fresh/Food Stamps from you if they use them to feed you. 4. "Households" The term "household" has special definition in this program: it means that you purchase and prepare food together. It does not mean you have a house. A household can be one person who lives alone, or it can be a group of persons, related or unrelated, who live in the same place. There is no limit to the number of "households" that can be in the same home. If each "household" buys and prepares their own food sepa- rately from the other households, they are a "separate household." Some relatives who live together must be included in the same household, even if they do prepare their meals separately. These are: • Your immediate family—you, your spouse, your children age 21 and under • Your parents and you (unless you are over 21) • Those who are acting as parents for a child under 18, unless the child is in foster care • An individual living with the house- hold who is a spouse of a household member. Some relatives can be considered sepa- rate households, even if they live in the same place, including: • Parents living with their adult chil- dren (over 21) • Adult brothers and sisters. Teen parents who reach the age of 19 and are taken out of their own parents' CalWORKs case are still eligible for CalFresh.The parents' income must be counted, but the CalFresh/Food Stamps should not just be cut automatically— call Legal Aid if this happens. 5. Income Limits Income test one: You can have income from a full- or part-time job, unemploy- ment, General Relief, or CalWORKs and also get CalFresh/Food Stamps if the household's "gross" or "total" monthly income is below the following limits. If you are disabled or over the age of 60, this limit does not apply to you. Medi-Cal recipients may be eligible for CalFresh/Food Stamps even if they are over this income limit. There is also a second "net income" test, but some of your income may not count for the second test. If you ap- ply for CalFresh/Food Stamps and are denied based on income tests, contact a legal aid agency for assistance. (Good Advice Pg.68) # in GROSS NET Household Income Limit 1 $1946 $973 2 $2622 $1311 3 $3300 $1650 4 $3976 $1988 5 $4652 $2326 6 $5330 $2665 7 $6006 $3033 8 $6682 $3341 For each additional person, add $ 678 to GROSS Income or add $339 to NET Income (Accurate until Sept. 30, 2015) 6. Resource and Property Limits You may qualify for CalFresh/Food Stamps even if you have cash on hand, money in the bank, own a car, home, or have other assets. If you apply for cash benefits (CAPI, GR, CalWORKs), your assets must be under certain limits, including cars. What Are The Requirements? 1.Semi-Annual Reports You must fill out and return a form called SAR-7 every six months. THIS IS EX- TREMELY IMPORTANT! On the SAR-7, you will be asked to report your income, property and household information. You will also be required to report any changes in your income, property or household that you anticipate in the next six months. Your eligibility and benefits for the next three months will be based on the information you provide on your SAR-7. Under certain circumstances, you must report changes before your required reporting month. You will be assigned to a Semi-Annual Reporting cycle based on the last digit of your case number. Your eligibility worker should let you know the months you are required to submit a SAR-7. If you get the form in the mail, you must fill it out and return it to the DPSS office by the fifth day of your reporting month. You should receive your SAR-7 about one month before it is due. If you don't get it in the mail, you must go to the DPSS office to complete the form. Make sure to get a receipt showing the time and date you submitted the form. If your SAR-7 gets lost, or you do not turn it in, your case will be suspended at the end of that month. Contact your worker or a community agency if you need assistance with filling out the report. 2. Recertification Your case must be reviewed for benefits each year before the end of your certifica- tion period or your CalFresh/Food Stamps will be terminated. You will receive a packet and a letter saying that you need to renew your case if you want to continue receiving benefits, along with a date by when you need to return it. You will need to send it back with copies of income, housing, and utility bills if you are paying for living expenses. Also include other receipts of services you are paying for such as child care. Be sure to complete this on time so you can continue to receive CalFresh/ Food Stamps without a break. The re- certification interviews are usually done over the phone.