CalFresh Program Information

Rights and Responsibilities

You have a responsibility to:

• Give the County all information needed to determine your eligibility.
• Give the County proof of the information you have when it is needed.
• Report changes as required. The County will give you information about what, when, and how to report. If you don’t meet your household’s reporting requirements your case will be closed or your CalFresh benefits may be lowered or stopped.
• Look for, get, and keep a job or participate in other activities if the County tells you that it is required in your case.
• Fully cooperate with County, State, or federal personnel if your case is selected for review or investigation to ensure that your eligibility and benefit level were correctly figured. Failure to cooperate in these reviews will result in loss of your benefits.
• Pay back any CalFresh benefits that you were not eligible to get.

You have the right to:

• Turn in an application for CalFresh giving only your name, address, and signature.
• Have an interpreter provided by the State at no cost if you need one.
• Have information given to the County kept confidential, unless directly related to the administration of County programs.
• Withdraw your application at any time prior to the County determining eligibility.
• Ask for help to fill out your application for CalFresh and get an explanation of the rules.
• Ask for help to get proof that is needed.
• Be treated with courtesy, consideration, and respect, and not be discriminated against.
• Get CalFresh benefits within 3 days if you qualify for Expedited Service.
• Be interviewed in a reasonable amount of time by the County when you apply and to have your eligibility determined within 30 days.
• Get at least 10 days to give the County proof that is needed to make a determination of eligibility.
• Get written notice at least 10 days before the County lowers or stops your CalFresh benefits.
• Discuss your case with the County and to review your case when you ask to do so.
• Ask for a State hearing within 90 days if you do not agree with the County about your CalFresh case. If you ask for a hearing before an action on your CalFresh case takes place, your CalFresh benefits will stay the same until the hearing or the end of your certification period, whichever is earlier. You can ask the County to let your benefits change until after the hearing to avoid having to pay back any over paid benefits. If the Administrative Law Judge rules in your favor, the County will give back to you any benefits that were cut.
• Ask about your hearing rights or for a legal aid referral at the toll-free phone number – 1-800-952-5253 or for hearing or speech impaired who use TDD, 1-800-952-8349. You may get free legal help at your local legal aid or welfare rights office.
• Bring a friend or someone with you to the hearing if you do not want to go alone.
• Get assistance from the County to register to vote.
• Report changes that you are not required to report, if it may increase your CalFresh benefits.
• Give proof of your household’s expenses that may help you get more CalFresh benefits. Not giving proof to the County is the same as saying that you do not have that expense and you will not be able to get more CalFresh benefits.
• Let the County know if you would like someone else to use your CalFresh benefits for your household or help with your CalFresh case (Authorized Representative).

Program Rules and Penalties

You are committing a crime if you give false or wrong information, or do not give all the information on purpose to try to get CalFresh benefits that you are not eligible to receive, or to help someone else get benefits that they are not eligible to receive. You must pay back any benefits you get that you were not eligible to receive.

Program Violations For CalFresh: I understand I may have committed an intentional program violation if I do any of the following:	Penalties I may:
Hide information or make false statements Use Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that belong to someone else or let someone else use my card Use CalFresh benefits to buy alcohol or tobacco Trade, buy, sell, steal or give away CalFresh benefits or EBT cards, or attempt to trade, buy, sell, steal or give away CalFresh benefits or EBT cards Try to get dual benefits, for example, apply in two or more different counties or states at the same time Submit false documents for children or adult household members who are not eligible or who do not exist Violate conditions of my probation or parole Flee after a felony conviction Purchase (buy) a product with CalFresh benefits that has a return deposit, intentionally (on purpose) throw away the contents and return the container for the deposit amount or attempt to return the container for the deposit amount Buy a product with CalFresh benefits and intentionally resell it for cash or anything other than eligible food	Lose CalFresh benefits for 12 months for the first offense and be required to repay all CalFresh benefits overpaid to me Lose CalFresh benefits for 24 months for the second offense and be required to repay all CalFresh benefits overpaid to me Lose CalFresh benefits permanently for the third offense and be required to repay all CalFresh benefits overpaid to me Be fined up to $250,000.00, imprisoned up to 20 years or both
Trade CalFresh benefits or attempt to trade CalFresh benefits for: cash, firearms, non-eligible goods or controlled substances such as drugs	Lose CalFresh benefits for 24 months for the first offense Lose CalFresh benefits permanently for the second offense
Give false information about who I am and where I live so I can get extra CalFresh benefits	Lose CalFresh benefits for 10 years for each offense
Have been convicted of trading, selling or attempting to trade CalFresh benefits worth more than $500, or trading or attempting to trade CalFresh benefits for firearms, ammunition or explosives	Lose CalFresh benefits permanently