Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead! Thanks to the budget bill, the SB 72 provisions to cut most child only grants was repealed. All notices are to be rescinded and any households affected given a supplemental payment. Although the CalWORKs budget will be recalculated, there will be no change (or overissuance) in CalFresh, due to the budgeting rules. The budget bill also did away with the county option to provide off-the-clock exemptions of caretakers of 24-35 months children. (The 12-23 month exemption remains in place.) [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
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ACL 11-40: CalWORKs: NOA’s and Forms Regarding The New 48-Month Time Limit and Income Disregards SB 72 (6/23/11)
Title speaks for itself. Counties are to begin using the long list of new forms “as soon as administratively feasible.” [Download]
ACL 11-43: Clarification To All County Letter (ACL) 11-36, Suspension Of CalWORKs Cal-Learn Program (6/9/11)
Counties were instructed in ACL 11-36 to use the TEMP 2254 and TEMP 2253 forms to inform teen parents of the new program requirements and to schedule an orientation appointment. This letter clarifies that copies of these forms also must be sent to the head of the AU of which the teen parent is a member, if the teen parent is not the head of the AU. The TEMP 2254 must be sent to the head of the AU before July 1, 2011. The TEMP 2253 must be sent to the head of the AU when the form is sent to the teen parent, prior to the teen parent’s orientation date. [Download]
ACIN I-34-11: CalWORKs Welfare-To-Work (WTW) County Peer Review (CPR) Pilot Visit Summaries And Statewide Implementation (6/2/11)
This ACIN announces that the last peer review summary has been concluded, all summaries are posted on line, and the suspension of the program until June 2014, due to budget limitations. The fact that the acronym for the County Peer Reviews is CPR is noted, although the jury is out on whether that is sad or funny. [Download]
ACL 11-39: CalWORKs Program: New Incremental Grant Reductions (IGRs) For Certain Child-Only Cases (5/19/11)
This ACL acts as emergency regulations implementing the budget cuts regarding “child only” cases. The letter defines which cases are impacted, and the timing (61st, 73rd, and 85th months on aid, based on child on aid the longest) of the cuts, and noticing requirements. If NOAs cannot be issued by May 31, 2011, overpayments would be incurred for the month of July 2011. However, because those July overpayments will not be cost-effective to establish and recover, CWDs may forgo overpayment determinations and collection efforts. [Download]
ACL 11-36: Suspension Of The CalWORKs Cal-Learn Program For FY 2011-12 (4/21/11)
More budget cut fall out: This explains the temporary demise of CalLearn, and how the pregnant and parenting teens will be folded into welfare to work. Includes new notices of the changes and appointment letters. Teens still must get their diploma or GED, still get bonuses, will face WTW sanctions (instead of a flat $100 penalty) and will not have case management services. [Download]