The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued clarification about benefit calculation rules for Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) couples when these individuals are determined eligible for CAPI in different months.
When both spouses are eligible for CAPI, the benefit payment for each spouse is one-half of the CAPI couple payment standard.
When one spouse is aged, and the other spouse is under 65 and has applied for CAPI based on disability, the aged spouse receives the CAPI individual rate until the other spouse is determined eligible. When both spouses are found eligible, the couples payment standard is applied, and each spouse will receive one-half of the couples rate. Retroactive payment for the newly eligible spouse will be the difference between the amount the couple would have received and what the aged member received as an individual CAPI recipient.
When one spouse is aged, and the other spouse under 65 and is presumptively disabled, the couple should be granted the CAPI couple rate.
When one spouse is aged and the other spouse is almost age 65 but not blind or disabled the spouse who is over age 65 will receive the individual CAPI rate until the other spouse becomes eligible for CAPI, at which time the couple will begin to get the couples rate.
When one spouse is aged and applying CAPI for the first time, and the other spouse is requesting reinstatement of CAPI the couple will begin receiving the benefit rate the first month that the first spouse’s application is granted and the second spouse’s benefits are reinstated. (ACIN I-66-20, September 10, 2020.)