EBT Theft – Replacement of Stolen CalFresh

By Shelly Dieu & Anae Evangelista

EBT theft costs California more than $10 million dollars a month in 2023. Amid the rampant EBT theft, many community members receiving CalFresh have been victims to EBT fraud and tactics resulting in stolen benefits.  

From the federal side, the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2022 has set the stage for federal reimbursement of stolen benefits. The Federal Nutrition Service has approved the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) plan for a two-month reimbursement of stolen benefits. 

 If you or someone you know have gotten CalFresh benefits stolen, continue reading to find out more about the replacement process. Several changes to the EBT Theft replacement policy have gone into effect starting December 1st. 

 Normally, CalFresh recipients who experience EBT Theft must file the EBT 2259 form within 90 calendar days from the date of theft in order to receive replacement benefits. However, CalFresh recipients who were victims of EBT theft between Oct. 1st of 2022 to November 30th of 2023 will now be allowed to receive retroactive replacement benefits, for up to 2 months worth of benefits. They must file an EBT 2259 form with your county to request the replacement benefits. This is great news, however, the time to call for retroactive replacement is short. CalFresh recipients who were victims of fraud only have until February 29, 2024 to call the county at: (866) 262-9881. 

CalFresh recipients will qualify for retroactive replacement benefits for past cases of EBT Theft if: 

1. They were previously denied replacement for not meeting the reporting requirements. 

2. They never filed an EBT 2259 form for the EBT theft issue. 

3. They received only 1 months worth of replacement benefits. Families can now receive benefits for up to 2 months worth of benefits. 

The EBT 2259 form can be submitted by calling the county to report the claim or by going in person to a county family resource center or by uploading the form to LaterDocs or BenefitsCal. We also have our great network of community based application assisters to help navigate through this process: https://www.sandiegohungercoalition.org/getcalfresh.  

 Please keep in mind that CalFresh households may only receive up to two instances of replacement benefits. These claims can be filed until February 29th, 2024. 

How can families protect themselves from EBT Theft? 
In order to protect themselves from electronic theft in the future, CalFresh recipients should:  

1. Frequently check on their transaction history and balance for unauthorized charges. CalFresh recipients can do so by:  

   -Logging into BenefitsCal  

   -Calling (877)328-9677 

   -checking their balance at the bottom of receipts  

2. Never give out their card number and pin   

   -Do not answer texts or emails requesting this information 

   -Do not give it out over the phone 

   -Cover the keypad during in-person transactions 

3. Double check for a skimming overlay or suspicious attachments on card reading machines 

If a CalFresh recipient notices any unauthorized charges on their account, their pin should be changed immediately to prevent further loss. You can do so by calling the number on the back of their EBT card. 

 If you or anyone you know has any issues requesting EBT Theft replacement benefits, please email calfresh@sdhunger.org. 

By Shelly Dieu (she/her), CalFresh Program Manager & Anae Evangelista (she/her), CalFresh Program Coordinator.
 

Elderly Simplified Application Project gets a user-friendly paper application form to help community members apply for CalFresh

By Shelly Dieu & Anae Evangelista

Earlier this year, the California Department of Social Services released a simplified application form, the CF 485, meant to help older adults and people with disabilities apply for food benefits via the CalFresh program. Historically, it has been difficult for seniors and individuals with disabilities to apply for and receive benefits due to lack of awareness, technological barriers, and misconceptions of the application process. Our network of application assisters in community-based organizations (CBOs) in San Diego County can assist with the CalFresh application in person with printed forms. 

What is CalFresh? 
CalFresh provides families with monthly benefits that can be used to purchase groceries – which allows families to access healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods. Through CalFresh, households of 4 can even get as much as $973 a month for groceries.  

What is the Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)? 
The Elderly Simplified Application Project is a demonstration program that aims to increase the participation of the elderly and disabled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/CalFresh program. ESAP is a collection of policy and process changes that simplify the application, interview, and verification processes for SNAP/CalFresh.  

Some of these benefits include:  

1. A simplified paper application with the CF 485 form. 
   -The application was formatted to be easy to read and understand, and may submitted in-person to a county Family Resource Center or online via the Benefitscal platform.

