Report 2021-613 Recommendation 4 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 #4 To: Social Services, Department of
In implementing our recommendations, CDSS should ensure that it does not unduly slow the delivery of P-EBT payments and that its notifications allow families sufficient time to use P-EBT payments before the payments expire.
The P-EBT 2.0 Program was fully implemented as of October 31, 2023.
- Benefit Issuance Timeline: August 23, 2023 - October 19, 2023
- Outreach Mailer Timeline: June 29, 2023 - July 7, 2023
- 12,247 expunged cards reissued ($15,046,904 in food benefits)
The P-EBT 3.0 (SY 21-22) plan was approved by FNS on August 2, 2022. The P-EBT 3.0 program was fully implemented as of December 31, 2023.
- Benefit Issuance Timeline: October 3, 2022 - December 4, 2023
- Outreach Mailer timeline: Two postcard mailers were sent. The first postcards were mailed in November 2022, and the second postcards were mailed in May 2023.
- 4,927,137 cards issued out ($2,408,146,519 in food benefits)
The P-EBT 4.0 (SY 22-23) plan was approved by FNS on August 2, 2023. The P-EBT 4.0 program was fully implemented as of December 31, 2023.
- Benefit Issuance Timeline: July 5, 2023 - December 28, 2023
- Outreach Mailer Timeline: June 2023- August 2023
- 5,210,627 cards issued out ($844,382,037 in food benefits)
The program ended on December 31, 2023. CDSS deems this recommendation fully implemented.
- Completion Date: December 2023
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Fully Implemented
The audit recommendations are currently being completed. to ensure that clients have ample time to sue P-EBT cards after receiving notifications, CDSS is mending the expungement period for unused P-EBT 2.0 cards to be extended 365 more days and will be seeking United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service's approval. the extension of the expungement period will allow identified households the opportunity to order a new P-EBT card and make purchases once the audit recommendations are completed. The CDSS will provide information confirming if the expungement period extended in a following update.
- Estimated Completion Date: September 2022
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Pending
For each round of P-EBT 2.0 benefits, mailers have been sent to all families who received a P-EBT card informing them that benefits have been issued. We have also contracted with outreach partners to inform families of the availability of P-EBT benefits statewide. Additionally, CDSS utilized a communications vendor to implement a client education and media campaign. Those efforts included media campaigns, billboards, radio ads, social media posts, and P-EBT website.
- Completion Date: January 2022
California State Auditor's Assessment of Status: Pending
We appreciate CDSS's statements that it has clearly communicated with P-EBT 2.0 recipients. Our recommendation focuses on the timely delivery of EBT cards and allowing families who have not yet used their benefits sufficient time to do so before their expiration. We look forward to reviewing CDSS's efforts in both of these areas during its next update.
- Auditee did not substantiate its claim of full implementation
- Auditee did not address all aspects of the recommendation
All Recommendations in 2021-613
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.