HH Decision

Use the following chart to determine household composition:

 

Always include:
  • Persons who purchase and/or prepare meals together.
  • Spouse of a HH member.
  • Children under 18 and under parental control who live with a HH member (except Foster Care children who may be excluded as boarders at the HH's choice);
  • Children under 22 years of age living with their natural, adopted, or step parent(s) even if the child(ren)
  • Are married and living with their spouse and/or
  • Have children of their own living with them and/or
  • Customarily purchase and prepare food separately.

Boarders if:

  • The boarder pays less than the “Thrifty Food Plan” amount, or
  • The HH wishes to include the boarder (even though they pay equal to or more than the “Thrifty Food Plan” or are in Foster Care).

Refer to Boarders for further information.
Include only at HH request:

Boarders who:

  • Pay at least the amount of the “Thrifty Food Plan”, or
  • Are in Foster Care.
Never Include:

Non-household Members:

  • Roomers;
  • Live-in-attendants;
  • Others living with the HH who buy and prepare meals separately.

Excluded HH Members:

  • Students who fail to meet the student criteria;
  • Ineligible ABAWDs
  • Ineligible non-citizens
  • Person(s) who refuse to apply for/provide an SSN;
  • Person(s) disqualified for an IPV including:
    • Fraud
    • Fleeing felons, parole/probation violators,
  • Conviction of a DISQUALIFYING drug felony which occurred after August 22, 1996;
  • Person(s) disqualified for failure to comply with work registration requirements
Allow separate HH status for:
  • Persons who purchase and prepare meals separately EXCEPT those listed in Column 1.
  • A person aged 60 or older who is unable to purchase and prepare meals separately due to a disability as defined in Section 28.2.3 (and their spouse), when the total gross income of the people the individual (and spouse) lives with is under the Income Limit for Elderly/Disabled HHs (165% test).
  • Adult siblings living together that P&P separately.
URAMS:
  • Depending on the HH situation, a URAM may be a HH member, boarder, or separate HH. Follow the guidelines in this chart.
  • An unmarried father whose child is under 22 years of age and is a HH member must be included in the HH UNLESS the only common child is an unborn.

Application

At application, it is important to establish household composition first, before other eligibility factors, because the individual's status may affect the entire household. For example, an IPV-disqualified individual would make the entire CalFresh household ineligible for Categorical Eligibility.

Definition [63-402]

A household is an individual, or a group of individuals who LIVE TOGETHER, and:

  • Customarily purchase and prepare meals together, or
  • Are related by blood or marriage.

Blood or marital relationship is defined as the legal title of spouse, mother, father, daughter, son, and the extension of these relationships using step or half.

Additionally, a household may be composed of a woman alone, or a woman with children, who are temporary residents of a shelter exclusively for battered women and children. Refer to Shelters for Battered Persons [63-503.46].

Note: Blood-related refers to the parent-child relationship.

Elderly/Disabled Separate HHs [63-402.17]

An aged and disabled household member who meets the conditions listed below may be a separate household together with their spouse:

  • The aged and disabled person must be unable to purchase and prepare meals because he/she suffers from:
    • A disability considered permanent on the MINE list. Refer to Definitions.
    • A disability which is not on the MINE list, but which is obvious to the EW. (Document the determination.)
    • A disability which is not obvious to the EW, provided verification of the disability is received from a physician or a licensed/ certified psychologist.

The verification must:

  • Certify that the individual is unable to purchase and prepare meals because he/she suffers from:
    • A non-obvious disability on the MINE list; or
    • A severe, permanent disability not on the MINE list.
      AND
    • Be written on the doctor's letterhead stationery or the SC 76, Request for Medical Information.
  • The total gross income of the other people with whom he/she lives (excluding the income of the elderly and disabled’s spouse) is under 165% of the maximum gross income for an elderly/disabled separate household.

ExampleExample

Mr. and Mrs. John Jones live with their daughter, Linda Smith, her husband and two children. The combined gross income of the Smith family must be less than the Maximum Gross Monthly Income for a household of four.

Joint Custody

Use the info below to determine the household composition when parents share joint physical custody of their children on a 50/50 basis (that is, when the child lives with each parent for the same number of days per month).

JOINT CUSTODY SITUATION HH COMPOSITION
Child eats the majority of meals with one parent. Include the child in the HH with the parent providing the majority of meals.
Child eats an equal number of meals with each parent. Include the child in the HH of the first parent to apply, unless the parents mutually agree otherwise.
Parents mutually agree on the HH in which the child should be included. Include the child in the HH which the parents have agreed upon, regardless of which parent provides the majority of meals.

Children Under Age 22 [63-402.142]

A child under 22 years of age, living with his/her natural, adopted or step parent(s) MUST be included in the same CalFresh household with his/her natural, adopted or step parent(s), even if the child:

  • Is married and lives with his/her spouse and/or
  • Has children of his/her own living with them and/or
  • Customarily purchases and prepares food separately,

Or the parent(s) are elderly/disabled and could be considered a separate household under that regulation. Refer to Elderly/Disabled Separate HHs

If a parent has relinquished his/her parental rights through the courts or parental rights have been terminated through the courts, he/she is no longer considered the parent of the child and separate household status may be grant if the biological parent purchases and prepares food separately from the child.

If a child is adopted, the biological parents no longer have any legal ties to the child and are no longer considered the parents of the child. Therefore, if the biological parent(s) purchase and prepare food separately from the child, separate household status can be granted.

If the step-parent is no longer married to the child’s parent, the “former” step-parent is no longer responsible or under obligation for the support of the child.

Separate HH Denials

Follow the chart below when an applicant applies alone, but lives with others who MUST be included in the household with the applicant.

WHEN OTHER HH MEMBERS... THEN...
Receive CalFresh in another case. Deny the application because the applicant cannot be a separate household. Notify the EW assigned to the other case. Tell the applicant to ask to be included in the other CalFresh household.
Do not already receive CalFresh. Request the information and verification on the other people in the home and continue processing the application for the entire CalFresh household. DO NOT deny the application because the applicant is “not a separate household”. The applicant may withdraw the application if he or she does not wish to apply for the entire household. If the applicant does not wish to withdraw the application, but refuses to provide the information and verification on other household members needed to clear eligibility, deny the application on the 30th day for failure to provide information. Refer to Application. 

Institutions and Group Living

Refer to Institutional Residents for information on residents of institutions and group-living arrangements.

Related Topics

Boarders