2. Reductions in verification requirements.
   - Electronic data matches can be used to verify identity, income, residency, medical expenses, and other verification requirements.
   - Applicants will not be required to submit as many documents and can ask for county workers to assist them in locating verifications via backend systems.

3. Extension of the certification period to 3 years for elderly/disabled households with no earned income. 
   -After approval for CalFresh, most families will have to renew every 6 months through a SAR7 form. However, through ESAP, older adults and individuals with disabilities will only need to renew their benefits every 3 years. 
   - This will make it easier for households to keep their benefits after being approved!

4. Waived interview requirements during renewal. 
   - During recertification of benefits, an interview is typically required for the CalFresh household. However, through ESAP, it is waived, and elderly/disabled households will not have to complete one. 

Only households made up of older adults and/or individuals with a disability with NO earned income are eligible for ESAP – this includes SSI recipients. 

Through ESAP, it’s easier than ever for older adults and individuals with disabilities to apply for and be approved for CalFresh benefits.  

By Shelly Dieu (she/her), CalFresh Program Manager & Anae Evangelista (she/her), CalFresh Program Coordinator

Celebrating Community-Based Organizations' Application Assisters with CalFresh Awareness Month

By Anahid Brakke (she/her)

May is CalFresh Awareness Month! CalFresh, also known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a federal food assistance program that provides benefits for eligible households to purchase groceries and bolster food security.  

This month is especially important to build awareness in San Diego County, as one of the main barriers to program participation is a lack of awareness around eligibility requirements. This month, we celebrate the incredible work of application assisters and the importance that they play. Thankfully, we have local community-based organizations (CBOs) that play a significant role in our county to support awareness, outreach, and enrollment efforts. As pillars of the community, CBOs are often the first point of contact for individuals seeking assistance with the application process, and they are uniquely poised to provide supportive, effective, and culturally competent application support through their trained CalFresh Application Assistors.  

For CalFresh Awareness Month, we would like to highlight the crucial role that our subcontracted CBO application assisters fulfill in San Diego County to increase CalFresh enrollment. Application assisters can evaluate someone's eligibility and guide them through the application process, while also deciding how to best support them, by offering the languages a community member(s) prefer and helping to dispel misconceptions or fears about CalFresh with trusted information.  

We are proud to partner with such organizations across the county with rooted connections that can reach unique communities in each place. All organizations subcontracted with the San Diego Hunger Coalition go through our in-depth CalFresh 101 training to help assist with a broad range of applications. It is here where application assisters are trained to advocate for community members and know how to overcome barriers to enrollment. For example, application assisters will go through the process of assisting clients with collecting information such as navigating how to access paystub information since many clients have direct deposit. Application assisters will also sit down with applicants to see if additional expenses such as childcare can be considered to boost benefit amounts. Application assisters in community-based organizations ensure that clients will have a higher likelihood of approval. Many of our partners have been doing this work and contributing to increased nutrition security for years.

You can find our network of partners here: https://sdhunger.org/getcalfresh

You can find our FAQ geared towards community members here: https://www.sdhunger.org/calfresh-for-community-faq. 

Anahid Brakke (she/her) is the President & CEO of San Diego Hunger Coalition

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How families can maximize their CalFresh Benefits

By Anahid Brakke (she/her)

CalFresh benefits provide families with purchasing power and access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate foods. Families have been especially empowered through CalFresh emergency allotments, which were extra benefits provided as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the economy. These provided families with at least $95 more in CalFresh benefits every month.

As of February 28th of 2023, these emergency allotments have officially ended, and many families saw their benefits drop for the first time in three years – some households even saw benefits drop from $281 to the minimum of $23.

CDSS (California Department of Social Services) and counties across California have provided families with communication to prepare them for the end of emergency allotments, but one question lingers on the minds of families and service providers alike – what can families do?

It is especially important for families to ensure that they are receiving the maximum amount of benefits they are eligible for. CalFresh benefit amounts are determined by the family’s net income after deductions from eligible monthly expenses. Reporting these expenses may lead to a higher amount of CalFresh benefits being loaded onto a family’s EBT card every month. The county may request documentation to verify some of these expenses.

