Work Registration Requirements

Overview [63-407.1]

All adults aged 16 through 59 who are not exempt must be registered for work at application and once every 12 months after initial registration. Refer to Registration Procedures for directions on how to register someone for work.


The Social Services Benefits Specialists (SSBSs) must inform all work registrants of the availability of the CalFresh Employment and Training (CFET) program as one of the ways to satisfy their work requirements. CFET program information must be provided to work registrants through (or a combination of):


Work registrants must be informed about the CFET program during their initial certification, recertification, or any required reporting appointment. After informing a work registrant about the program's availability, the SSBS must document how and when the information was provided in the CalSAWS case journal.

CalFresh Work Rules

According to the 2018 Farm Bill, counties must give written notice and verbally explain the CalFresh work rules to household members affected by the rules. These rules include work registration, the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit, and CalFresh employment and training (E&T).

CalFresh Work Rules Oral Script

To comply with federal regulations, the state has provided a comprehensive oral script that includes CalFresh general work requirements, ABAWD work rules, and employment and training information.

Note: SSBSs do not need to read the entire script but should identify the circumstances of household members and explain what is applicable based on each individual's circumstances.


The script is added to the intake and recertification (RE) telephonic signature (TS) script and is available for the SSBS to explain the work requirements to households with members subject to CalFresh work rules.


The oral explanation must include the information detailed within the CF 886, including the names of all CalFresh household members subject to one or a combination of the CalFresh work rules and the specific work rules applicable to the individual.


SSBSs should answer questions that arise during the oral explanation to ensure that the household member fully understands the work rules.

Important: Federal and state regulations prohibit the use of pre-recorded content for oral scripts.

When to use Oral Script

During Intake and RE interviews:

SSBSs use this script after screening for an exemption to determine which requirements apply to which household members at certification and recertification.

During intake and recertification interviews, the SSBS must explain a household's work requirements in simple and user-friendly language. After the interview, the CalFresh Work Rules Notice (CF 886) must be mailed to the household.


If household members who are required to meet work requirements are not present when the SSBS is delivering the oral explanation, the SSBS should explain the work requirements to another adult in the household or authorized representative and stress that the absent members must follow the information in the CalFresh Work Rules Notice (CF 886) once they receive it in the mail.

During the Certification Period:

When an individual becomes a mandatory work registrant during certification, SSBSs must attempt to reach the household and provide a comprehensive oral explanation of CalFresh work rules. The CF 886 must be sent even if the SSBS cannot get ahold of the household to provide a comprehensive oral explanation and has attempted to make a good-faith effort. For example, if the household reports a change that causes a household member to lose exemption status, or a person becomes age 16.

Overview of the Oral Script

The CalFresh Work Rules Oral Script is divided into the following sections:

Instructions for Social Services Benefits Specialist

This section explains how Santa Clara County may use its oral script. The SSBS must:

  • Adapt the script according to the specific needs of the household.
  • Update CalSAWS when additional information regarding exemption eligibility is provided, and
  • Remind the individual to read and follow the information in the CF 886 when received.

Section 1: Introduction

This section provides information on CalFresh work rules, which may vary by household, and the importance of reviewing the CF 886 once received.

Section 2: General CalFresh Work Rules (Work Registration)

This section informs the household about CalFresh work rules and what to do to receive CalFresh benefits. The SSBS must clearly communicate the requirements for work registrants, work registration exemptions, consequences for failure to comply with the rules, and good cause for not meeting the general CalFresh work rules.

Section 3: Work Requirement for ABAWDs

This section must be read to the household if it contains an ABAWD, even if the county is under an ABAWD time limit waiver.


As a reminder, regardless of whether a county has an ABAWD time limit waiver in place, counties are required to identify ABAWDs, screen for exemptions, and inform households of ABAWD time limit rules.

Section 4: CalFresh Employment and Training (CFET)

This section provides information about the CFET voluntary program, which the SSBS must introduce to all household members who are considered work registrants.

The SSBS must explain that participation in the CalFresh Employment and Training (E&T) program is voluntary, and individuals are not obligated to participate to receive CalFresh benefits. Additionally, the E&T program covers expenses directly related to participation.

Section 5: Additional Questions and Answers

This section emphasizes that the SSBS must address questions raised during the oral explanation to ensure the household fully understands the CalFresh work rules.

CalFresh Notice of Work Rules (CF 886)

The federal rule requires that counties provide a consolidated written notice and an oral explanation of the CalFresh work rules to household members who are subject to them.

