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.