Agenda

Return

D.4

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Kathy Gallagher, Employment & Human Services Director
Date:	July 9, 2019

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Status Update of the CalFresh/SSI Expansion

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 07/09/2019

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

ABSENT:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor

Contact:

925-680-4801

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: July 9, 2019
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Accept the Status Update from Kathy Gallagher.

FISCAL IMPACT:

FY 18/19 State/Federal funding was provided in December 2018 in the amount of $973,280 to cover planning and implementation costs. Because the implementation of the CalFresh Expansion begins in May, this may not be sufficient funding to address the anticipated high numbers of applications in the early months of the program. The CAO is making available up to $300,000 ($600,000 with Federal match) to fill the gap until September when the FY 19/20 CalFresh/Supplemental Security Income (SSI) allocations are known. May Revise shows a very small statewide allocation of $30 million (all funds) for SSI Expansion workload.

BACKGROUND:

Effective June 1, 2019, individuals receiving or authorized to receive Supplemental Security Income/ Supplementary Payments (SSI/SSP) through the Social Security Administration are now eligible for CalFresh or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). CalFresh and SNAP are commonly referred to as “Food Stamps”.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

Individuals who are blind, disabled or over the age of 65 with limited income and resources are eligible for SSI/SSP. Many of these SSI/SSP individuals will now be authorized to receive CalFresh providing all other eligibility criteria are met.

Similar to Health Care Reform, CalFresh Expansion adds a large newly eligible group of people to an existing program under the administration of EHSD. Most of this SSI group are already known to EHSD as Medi-Cal, IHSS and former General Assistance and CalFresh recipients.

According to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) an estimated 10,000 county SSI recipients are eligible to apply for CalFresh benefits. Of this number, approximately 6,500 are In-Home Supportive Services recipients. Also included in this number are approximately 2,500 who are members of existing CalFresh households.

Applications for CalFresh can be submitted in a variety of ways: phone; mail; on-line portals via the Internet; in person at EHSD offices and at staffed sites such as the Food Bank, Family Justice Centers, et al. Home visits can be scheduled for application processing.

To meet the influx of applications, which has been higher than the State estimated, EHSD has added several temporary and permanent positions and has been reassigning existing staff from their current duties to assist with the eligibility determination process. This "all hands on deck" approach will continue for the foreseeable future. The CDSS has halted their outreach and advertising programs and instructed their contractors to do the same as they acknowledge that counties around the State, not just Contra Costa County, are struggling to handle the unanticipated workload, and the confusion caused by some inaccurate information included in the State issued material. Counties are working with CDSS to address and mitigate these issues, and improve the ability of the counties to appropriately provide CalFresh benefits to eligible SSI recipients.

CLERK'S ADDENDUM

Speakers: Larry Sly, Food Bank; Cassidie Bates, Food Bank; Lauren Hansen (handout attached); Marianna Moore, Ensuring Opportunity; David Gerson, Multi-Faith Coalition.