The California Department of Social Services has issued guidance on county welfare department access requirements. County welfare departments must implement procedures that ensure members of the public, including those with disabilities, are notified of and have access to county welfare department programs. Counties must conduct an annual review of the hours of operation of public offices to ensure that the needs of recipients, including those who work, are adequately met.
Regular business hours are defined as a minimum of 8 hours per day, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Counties maintain an office that is open to the public that offers basic certification services during regular business hours, including accepting applications, interviewing applicants, and accepting notice of change in household circumstances. Counties can implement risk reduction measures because of COVID-19 in accordance with local county health orders, such as limiting capacity in lobbies and social distancing.
If counties must close for health and safety reasons during regular business hours, counties must
- Make applications available and provide the opportunity to file applications for and receive benefits within legally mandated time frames, including expedited CalFresh, immediate need CalWORKs, and homeless assistance. This includes availability of application in all threshold languages for that office. Counties must maintain sufficient staff to accept and act upon all applications, and/or maintain a local telephone service with sufficient staff to accept and act upon all applications as if the request had been made in person at the county welfare department office.
- Provide a drop-box, mail slot or other means to file applications. Applications are assumed to be filed on the date the office is closed. The county must have a method to give a receipt on request.
- Inform callers to the county main telephone line of the working days or hours of the regular working day, when offices will be closed, procedures for obtaining and filing applications when offices are closed, and procedures for applying for expedited CalFresh, immediate need CalWORKs, and homeless assistance while offices are closed.
- Post notices in prominent locations within the county welfare department offices and in the public areas, including the doors immediately outside of the office, which inform the public when offices will be closed, procedures for obtaining and filing applications when offices are closed, and procedures for applying for expedited CalFresh, immediate need CalWORKs, and homeless assistance while offices are closed and the right to a receipt of hand delivered documents. (ACIN I-83-21, October 5, 2021.)