If you’d like to read more details about eligible expenses that may increase benefits, we recommend checking out the Maximizing Benefits Flyer (available in English and Spanish). Eligible monthly expenses include:

1.      Shelter Expenses

a.      Contrary to popular belief, shelter expenses are not limited to just mortgage costs or rent payments.

b.      They can also include but are not limited to homeowner association (HOA) fees, taxes and insurance on the house, and repairs to the house caused by natural disaster.

2.      Utility Expenses

a.      Households are eligible to deduct utility costs if costs are separate from rent/shelter costs.

b.      Utilities can include water, heating and cooling costs, gas, telephone costs, sewage, and trash collection.

3.      Dependent Care Expenses

a.      This includes any kind of care costs for children and other dependents (including care for adults).

b.      This can include but is not limited to daycare costs, summer camp costs, Youth Programs (such as YMCA and Boys' and Girls’ Club), and babysitting payments to family, friends, or other individuals.

4.      Child Support Payments

a.      Households are eligible to deduct child support payments to someone outside of their CalFresh household. These do not include alimony payments.

i.     A court-ordered letter will be required by the county for verification of this expense.

5.      Medical Expenses

a.      Households with an elderly or disabled member are eligible to deduct monthly medical expenses.

b.      Allowable medical expenses include but are not limited to: Insurance premiums, medical supplies, hospitalization or outpatient treatment, prescription drugs, transportation costs, dental and eye care, attendant/health aid, maintaining service animals, and medical equipment and associated energy costs.

6.      Homeless Shelter Expenses

a.      Individuals experiencing homelessness are eligible to report expenses related to additional shelter costs. This expense can include but is not limited to:

i.     Car payments (if living in their car)

ii.     Motel payments

iii.     Other shelter expenses

7.      College Students

a.      College students applying for CalFresh may be eligible to deduct their education expenses. This can include tuition, mandatory fees, and other school supplies.

Many families are unaware that these expenses may lead to increased benefits and fail to properly report their eligible monthly expenses. A senior in San Diego county recently reached out to the San Diego Hunger Coalition and shared her experience with reporting expenses. She was originally unaware that her costs to maintain her service animal counted as an eligible medical expense, but after reporting the expense to the county, she successfully saw an increase to her benefits and described the benefit change as “life changing for [herself] and [her] two service dogs.”

Like this senior, many families fail to properly report their eligible monthly expenses, and this can lead to families receiving less benefits than they are actually eligible for.

Takeaways

To ensure that families are receiving the maximum amount of CalFresh benefits possible, it is best to contact the county to report all monthly expenses and check that information on income is accurate. San Diego County’s office can be reached by calling Access at 1-(866) 262-9881.

If you have any questions or would like to get connected with further assistance, please contact the San Diego Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh Team at calfresh@sdhunger.org.

Anahid Brakke (she/her) is the President & CEO of San Diego Hunger Coalition

Rx for Food Security

You are what you eat . . . an apple a day keeps the doctor away . . . breakfast is the most important meal of the day . . .

Everyone has heard these adages at some point in their lives, and we generally don’t think much of them. But there is a lot of truth to these old sayings and healthcare providers are beginning to take them seriously.

Why? Because we’ve learned that when people don’t have enough to eat, can’t afford to buy healthy food, or don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, it can affect their health for the rest of their lives. One of the best ways to ensure healthy living is to make sure everyone has enough to eat, from infancy through old age and every day in between.

We know that a good diet is linked to good health, which is why healthcare providers are beginning to make food insecurity screening and food assistance referrals a part of patient care visits. Recent research shows that not only is a doctor’s visit a good place to screen for food insecurity, but people are more likely to use food assistance if they see it as part of their healthcare regimen.

Unfortunately, very few medical school curriculums incorporate education around nutrition or food insecurity, leaving many doctors, nurses, and healthcare practitioners unsure of where to begin. What is needed is a curriculum to teach medical professionals what to look for, how to talk about it, and what the next steps are for their food insecure patients.

