PD 23-24: FFY 2023 Quality Control Reprieve
| Date: | 8/31/2023 |
| To: | CalFresh Eligibility Staff |
| From: | Carmen Rodriguez, SSA BPIS |
| Reference: | ACWDL issued August 14, 2023, QC Transmittal 23-01 |
Background
California experienced delays from March 2023 through July 2023 in receiving the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) Income and Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) files. Due to the FTB IEVS delay Quality Control (QC), throughout California were unable to complete and submit active case samples beginning with the January 2023 sample. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided relief to counties in the form of a QC reprieve for Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2023. Samples from January 2023 through September 2023 are to be submitted to CDSS with a Not Subject To Review disposition and sanctions previously submitted for FFY 2023 will be lifted effective September 1st, 2023.
Temporary Changes in the Quality Control Process
In an effort to retain QC knowledge and improve our federal error rate for FFY 2023, QC Eligibility Examiners (EE) will continue to perform complete QC reviews using the case information on file, refer to Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) 310 handbook guidance, and are not required to contact clients or perform client interviews. Households will be provided with the FFY 2023 QC Waiver letter informing the household the case was selected for a QC review, but the household will not participate due to the FFY 2023 QC Reprieve.
Sanctions
Households who refused to cooperate, will no longer be subject to a sanction. Households who were already sanctioned as a result of refusing to cooperate for any FFY 2023 sample month will have the sanction lifted effective September 1, 2023. A listing with 77 cases will be emailed to district office leadership and sanctions will be provided to district offices for staff to lift sanctions. Eligibility staff must inform the QC EEs once the sanctions are lifted. Detailed guidance on how to lift a sanction is located in the CalSAWS job aid titled Eligibility Non-Compliance Process.
The FFY 2023 Sanction Lift Letter notefies the household they are no longer required to participate in the QC process, the sanction has been lifted, and they are encouraged to reapply for CalFresh benefits after September 1, 2023.
Intake staff is reminded to review for QC documentation in the case file that may affect CalFresh eligibility determination and to clarify any questionable items.
Case Accuracy Review Monitoring Application (CARMA)
All QC samples from February 2023 through September 2023 will be entered into CARMA using the RTF-QC Active and RTF-QC Negative review types. The CARMA sample months follow CDSS sample months, and CARMA review months have been assigned based on sample due dates. EEs will reference the sample month in the CARMA comments section. Eligibility Workers are reminded to make error corrections following the instructions from the EE based on the sample month.
|
QC Sample Month + CARMA Submit Month |
CARMA Review Period | CDSS Submit Due Date | CA Dashboard Month |
| 1/2023 | n/a submitted to RADEP | 9/22/2023 | 9/2023 |
| 2/2023 | 9/2023 | 9/22/2023 | 10/2023 |
| 3/2023 | 10/2023 | 10/23/2023 | 11/2023 |
| 4/2023 | 9/2023 | 9/22/2023 | 10/2023 |
| 5/2023 | 9/2023 | 9/22/2023 | 10/2023 |
| 6/2023 | 10/2023 | 10/23/2023 | 11/2023 |
| 7/2023 | 11/2023 | 11/22/2023 | 12/2023 |
| 8/2023 | 12/2023 | 12/22/2023 | 1/2024 |
| 9/2023 | 1/2024 | 1/23/2024 | 2/2024 |
Letters
The FFY 2023 QC Sanction Letter and FFY 2023 QC Waiver letters are available in English and Spanish only. For other languages, EEs must mail the English version and attach a "Notice of Language Services" (GEN 1365).
The "QC Sanction Lift Letter" (SCD 1449A) will not be sent for individual cases to district office staff.
Implementation
The information in this directive is effective August 14, 2023 and will continue for all of FFY 2023.
Kudos
Special thanks to QC EE Leads Patricia Montano and Angelica Chavez for collaborating to develop guidance contained in this Directive and to the QC Examiners for adapting quickly to the reprieve changes and having positive approach.