The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions regarding recovery of state interim assistance to Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) applicants while their applications are pending or during suspense periods prior to reinstatement of CAPI benefits. The state interim assistance program allows counties to recover General Assistance or General Relief, and other types of cash or in-kind assistance paid to individuals while their CAPI application is pending from a retroactive CAPI award. Counties may not recover state interim assistance reimbursement for payments or in-kind benefits financed wholly or partially with federal funds. In addition to General Assistance or General Relief, state interim assistance can include food, clothing, shelter, personal and hygiene supplies or transportation passes.
To recover state interim assistance, the applicant must sign the SOC 455 form and CAPI benefits are granted. The SOC 455 form is valid for only one year. The county must also send a written notice of action NA 693 when recovering state interim assistance.
State interim assistance is separate from interim assistance recovery from SSI benefits, which is done through the Social Security Administration and requires signing of the SSP 14 form. (ACIN I-24-19, April 8, 2019.)