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This is exactly what San Diego Hunger Coalition and Sharp HealthCare have developed: a 4-part Continuing Medical Education course, available online for free to medical professionals and the general public.

In the course, you can expect to learn: 

1.    What food insecurity looks like and how it is linked to health outcomes.

2.    How to have a sensitive conversation about a person’s basic needs and how to find out if they are food insecure.

3.    What to do to connect someone with food assistance and what resources are available.

4.    How to know if your efforts are successful and how you can advocate for hunger relief.

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

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It’s not enough to simply make food assistance available, we must make it easy to access. Innovative solutions like this are bringing us closer to our vision of a San Diego County where everyone has enough to eat.

Would you like to support innovative approaches to ending hunger?

Food Insecurity on College Campuses

Written by: Salma Soliman, Student Intern, University of California, San Diego (Graduated 2019)

Since the beginning of 2015, San Diego Hunger Coalition (SDHC) has been working towards addressing the unfortunate yet prevalent issue of college hunger. In an effort to meet students where they are, the Hunger Coalition has brought together campuses and hunger relief partners to provide food assistance and resources to low-income students.

Food or books?

With the on-going inflation of college tuition and cost of living, the number of students struggling with food insecurity has increased greatly; more than 40 percent of University of California and California State University students have reported food insecurity in recent years. Due to financial struggles, many students are forced to skip meals which results in an array of negative effects, including deciding whether to prioritize school or their health.

College hunger must be addressed and prioritized. If it persists, it has the power to widen the disparities in academic success and health. If students are struggling to meet basic needs it is likely they will struggle in different aspects of their life, including their academic work. Those who are food insecure, not getting the appropriate amount of nutrition needed, often feel less energized, have difficulty focusing, and tend to prolong their studies three times more than those students who did not experience food insecurity.  

Up until a few years ago there was little discussion around college hunger. The old trope of the starving college student who lives on ramen normalized college hunger. Within the past few years a new discourse has emerged. The passage of critical state legislation (AB1930) created a window of opportunity for San Diego Hunger Coalition to mobilize the hunger relief community and campuses to connect students to food resources, beginning with CalFresh/SNAP. For the past four years, the CalFresh Task Force has prioritized, “Connecting College Students to CalFresh,” resulting in the development of an online toolkit, San Diego County specialists stationed at college campuses, and dozens of CalFresh-in-a-Day workshops hosted at more than 10 campuses across the county.

CalFresh, paired with expanding on-campus food pantries, provides students with the support they need to refocus their energies on academic success!

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If you or someone you know is a college student and needs food assistance, San Diego Hunger Coalition can help! Check out our College Hunger Toolkit!

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College students want to be heard:

If you could tell anything to politicians or the media about CalFresh or student hunger, what would it be?

“I would just say to listen – listen to what the community is saying, because obviously we are saying it for a reason. We are not complaining for no reason. Take notice of what is going on in the community because it is a dire need out there for food, people really are struggling.”

-Imani, Student at San Diego State University

Could you speak to the challenges of student hunger?

“It’s kind of tough, you know. Sometimes I just survive on granolas. I could show you the amount of granolas I have in my backpack – it’s so many. Because sometimes I just don’t have enough money to go buy food every day .”

Mitzy, Student at San Diego University

What do you think some common misconceptions people have about CalFresh are?

“I think one of the misconceptions is that it’s wrong to ask the government for help. I’m hoping that one day I’ll graduate and have the kind of money to give back what I took. Some people are really stubborn – they don’t want to have other people help them.”

-Edward, Student at San Diego State University

Can you speak to why you are passionate about student hunger?

“I am passionate about student hunger because I know what it feels like. I’ve been there. I’m currently still there, in those shoes. And I wouldn’t want another student to feel hungry or even to go through those kind of feelings that I’ve been through…”

-Elaine, Student at Southwestern College

2019 CalFresh Challenge

Every year, the San Diego Hunger Coalition challenges San Diego residents to eat on the average CalFresh budget for up to five days. For the 2019 CalFresh Challenge, the budget was $4.07/day per person. The purpose of the challenge is to raise awareness of hunger in our communities while giving people a glimpse of what it is like to live on a meager food budget.

