SNB Program Benefit Amounts

SNB Program benefit amounts will be provided to the CalFresh household through the length of the CalFresh certification period and for each subsequent certification period as long as the formerly excluded SSI/SSP recipient remains in the household and the State funding is available.

The SNB Program benefits should not be prorated. Even if an SNB-eligible household’s regular CalFresh benefits are prorated, a full month of SNB Program benefits will be issued for the month that the prorated regular CalFresh benefits are issued.

The household’s SNB Program benefit allotment is not subject to adjustment due to changes in the household’s circumstances reported mid-period or at the periodic report for purposes of maintaining CalFresh eligibility.

ExampleExample

A household consists of a mom and one SSI child. On June 12, the mom requests implementation of CalFresh expansion. When the SSI child is added to the case effective July 2019, the household’s CalFresh benefit is decreased. SNB begins in July 2019. The client does not submit a complete SAR 7, and the case is discontinued as of Oct 31. The client submits a complete SAR 7 on Nov. 8, and the CalFresh benefits for November are prorated from Nov. 8 under the restoration of aid waiver. However, a full month of SNB amounts for November will be issued to the household.

Continuing Eligibility for SNB

SNB-eligible households will remain eligible for SNB during the certification period as long as the
household:

Continues to receive CalFresh benefits, and
Includes at least one of the same SSI recipient(s) excluded from the household on the implementation date.

Note: Once a household loses CalFresh eligibility and therefore loses SNB Program eligibility, SNB Program eligibility cannot be established. However, If the household’s CalFresh eligibility is restored with or without proration, the SNB Program eligibility will also be restored without proration.

ExampleExample

A household consists of a mother and one SSI child. The SAR 7 is due in Oct. 2019. On July 6, the mother calls to report that the father has moved into the home. The father has no income. The father and the SSI child are added to the case effective August 2019, and the household’s CalFresh benefit is increased by $100. The household is now never eligible to SNB or TNB since the household does not experience a reduction or loss of CalFresh benefits on the household’s effective date (SAR 7 due month, Oct. 2019).

Mid-Period Reporting and Action

Although SNB households are required to meet their CalFresh reporting requirement, they are not subject to CalFresh reporting rules. SNB households are not required to make any SNB-specific mid-period reports or complete an SNB-specific periodic report to maintain SNB. No additional mid-period report requirements.

County-Initiated Mid-Period Action

The household’s SNB Program must be discontinued mid-period when:

A household’s CalFresh eligibility is discontinued;
The county discovers that the household no longer includes at least one of the same SSI recipient(s) excluded on the implementation date, either mid-period or at the SAR 7, RC;
The county receives a voluntary request to close an SNB Program case from the head of household, a responsible adult household member, or the household’s authorized representative, the EW is required to take mid-period action to discontinue the benefit with no further verification.

Note: In addition to a CalFresh notice of discontinuance, the household must also be provided with their SNB Program discontinuance notice (SNB 5) 10 days prior to the date of discontinuance.

Redetermination at CalFresh RC

The SNB Program eligibility will be re-determined at the CalFresh household’s CalFresh recertification, regardless of the household’s effective date. There is no separate SNB Program RC form or process.

If the household is determined eligible for CalFresh at RC, the SNB benefits will continue to be issued according to the SNB Program benefit table. In addition to a CalFresh approval notice the household must receive the Approval for the Supplemental Nutrition Benefit Program notice (SNB 2).

If at the household’s RC, it is determined that the household is no longer eligible for CalFresh, the household will also lose SNB, and the SNB denial NOA (SNB 5) must be sent in addition to the CalFresh denial NOA.

SNB Benefit Issuance

The SNB Program will be issued monthly through the EBT system as a supplement to the household’s monthly CalFresh allotment.

The SNB Program benefits are subject to existing EBT account aging and expungement rules. Expunged SNB Program benefits shall not be reinstated. Refer to the Common Place Handbook Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) chapter for information regarding EBT.

SNB Program Benefit Use

The SNB Program benefits can be used in the same way that CalFresh benefits can be used. Households can use SNB Program benefits to buy food for household members to eat. SNB Program benefits cannot be used to buy alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco products, non-food items, vitamins, and medicines, food that will be eaten in-store, and hot or prepared food, except the household members that are approved for the RMP.

Termination of SNB Program

The household will lose SNB Program eligibility if:

It is determined that the household no longer includes at least one of the same SSI recipients excluded from the household on the implementation date; or
The household becomes ineligible for CalFresh during the certification or at RC.
The household becomes ineligible for CalFresh because they moved out of California and is receiving SNAP in another state.

CalFresh Restorations

If CalFresh benefits are restored following discontinuance for failure to provide the necessary documentation or information required to determine continuing eligibility, will also have their SNB Program benefits restored, without proration, back to the original date of the CalFresh discontinuance. If the household has to reapply for CalFresh benefits after discontinuance, the household is not eligible for the SNB Program.

Case Number Structure

The SNB Program benefit is provided to the household based on the household’s case number at the household’s effective date. Over time, SNB Program eligibility will remain linked to that household based on the case number.

Exception: When a victim of domestic violence that was included as a member of a CalFresh household that also includes the abuser but was assigned a new case number in order to receive CalFresh benefits as a separate household. In this scenario, SNB Program eligibility may be transferred to the household with the new case number. The household with the new case number must continue to include at least one of the same SSI/SSP recipients excluded from the household on the implementation date.