The CF 886 is used to notify CalFresh work registrants and ABAWDs who are subject to the time limit of the work rules relevant to their case. This notice must be provided at the initial application, recertification, and whenever a household member becomes newly subject to a CalFresh work rule.

The CF 886 form must be given to all CalFresh work registrants and ABAWDs, subject to the time limit. This also applies to ABAWDs living in an area where the time limit is waived, as they are still required to be screened and informed about the ABAWD time limit requirements to facilitate their participation once the waiver ends.

Overview of the CF 886

The CF 886 contains the following information related to each of the CalFresh work rules:

  • An explanation and exemptions of the applicable work rule.
  • Rights and responsibilities.
  • Requirements to maintain eligibility.
  • Pertinent dates by which a household member must take required action(s) to remain
  • compliant with the applicable work rules.
  • Consequences for failure to comply.
  • Other information that would assist the household members with compliance.

The CalFresh E&T section has been removed from the CF 886 form.


The CF 886 is divided into the following sections:

Introduction

This line will list the name(s) of all household members subject to one or more of the CalFresh work rules based on relevant information entered into CalSAWS. Depending on household circumstances, a household member may be subject to more than one CalFresh work rule. Therefore, a CalFresh household member’s name may appear in more than one of the sections as described below.

Section 1: General CalFresh Work Rules (Work Registration)

The section on general CalFresh work rules, or work registration, provides work registrants with information about work registration requirements, exemptions from work registration, rights and responsibilities, and other relevant details to help household members comply. The section includes dynamic name fields and lists CalFresh work requirement exemption reasons for applicable household members, populating only when relevant.


This section should only include the names of all household members considered work registrants and should be included on the CF 886 form.

Section 2: Work Requirement for Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents (ABAWDs)

The ABAWDs section outlines the work requirement for individuals subject to the time limit. It includes information about the ABAWD time limit, exemptions, and mandatory reporting requirements. This section should only list the names of household members who are considered ABAWDs subject to the time limit. It must be included on the CF 886 form in all counties, regardless of whether a county has an ABAWD time limit waiver. This is because counties are still required to inform ABAWDs about their reporting requirements and exemptions to ensure compliance with the time limit when the waiver ends.

The section includes dynamic name fields and lists ABAWD work requirement exemption reasons for applicable household members, populating only when relevant.

The form reflects updated policy changes as mandated by House of Representatives 1 (H.R. 1):

  • The exemption for residing with a household member under 18 now only applies to parents or responsible adults with a dependent child under age 14 in the household.
  • Exemptions for individuals experiencing homelessness, veterans, and former foster youth have been removed.
  • A new exemption is included for individuals identified as an Indian, Urban Indian, or California Indian as defined by federal and state criteria.

Important: The CF 886 is an informational notice, and there is no required action or negative action associated with the notice.

Providing the CF 886

The CF 886 is generated automatically in CalSAWS for all household members who are subject to a CalFresh work rule. Each affected household will receive only one CF 886, regardless of the number of household members subject to the work rule.


Based on the information in CalSAWS, only the sections relevant to each household member are pre-populated to include their name. Depending on which work rules they are subject to, household members may be instructed to follow one or more sections of the notice.

 

The SSBS must provide the CF 886 and a full oral explanation to all household members, including those subject to CalFresh work rules and those exempt from work registration or ABAWD requirements.


When the CF 886 is provided to a household, a copy of the notice must be kept in the household’s case file.

Expedited Service (ES)

If a household is entitled to ES, the applicant and all other household members shall be registered for work before certification unless exempt from the work registration requirement. The SSBS shall attempt to verify questionable work registration exemptions, but shall postpone these efforts if they cannot be accomplished within ES time frames.

Strikers

Strikers are subject to the work registration requirements unless they qualify for an exemption. A household shall not be denied solely because a member of that household is on strike.

Substitute Programs [63-407.23]

CalFresh regulations allow individuals who are NOT EXEMPT from the CalFresh work registration requirement to meet the requirement through registration in substitute programs.


Santa Clara County uses the Central Intake Unit [CIU (RS 3)] and Employment Development Department—Job Services [EDD-JS (GEN 827)] as substitute programs to meet the CalFresh work registration requirement for Refugee Cash Aid (RCA) and Entrant Cash Aid (ECA) individuals who are not otherwise exempt. Individuals registered in these programs are considered registered for work under CalFresh and CalFresh work registrants.


Within 10 days after an individual is deregistered from the substitute program or is discontinued from RCA/ECA, they must be registered in the CalFresh work program. To do this, document the change in work-registered status in the Case Journal page and follow the “All HHs" section of the Registration Procedures.

Related Topics

Registration Procedures