This year, several of our staff members took the CalFresh Challenge for the full five days. Below are some pictures from their week.

If you took the CalFresh Challenge, we would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. If you were unable to take the challenge this year, that’s okay! There are lots of ways you can support hunger relief in our community, including making a donation to support our CalFresh Outreach Program.

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Joe Shumate, Communications Officer

Shopping trip for Joe and his wife. They found it easier to stay on the CalFresh budget if they prepared a mostly vegan menu.

Joe’s lunch every day during the CalFresh Challenge.

Joe’s dinner for two nights of the challenge.

This was Joe’s dinner for one of the nights. He was finishing up his master’s degree with late-night classes and found he didn’t have the energy to cook by the time he got home after working all day and then going to school.

Dinner for Joe and his wife - cucumber nori rolls.

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Amanda Schultz Brochu, Senior Director of Programs

Amanda’s shopping trip for the CalFresh Challenge. Amanda has done this challenge for several years and has learned how to shop for healthy and filling food on a limited budget. It’s a skill and takes time.

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Jaqueline Hess, CalFresh Program Manager

Jaqueline’s shopping trip for the CalFresh Challenge.

Dinner and Jaqueline’s lunches for the week.

One of Jaqueline’s dinners. She admits it wasn’t the healthiest choice, but it was one of the most affordable on her limited budget.

CA Seniors, people with disabilities, newly eligible for both SSI and CalFresh!

Starting in June 2019, major changes are coming to Californians who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Previously, SSI recipients were ineligible in California to also receive CalFresh (SNAP) benefits. This will end in June!

For more information, check out our SSI Repients page on our website.

Nonprofit and community organizations can find helpful resources on our SSI partner page.

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Background:

When the SSI program began in the 1970’s, states were given the option to include a cash benefit for food, lumped into SSI payments, instead of providing food stamps for SSI recipients. This was known as the “SSI Cashout” and was a way for states to save on administrative costs while still providing for their low-income residents.

Over the years, the SSI Cashout has become a problem for many low-income Californians. One of the problems is that the $10 food benefit started in the 1970’s never saw an increase. in 2019, SSI recipients still get the same $10 for food assistance, while they remain ineligible for CalFresh benefits. Additionally, the current individual SSI benefit total is the same level it was in 1983! Someone on SSI will receive an average payment of $932/month while the 2019 federal poverty level is $1,040/.month.

What does this all mean?

Many Californians are below the poverty level and struggling to meet their basic needs. Those on SSI often have to make the tough choices between paying for housing, medicine, and food. The Hunger Coalition was active and instrumental in gathering momentum to end SSI Cashout an reinstate state funding to increase SSI benefits and a Cost of Living Adjustment. This year, these efforts were successful! The changes that take effect in June 2019 have the potential to significantly reduce food insecurity among seniors and people with disabilities in San Diego County and across the state of California.

The San Diego Hunger Coalition is actively training and working with local nonprofit organizations, the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, and the California Department of Social Services to educate and inform those affected by the changes and encourage those eligible for CalFresh to apply. We have created special web pages with information and resources for both SSI recipients and the organizations that serve them.

Questions? Contact Jaqueline Hess, CalFresh Program Manager, at jaqueline@sdhunger.org.

San Diego Hunger Coalition and the Hunger Advocacy Network Oppose the Cuts and Changes to SNAP Included in the House of Representative’s Draft of the Farm Bill

SAN DIEGO, April 12, 2018 –  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as CalFresh locally, and formerly known as food stamps) that serves more than 260,000 residents of San Diego County is being targeted for devastating structural changes that will increase hunger and poverty in our region. The federal Farm Bill, which houses the SNAP program, is scheduled to be reauthorized this year. The House of Representative’s Agriculture Committee released their first draft of the Farm Bill yesterday which disregards evidenced-based policymaking in favor of unfounded and aggressive work requirements as well as other restrictions that will harm low-income people and families teetering on the edge of stability.

