Need help filling out General Affidavit form for CalFresh - what exactly should I write?

I've filled out several of these for CalFresh! The General Affidavit is basically a sworn statement where you explain something they need verified that you don't have standard documentation for. Since they're asking about your living situation, you need to write exactly how your household is set up - who lives there, your relationship to them, if/what you pay toward rent and utilities, and why your name isn't on the lease or bills. Be very specific. For example: "I, [your name], currently reside at [address] with my two children [ages] and my sister [name] who is the lease holder. I contribute $X toward the $Y monthly rent, but my name is not on the lease because [reason]. I have been living here since [date] and expect to stay until [date/circumstance]." Also, if possible, have your sister write a statement confirming your living arrangement and get it signed.

To add to what the previous commenter said, make sure you date and sign the affidavit - it has legal weight as you're declaring under penalty of perjury. I work with clients on these forms, and the biggest mistakes people make are being too vague or not addressing exactly what the county is asking about. If they specifically mentioned your living situation, focus on that. Be thorough but don't include unrelated information that might trigger additional verification requests. Also, if you have ANY documentation that supports your statement (even text messages discussing rent with your sister, bank withdrawals matching rent amounts, etc.), include copies of those as supporting evidence.

OMG the general affadavit is SO confusing!!! I got denied twice b4 I figured it out. the workers want SPECIFIC info but they never tell u what!!! make sure u write down DATES and AMOUNTS for everything. they rejected mine cuz I just wrote "I live with my cousin" instead of all the details about when I moved in and how much I pay and why my name isnt on stuff. so frustrating!!!! good luck!!

If you're having trouble reaching the CalFresh office to ask specific questions about what to include on your General Affidavit, you might want to try Claimyr. I was in a similar situation last month and spent days trying to get through to my county worker. Claimyr got me connected to a real person at the CalFresh office in about 20 minutes instead of waiting on hold for hours or getting disconnected. They have a video demo showing how it works at https://youtu.be/eZ19FHRETv8?si=_CXnXqNXbLl26WB8 and their website is claimyr.com. It was super helpful because I got specific instructions about what the worker needed on my affidavit based on my exact situation.

they denied my calfresh when i first applied but then i reapplied with a geenral affidavit and got approved. dont overthink it just explain your situation and why you dont have the regular proof they want

The General Affidavit (CW 23) is the County's way of giving you an opportunity to provide verification when standard documentation isn't available. For shared housing situations, they want to understand: 1. Complete address including apartment number 2. Names of all household members 3. Name of the person who owns/rents the property 4. Your financial contribution to household expenses 5. Date you moved in 6. Expected duration of the arrangement If possible, get a statement from your sister confirming this information. Your eligibility worker may contact your sister to verify your living arrangement, so make sure the information matches what she would say if called. I've seen the most success when clients provide extremely specific details rather than general statements. Think of it as painting a clear picture of your living situation for someone who has never been to your home.

wait do u need a general affidavit for calfresh? i never had to fill one out and i got approved last month. they just asked for my ID and paystubs

OMG i forgot to mention!!! if u can get your sister to write a letter 2, it helps SOOOOO much. when my cousin wrote a letter saying i lived with him and how much i pay, they approved me in like 3 days!!! make sure she puts her phone # so they can call her if they need 2.

One more thing I wanted to add - when I was helping my mom with her affidavit for CalFresh, the worker told us to make sure we explained WHY we couldn't provide the standard verification they normally ask for. So in your case, you'd want to specifically state why your name isn't on the lease or utility bills. For example, "My name is not on the lease because my sister already had an existing lease when I moved in, and the landlord does not allow additional adults to be added without a new application and increased rent which we cannot afford at this time." This preemptively answers the question of why you can't just provide normal verification and makes the worker's job easier.

I had to fill out a General Affidavit last year for a similar situation! One thing that really helped me was being super organized about it. I made a simple outline before writing: 1. My basic info (name, address where I live) 2. Who else lives there and their relationship to me 3. Exact dates (when I moved in, how long I've been there) 4. Financial details (how much I contribute monthly, what it covers) 5. Why standard documentation isn't available 6. Any supporting evidence I could provide The key is being detailed but staying focused on what they're asking about. Don't ramble or include irrelevant information. I also kept a copy for my records and took photos of everything before submitting it. It sounds like you've gotten great advice already - definitely have your sister write a supporting statement and include those Venmo records! The more documentation you can provide to back up your affidavit, the better your chances of approval.

I'm going through something very similar right now! I was so overwhelmed when I first got the General Affidavit request, but reading through all these responses has been incredibly helpful. One thing I learned from my experience is to be really specific about the timeline. I initially wrote something vague like "I've been living here for a while" and they sent it back asking for exact dates. Now I'm including the specific date I moved in, how long I plan to stay, and even the date when my previous housing situation ended. Also, if you're contributing to household expenses in ways other than direct rent payments (like buying groceries for the household, paying for utilities through apps, etc.), document those too. I used my bank statements to show regular purchases at the grocery store and payments through Venmo/Zelle to my roommate for utilities. The 10-day deadline is stressful, but don't rush it so much that you leave out important details. Take time to organize your thoughts like others suggested, but definitely don't wait until the last minute to submit it. Good luck - you've got this!

