WINS Benefit

The WINS benefit will be issued prospectively and continues on a monthly basis until changes reported by the household determine them ineligible. The $10 WINS benefit will be automatically added to the EBT card of any qualifying household each month and continues until the household becomes ineligible. WINS benefits can be used in any state just as CalFresh benefits.

No specific member of the household receives the WINS benefit. Only one WEI in the household meeting the work requirement is needed in order for the CalFresh household to receive the benefit;
Two different families that live together but are part of one CalFresh household can only receive one ten dollar WINS benefit per month regardless of how many families eligible for WINS eligible.
If there are two or more CalFresh households living together in which each are separately receiving CalFresh because they purchase and prepare their food separately, then they are each eligible for WINS and each household will receive a ten dollar benefit.
The WINS benefit will not be counted as income in the CalFresh benefit determination. The WINS food supplement benefit can only be used for the purchase of food as coded by EBT benefit type. Receipt of WINS benefits will not be counted toward the federal TANF 60-month time limit on aid, or toward the state’s CalWORKs 48-month or Welfare-to-Work 24-month time limits and will not trigger child support assignment requirements.

Benefit Determination

WINS eligibility is determined for NACF households at an initial application, recertification, SAR7. WINS will be certified and issued at the same time as CalFresh benefits.

Zero Benefit Cases

In the situation of a zero benefit CalFresh case, NO WINS benefit would be given.

Dormant/Expungements

WINS benefits are good for up to one year from issuance. If the benefits have not been used in the first 135 days of that year, a timely 10-day NOA (TEMP NA 1232) must be sent to an EBT cardholder in the month prior to the account benefits becoming dormant. Benefits become dormant when there has been no debit activity by the cardholder for 180 days. If the benefits are not used for a 12-month period they will be expunged. Once expunged, the WINS benefits cannot be reinstated. Unlike CalFresh benefits, the expunged WINS benefits cannot be used to cover the overissuances of any other program. They are strictly a use-or-lose benefit.

Overpayment

Any payments to the household prior to the discovery that the household was not meeting the work hour requirement will NOT be pursued by the county as an overpayment. The WINS benefit will simply be taken off of the household’s EBT card prospectively. The household would continue to receive the CalFresh portion of benefits.

Mid-Period Reporting

WINS changes are not encouraged during mid-period. Any household that requests the WINS benefits mid-period should be advised that the mid-period report could adversely affect their CalFresh benefits.

When a household makes a mid-period report due to other factors (e.g. household concept change, exceeding IRT), their WINS eligibility must be reevaluated and, as appropriate.

Note: If a household reports a change of income with verification, it would be considered VUR and the EW must act on it regardless of the outcome If the household reports new income and requests for the WINS benefit without providing verification, the EW should explain that the report could adversely affect their CalFresh benefits and suggest to them that it would be better for them to
wait until a regular reporting period.

New CalFresh WINS Aid Codes

When a household qualifies for WINS, the participating CalFresh household’s aid code will be changed to a new WINS aid code. Only one WINS aid code will be assigned per CalFresh household, which will either be R4, R5, R7, or R8. These aid codes are identified as both CalFresh and WINS.

The following new aid codes have been programmed into MEDS and have been effective since January 1, 2014.

R4 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for non-two parent/caretaker relative households receiving Non-Assistance CalFresh.
R5 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for two parent/caretaker relative households receiving Non-Assistance CalFresh.
R6 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for non-two parent or two parent/caretaker relative households receiving CFAP benefits.
R7 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for non-two parent/caretaker relative households receiving TCF benefits.
R8 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for two parent/caretaker relative households receiving TCF benefits.
R9 - Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement for non-two parent or two parent/caretaker relative households receiving TCFAP benefits.

CFAP CODES (R6 & R9)

For the purpose of WINS only, a CFAP only household is defined as any household which contains a CFAP recipient, whether they are an adult or a child, the entire household is considered CFAP; therefore, in a situation of mixed CFAP and non- CalFresh CFAP household the aid code would be the CFAP code R6 or R9 (for TCFAP). Please note that CFAP cases are not distinguished as either two
parent or non-two parent.

Forms and Notices

Denial Notice

A written denial notice for WINS is not required. However, the verbal notification of denial of WINS must be noted in the Case Comments window in CalSAWS.Termination Notices

Termination Notice (WINS 1239)

If a CalFresh household’s status changes and they are no longer eligible for their WINS benefit, an adequate notice of termination stating that WINS was discontinued and why it was discontinued must be issued. The10-day time line is not required. The discontinuance will become effective the month following the month of discovery.

WINS 1

The “New Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement (WINS) Benefit (WINS 1)” is a required form. This form should to be kept in a visible area of the CalFresh office as an informational flyer. The WINS 1 provides CalFresh recipient households with information regarding the ten dollar food benefit provided on their EBT account.

WINS 1239

“CalFresh Notice of Approval/Denial/Termination Work Incentive Nutritional Supplement (WINS) Benefits” (WINS 1239) must be used when approving, denying, or terminating WINS benefits.

Approval portion of this notice is to be issued to any household that meets the WINS criteria and is given the WINS benefit.
Termination portion of this notice is to be issued whenever a household no longer meets the WINS criteria.
The denial portion of this notice can be used when a household specifically requests the WINS benefit (such as during a mid-period) but does not qualify for it. The denial notice is not required, a verbal notification is sufficient.

Exception: The WINS 1239 should NOT be issued for a new CalFresh case that is evaluated for WINS but not approved for WINS. In this case a verbal notification is sufficient; however, the verbal notification should be entered into the case comment.