Proposed changes to SNAP in the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee’s version of the bill include creating harsher rules for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs), who like many others turn to CalFresh/SNAP when jobs are lost, hours are cut, or wages don't cover basic living expenses. The proposal would place an additional burden on states to develop new bureaucracies to develop and implement employment and training programs on an extremely limited budget of $300 per participant. The proposal also expands work requirements to CalFresh/SNAP beneficiaries between ages 18 and 59 who aren’t disabled or raising a child under age six.

Additionally, the House's version of the Farm Bill also proposes to eliminate what is known as "categorical eligibility" for the majority of CalFresh/SNAP households with gross incomes modestly above 130 percent of the federal poverty line, regardless of how high the household’s child care or housing costs may be and whether such costs leave them with disposable income below the poverty line. Categorical eligibility is currently used by 40 states, including California, to adjust income cutoffs and asset limits so that low-wage working families don't abruptly lose their CalFresh/SNAP benefits when they earn slightly more.   Click here for an issue brief on CalFresh/SNAP's impact in San Diego County. 

“The San Diego Hunger Coalition and Hunger Advocacy Network are deeply disappointed with the proposed changes to the SNAP program included in the House of Representatives Agriculture Committee’s draft of the Farm Bill. The current average CalFresh benefit per person is $4.10 per day. This amount already isn’t enough. These changes will be devastating to our region’s most vulnerable populations, many of whom are working hard but falling short due to low wages and San Diego County’s high cost of living. CalFresh/SNAP helps people cover the basic need of putting food on the table so they can get back on their feet more quickly,” said San Diego Hunger Coalition Executive Director Anahid Brakke.

To help raise awareness and show our representatives in Congress how much CalFresh/SNAP means to San Diego County, the San Diego Hunger Coalition and Hunger Advocacy Network are encouraging people to walk in the shoes of someone on CalFresh/SNAP by taking their 2018 #CalFreshChallenge from May 7 - 11. Register for the #CalFreshChallenge at SDhunger.org/CFC.

Each year, the San Diego Hunger Coalition encourages people who don’t have to worry about having enough food to try living on the average CalFresh benefit per person of $4.10 for one day on May 7th or $20.50 for all five days from May 7-11.  The #CalFreshChallenge is a way to raise awareness about the benefit of the program, advocate for hunger relief policies with elected officials, and raise money for the San Diego Hunger Coalition’s CalFresh Task Force to help connect more eligible people in need to the program.

A Year in Review 2017

As we look back on the past year, we’re motivated by everything we and our more than 100 partners accomplished together to help our fellow San Diego residents access the food assistance resources.

Now, we’re sharing our favorite 2017 wins with you. Thanks to your support, we:

1. Saved Breakfast in the Classroom for at least one more year for more than 1,000 students in the Lemon Grove School District by providing advocacy training and support to our partners as well as parents and students.

2. Supported the City of Oceanside and Oceanside Unified School District to expand afterschool suppers and Summer Meals in the city thanks to a grant from the National League of Cities, Combating Hunger through Afterschool and Summer Meal Programs (CHAMPS) initiative.

3. Helped more than 215 households access food assistance by resolving over 230 technical issues with their CalFresh/SNAP applications.

4. Trained 369 staff, volunteers, and interns from hunger relief and human service agencies to provide CalFresh/SNAP application assistance.

5. Directed more than $326,000 to local nonprofits helping low-income individuals and families apply for CalFresh/SNAP, as a contractor for the state CalFresh Outreach Program.

6. Supported the passage of 4 State hunger relief policies that will help more eligible children and adults enroll in CalFresh and free and reduced-price school meals and broadens the tax credit for donated fresh fruits and vegetables.

The fight to end hunger continues in 2018. Our partners on the ground know how great the need for food assistance is, but the current administration has set its sights on dismantling and weakening CalFresh/SNAP by targeting the program for deep cuts disguised as “entitlement reform.” It will take all of us, raising our voices and telling our stories, to protect and strengthen these programs so that they remain available for the nearly 500,000 food insecure people in San Diego County.

You can get involved in the fight against hunger by signing up to be a Hunger Free Activist, sharing your experience with CalFresh, or making a donation to support our work.