Categorically Eligible (CE) Households

Definition [63-102c(2)]

A CE household is considered eligible for CalFresh because ALL household members are authorized to receive PA cash benefits.

A PA household is defined as a household in which all members are receiving or authorized to receive some type of public assistance in addition to CalFresh, including CalWORKs, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), SSI/SSP, and General Assistance/General Relief (GA/GR).   

 

Note: The CalFresh household is considered CE for the time a CalWORKs Diversion payment is paid and intended for. 

Within the new PACF household category, there are six subcategories that are determined by the public assistance benefits received by each member. The definitions for these PACF household subcategories are outlined below:

  • PACF CalWORKs-Only Household: a CalFresh household in which all included members also receive CalWORKs cash benefits.

  • PACF Tribal TANF-Only Household: a CalFresh household in which all included members also receive Tribal TANF cash benefits.

  • PACF SSI/SSP-Only Household: a CalFresh household where all members receive SSI and/or SSP benefits.

  • PACF GA/GR-Only Household: a CalFresh household in which all included members also receive GA/GR benefits.

  • PACF Multiple PA: a CalFresh household in which all included members receive public assistance from any combination of the previously mentioned public assistance program types (i.e., CalWORKs, Tribal TANF, SSI/SSP, and/or GA/GR).

  • PACF Mixed: a CalFresh household in which one or more included members receive public assistance from any combination of the previously mentioned public assistance program types (i.e., CalWORKs, Tribal TANF, SSI/SSP and/or GA/GR) and one or more included members receive only CalFresh.

PACF CalWORKs-Only, PACF Tribal TANF-Only,  PACF SSI/SSP-Only, and PACF GA/GR-Only households are all considered categorically eligible for the purpose of determining CalFresh eligibility. 

 

Note: Households not receiving public assistance mentioned above are now classified as Non-Assistance CalFresh (NACF) households.

Impact of Program Sanctions

 Household members who are either sanctioned or excluded from the CalFresh household for another reason will affect whether a household is defined as a PACF household and under which subcategory the household must be placed. Depending on the sanction type, a sanctioned household member may not be considered a CalFresh recipient or public assistance recipient during the sanction period.  
 
CalWORKs and Concurrent CalFresh Sanction Example 

A four-person CalFresh household consists of two CalWORKs recipient members and two SSI/SSP recipient members. This household is defined as PACF Multiple PA. If one of the CalFresh household members who is also a CalWORKs recipient is sanctioned due to refusal to cooperate with Welfare to Work requirements and a concurrent CalFresh sanction is applied, that individual must not be considered a CalFresh or CalWORKs recipient during the sanction period. In this scenario, because all of the remaining household members continue to receive CalFresh and public assistance, the household remains a PACF Multiple PA household during the time period of the sanction. 

If the concurrent CalFresh sanction is lifted before the CalWORKs sanction is lifted, then the individual would only be considered a CalFresh recipient when the CalWORKs sanction continues to be imposed. In this scenario, the household is a four-person CalFresh household consisting of one CalFresh-only member, one CalWORKs recipient member, and two SSI/SSP recipient members. Therefore, the household is a PACF Mixed household because some household members continue to receive CalFresh and public assistance, and one member receives only CalFresh. 
When the CalWORKs sanction is lifted, all members will again be considered recipients of CalFresh and public assistance, and the household will again be considered a PACF Multiple PA household. 

CalFresh Sanction Example 


A three-person CalFresh household comprises two SSI/SSP recipient members and one GA recipient member. This household is defined as PACF Multiple PA. If the household member who is also a GA recipient is sanctioned due to refusal to cooperate with CalFresh work registration requirements, voluntarily quitting a job, or reducing hours worked to less than 30 per month, that individual must not be considered a CalFresh recipient during the sanction period. In this scenario, because all of the remaining household members continue to receive CalFresh and public assistance, specifically SSI/SSP, the household must be considered a PACF SSI/SSP-Only household during the sanction period. 

When the CalFresh sanction is lifted, all members will again be considered recipients of CalFresh and public assistance, and the household will again be considered a PACF Multiple PA household.

 

Refer to Certification Periods.

Zero Grant Cases [(63-102g1A), (63-102p10a)]

Households which are AUTHORIZED to receive CalWORKs or GA benefits are considered CE, regardless of whether they actually receive a payment. This includes households which receive a zero grant due to:

  • Overpayment adjustment.
  • Suspension.
  • Net income equal to or in excess of the maximum PA grant.
  • The grant falls below a GA minimum payment rate.

Related Topics

CE HH Determination

Modified Categorical Eligibility (MCE)