Effective December 30, 2016, recipients of benefits from the Social Security administration will receive a 0.3% cost of living increase in their Social Security benefits. CDSS has issued instructions counting the increase in Social Security benefits for CalWORKs and CalFresh.
For CalWORKs and CalFresh households in the final month of their semi-annual reporting period in December, 2016, the Social Security increase is reasonably anticipated income, must be reported on the Semi-Annual report and will be considered in determining ongoing benefits. For other CalWORKs and CalFresh households, the Social Security increase is a mandatory mid-period change and counties must adjust benefits effective January 1, 2017. The Social Security increase will cause a mid-period change for annual reporting/child only cases.
This change may affect CalWORKs assistance units and CalFresh households where a member receives Social Security Disability, retirement, survivors or dependant’s benefits. The COLA increase will not affect SSI cases because SSI recipients are not considered members of the CalWORKS assistance unit or members of the CalFresh household and SSI does not count as income. (ACIN I-92-16, December 20, 2016.)