CalFresh Update 2025-10: State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS) Payment (Revised)
CalFresh Handbook
| Date | References | Clerical | Implementation |
| 10/28/25 Revised (01/27/26) | ACL 25-68 | N/A | 10/31/25 |
Background
On July 4, 2025, the House of Representatives 1 (H.R.1) was enacted into law, limiting the SUAS to households with elderly or disabled members.
Changes
Implementation
The revised SUAS eligibility criteria must be applied at:
- Initial certification for new applicants.
- For ongoing cases at the household’s next recertification. If a household is no longer eligible for SUAS, they must be evaluated for other utility deductions they may qualify for, such as the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA), Limited Utility Allowance (LUA), or Telephone Utility Allowance (TUA).
- For a household certified for more than 12 months (i.e., 24 or 36 months), the CalSAWS will reassess SUAS eligibility every 12 months.
- During the certification period, do not remove SUA eligibility solely because the household no longer includes an elderly or disabled member. Even if the only elderly or disabled member leaves the household, the SUA deduction must remain. If the household begins incurring heating or cooling costs, the case should be updated accordingly. A verbal statement from the household is sufficient to verify utility expenses unless the information is questionable. Do not issue a mid-period CW 2200 solely to verify utility expenses for this purpose.
The topic State Utility Assistance Subsidy (SUAS) Payment has been revised to address changes in household eligibility criteria for SUAS.
Data Systems
Automation will be implemented 10/31/25.
Forms
Notice to CalFresh Recipients (CF 1)
The CF 1 informs SUAS eligible households about the SUAS payment issued to their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account. It has been revised to include updated eligibility criteria and must be used to notify CalFresh households of these changes.
The revised CF 1 has been printed as posters and distributed to District Office Managers for display in lobby areas. The posters are available in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
Revision 01/27/26
Treatment of Energy Assistance Payments Made Under State Law
Effective upon completion of automation, 01/26/26, any payments made under a state law to provide energy assistance to a household are treated differently depending on whether the household includes an elderly or disabled member. For households with an elderly or disabled member, these payments are considered an out-of-pocket expense incurred and paid by the household. As a result, the SUAS payment will continue to be excluded from consideration as income. Payments made to a household without an elderly or disabled member will be considered unearned income.
The following topics have been revised to address the policy change:
Department of Employment & Benefits Services
Contact Person(s): Ana Guitron, SSA BPIS