Report 2021-613 Recommendation 3 Responses

Report 2021-613: Pandemic Food Assistance Programs: The California Department of Social Services Has Struggled to Deliver Timely Food Assistance Because of Unclear Federal Expectations and Other Factors Beyond Its Control (Release Date: October 2021)

Recommendation #3 To: Social Services, Department of

Because child-care age children are SNAP recipients, CDSS should directly contact families of those children who have not yet received or have not yet used their P-EBT cards.

A list of SNAP recipient children under age 6 who have not used their P-EBT cards was obtained on April 6, 2022. Additionally, a direct mail postcard informing families of available benefits was created on March 31, 2022. This postcard will be mailed to all households indicated on the unused card list. CDSS launched the internal mass-mailing process in April 2022 and expect postcards to begin being mailed by July 2022 to identified households.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented

CDSS provided evidence that in October 2022, it mailed postcards to the families of those children who have not yet received or have not yet used their P-EBT cards.

For child-care age children, CDSS will pull the list of SNAP recipient children under age 6 who have not used their P-EBT cards. Based on the number of impacted children, we will develop a communication that will either include a direct mailer to those families or a personal contact via the P-EBT helpline.

California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Pending

All Recommendations in 2021-613

Agency responses received are posted verbatim.