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State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS) Payment
Overview
The enactment of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (aka Farm Bill) mandated that households receive a payment greater than $20 annually in energy assistance payment in order to automatically qualify for the SUA in the computation of their CalFresh allotment. Previously, there was no restriction on the amount of the LIHEAP payment and California paid the nominal payment of 10 cents.
In compliance with the federal mandate, the SUAS program is created in California and replaced the LIHEAP effective July 1, 2014.
The receipt of a SUAS payment during the certification period entitles households to receive the SUA deduction used in their computation of their CalFresh allotment.
Eligibility
The SUAS cash payment ($20.01) is only to be provided to those households who would receive additional CalFresh benefits or become eligible for CalFresh as a result of receiving the payment. These are households who:
- Are otherwise not eligible for the SUA
- Are not receiving the maximum CalFresh allotment for their household size, or
- Are not receiving the maximum shelter deduction (only for those household which contain no elderly or disabled members).
Note: If the homeless household is entitled to the HSD and HSD gives more CalFresh benefits than the SUA deduction, HSD must be granted. The household is not entitled to the SUAS payment.
A homeless household with income applied for CalFresh on July 5, it was verified that the household incurs shelter expenses. The budget computation indicates that SUA gives more CalFresh benefits than HSD. The household will receive SUAS instead of HSD.
Households are NOT entitled to SUAS if they receive:
- The maximum CalFresh allotment, or
- SUA based on incurred heating or cooling expense, or
- The maximum shelter deduction (Excluding Elderly/Disabled households)
Issuance of SUAS
If the household is eligible for SUAS, the SUAS payment must be issued in the month the household is approved for CalFresh and the SUA applies prospectively from the month the SUAS payment is issued until the end of the certification period. The SUA cannot be applied for any month prior to the issuance of the SUAS payment.
A household files a CalFresh application on July 17. The household does not incur heating or cooling costs and is determined eligible for SUAS. The case is approved on July 25 and the SUAS payment is issued to the household on July 27. Since the SUAS payment was issue in July, the household is eligible for the SUA for the month of July and for the remainder of the certification period. If the household remains eligible, the next SUAS payment must be aligned with the households’ next certification.
A household files a CalFresh application on July 17, the case is approved on August 5, and the SUAS payment is issued on August 27. Since the case was approved and the SUAS payment was not issued until August, the household is eligible for the SUA for the month of August and for the remainder of the certification period. The household is not eligible for the SUA for the month of July, even though they are eligible to CalFresh benefits in July.
Expedited Service
At the time of screening the application for entitlement to ES, SUAS determination is not used. When the entitlement to ES is determined by calculating if rent/mortgage and utilities are more than income/resources, use:
- The SUA deduction only if the household is billed separately for heating or cooling costs.
- LUA or TUA if the not eligible for SUA but billed separately for other utilities.
- Rent/mortgage only if the household is not billed separately for utilities.
Upon approval of ES, the household may be eligible for the SUAS payment and the SUA if it meets the eligibility criteria as described in Eligibility.
Changes during Certification
When a change in utility is reported during the certification period, SUAS eligibility must be evaluated and the change must taken place effective the month it is reported. If determined that issuing the SUAS payment and allowing SUA to the household will result in an increase in the household’s allotment, the SUAS payment must be issued and the SUA should be allowed effective the first of the month in which the change is reported.
A household applies for CalFresh on August 10, 2014 and is not eligible for the SUAS payment because the household is already receiving the maximum shelter deduction. The household does not incur separate heating or cooling expenses. The household is certified for 12 months (August 2014 to July 2015.) The household submits a SAR 7 in January 2015 reporting a change in household circumstances resulting in the household no longer being eligible for the maximum shelter deduction. The household still does not incur separate heating or cooling expenses.
The EW determines that issuing the SUAS payment to the household will result in an increase in the household’s allotment and issues the SUAS payment in January, 2015. The SUA should be added to the household's benefit calculation in January 2015 and a supplemental allotment should be issued for the month of January. When the household is recertified in July, 2015, the SUAS payment should be issued again (if the household is eligible for the payment) thus aligning the SUAS payment with the household’s certification period.
Multiple SUAS in a 12-Month Period
Households meeting the SUAS eligibility may receive a SUAS payment of $20.01 for each certification period. Multiple SUAS payments can be made within a 12-month period for the following situations:
- For cases that have a certification period short than 12 months
- When a household reapplies within 12 months after discontinuance of CalFresh.
A household was originally certified from March 2014 to February, 2015 and received the SUAS payment. In August 2014 the household is discontinued for failure to submit the July SAR 7. The household reapplies for CalFresh in October and is approved in the same month the application is filed. The household is certified for 12 months (October 2014 through September, 2015). The household is eligible for the SUAS payment and can receive SUAS in October 2014.
A household was originally certified from July 2014 to June 2015. On December 31, 2014 the household is discontinued for failure to submit the November SAR 7. The household reapplies for CalFresh in April, 2015 and it is approved in May, 2015. The household is certified for 12 months (April, 2015 through March, 2016). The household is eligible for the SUAS payment which should be issued in May, 2015. It is not eligible for the SUA in April because SUA eligibility cannot be applied retroactively prior to the month in which the SUAS payment is made.
Restorations
SUAS payments should not be issued to the household when the case is restored within the same certification period.
A household applies and is approved for CalFresh in August 2014. The household is certified for 12 months (August 2014 through July, 2015). The household is eligible for the SUAS payment which is issued in August 2014. In December 2014 the household is discontinued for not submitting its SAR 7 by the extended filing date. The case is discontinued effective December 31. On January 15, the household submits the completed SAR 7. The case is restored effective January 15 (with January benefits prorated effective that date) and the existing certification period is maintained through July 2015. No new SUAS payment should be made to the household because they received it at the time their case was initially approved. The household, if eligible, would receive its next SUAS payment when the case is recertified.
24 Month Certification Period
For those households certified for 24 months, the county must ensure that the household is evaluated for the $20.01 SUAS payment at the time of the required 12-month contact with the household. If the SUAS payment is not issued at least once every 12 months, the household is not eligible for the SUA based on the SUAS payment.
Transitional CalFresh (TCF)
A household’s eligibility for TCF does not qualify the household for the SUAS payment. As stated in Manual of Policy and Procedures section 63-504.132(a), TCF benefits will be issued in an amount equal to the allotment received in the last month of CalWORKs eligibility, adjusted for the change in household income as a result of the termination of the CalWORKs grant. The TCF households that transition back to regular CalFresh are to be evaluated for SUAS and the SUA eligibility at that time.
Overissuance
No overissuance should be computed for the issuance of the $20.01 SUAS payment or for CalFresh benefits issued in error due to the SUAS payment having been issued.
Inter-County-Transfer (ICT)
In the event of an ICT, counties are responsible for reviewing if a household has previously received the SUAS payment within the current certification period. The sending county must notify the receiving county if and when the household received the SUAS payment during the current certification period. It is critical that counties communicate with each other to ensure that duplicate SUAS payments are not issued in a certification period.
CalSAWS
Intake Cases
All intake cases which are authorized for November benefits and thereafter, will have the SUAS issued in batch the night they are authorized. The SUAS will be issued that night for the cases that are eligible in the month they are authorized.
Recertification
For cases that are determined eligible to SUAS at RC, the SUAS payment will be issued on the 11th (or first business day after the 11th) of the first month of the new certification period, if eligible.
For the November 2014 RRRs that are determined eligible for their new certification period starting in December 2014, the SUAS will be issued on December 11.
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