Overcoming Barriers: Helping Self-Employed Applicants Access Their Full CalFresh Benefit
This article discusses how Code for America enhanced the CalFresh application process to better assist self-employed individuals in accessing their full benefits by clarifying self-employment definitions and simplifying income verification.
Code for America identified that many applicants engaged in gig or freelance work did not recognize themselves as self-employed, leading to potential underreporting of income and reduced CalFresh benefits.
To address this, they conducted user-centered research to align everyday language with CalFresh’s self-employment criteria, revised application language to include relatable examples, and introduced a self-attestation template for income verification. These changes aimed to help applicants accurately report their income, thereby maximizing their eligible benefits.
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