I just went through this exact same process a few months ago! One thing I wish someone had told me upfront is to write the affidavit like you're explaining your situation to someone who has absolutely no knowledge of your life. What really helped me was starting with a clear opening statement: "I am requesting CalFresh benefits and cannot provide standard housing verification because [brief reason]. The following statement explains my current living arrangement and household composition." Then I broke it down into sections: - Current address and move-in date - All people living in the household (names, ages, relationships) - Financial arrangement (exact amounts, what it covers, how you pay) - Why your name isn't on official documents - How long you expect this arrangement to continue Don't forget to end with "I declare under penalty of perjury that the above information is true and correct" and sign/date it. Also, submit it a few days early if possible! I turned mine in on the 9th day and was so stressed about whether it would be processed in time. Having that extra buffer gave me peace of mind. You've gotten such great advice from everyone here - sounds like you're definitely on the right track!

I just wanted to add one more tip that saved me when I was filling out my General Affidavit - keep a detailed record of WHEN you submit it! Take a photo of the completed form, get a receipt if you're dropping it off in person, or save the email confirmation if you're submitting online. I submitted mine through the county portal and didn't screenshot the confirmation page. When my case worker said they never received it (even though I submitted it on day 6), I had no proof of when I'd sent it. Luckily I was able to resubmit quickly, but it caused unnecessary stress and almost delayed my benefits. Also, if you're submitting multiple documents along with the affidavit (like your sister's statement and those Venmo records), make sure each page has your name and case number written on it. Documents can get separated during processing, and this helps ensure everything stays with your file. You've gotten amazing advice from everyone here - sounds like you're going to be well-prepared! The fact that you're being so thorough and asking the right questions tells me you'll get through this successfully.

I'm a newcomer here but going through a similar situation right now! Reading through everyone's advice has been incredibly helpful - I had no idea the General Affidavit needed to be so detailed. One question I have after reading all these responses: if you're staying temporarily with family while looking for permanent housing, should you mention that you're actively searching for your own place? I'm worried that if I say it's temporary, they might think my housing situation is too unstable for benefits approval. But I also don't want to lie and say it's permanent when it's really just until I can get back on my feet. Has anyone dealt with explaining a truly temporary living situation on their affidavit? I've been with my aunt for about 3 months now and realistically will probably be here for at least 3-6 more months while I save up for my own place.

I'm new to this community but currently dealing with a General Affidavit situation myself! After reading through all these incredibly detailed responses, I wanted to add one thing that might help - if you have any text messages or emails with your sister discussing the living arrangement, rent contributions, or move-in details, screenshot those too! I found old texts where my roommate and I discussed splitting utilities and grocery costs, and including those really helped show the ongoing nature of our financial arrangement. Even something as simple as "hey can you Venmo me $200 for your half of rent this month" provides concrete evidence of your housing situation. Also, don't stress too much about making it perfect - focus on being thorough, honest, and specific. The county workers have seen every kind of living situation imaginable, and they're more interested in understanding your actual circumstances than judging them. You're clearly being very thoughtful about this process, which tells me you're going to handle it well. Rooting for you!

I'm new to this community but currently going through the CalFresh application process myself! Reading through all these detailed responses has been incredibly eye-opening - I had no idea the General Affidavit required such specific information. One thing I wanted to add from my recent experience: if you're really struggling with what to write, try calling 211 (the community helpline). They connected me with a local food assistance navigator who walked me through exactly what information to include on my affidavit. It was free and they even helped me organize my thoughts before I started writing. Also, I noticed several people mentioned getting statements from the person you're living with - my navigator told me that having your sister write something like "I confirm that [your name] has been residing with me at [address] since [date] and contributes $X monthly toward household expenses" can be really powerful supporting documentation. The 10-day deadline is definitely stressful, but it sounds like you're being really thorough about gathering all the right information. From everything I've read here, being specific about dates, amounts, and circumstances seems to be the key to success. You've got this!

I'm new to this community and just went through the General Affidavit process myself a couple weeks ago! Reading through everyone's advice here is bringing back so many memories of how stressed I was when I first got that form. One thing I wanted to add that really helped me was creating a simple timeline document before writing the actual affidavit. I wrote down key dates like: when my previous housing ended, when I moved in with my brother, when I started contributing to expenses, etc. Having that timeline in front of me made it so much easier to write the affidavit chronologically and include all the specific dates they seem to care so much about. Also, I made the mistake of trying to cram everything into one giant paragraph at first. Breaking it into clear sections like others suggested here made such a difference - the worker even commented that my affidavit was "well-organized and easy to follow" when she called to verify some details. Don't forget that they might call your sister to confirm the information, so make sure you both have the same understanding of dates, amounts, and living arrangements. I gave my brother a heads up about what I'd written so we were on the same page if they contacted him. You're asking all the right questions and clearly putting thought into this - that tells me you're going to handle it successfully. The fact that you reached out for help instead of just guessing shows you're taking it seriously, which is exactly the right approach!

I'm new to this community and just submitted my General Affidavit last week - got approved yesterday! Reading through all these responses brings back how overwhelming that form felt at first, but everyone's advice here is spot-on. One thing that really helped me was actually drafting my affidavit in a simple text document first before writing it on the official form. This let me reorganize sections, check my word count, and make sure I wasn't being too wordy or missing key details. I also had my roommate read through it to make sure everything made sense from an outside perspective. Another tip - if you're submitting online through your county portal, try to do it during business hours on a weekday if possible. I submitted mine on a Tuesday morning and got an email confirmation within an hour. When my friend submitted hers on a Sunday evening, she didn't get confirmation until the next business day, which added to her stress about whether it went through. Also, don't be afraid to include "extra" documentation that supports your story. I included a screenshot of my Zillow search history showing I was actively looking for apartments (to explain why this was temporary housing), and copies of grocery receipts showing regular household purchases. The worker told me later that having multiple pieces of supporting evidence made her job much easier. You're being so thorough about this - that level of care definitely shows in the final result. Best of luck with your application!