Many refugees receive assistance from Reception and Placement (R&P) grants. R&P grants do not count as income for purposes of Refugee Cash Assistance. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has directed counties to also disregard cash grants that refugees and other eligible individuals receive through programs determined by Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to be equivalent to R&P programs for purposes of Refugee Cash Assistance.
ORR has determined that Welcome Corps and the Afghan Placement and Assistance program are equivalent to R&P. CDSS will advise counties if and when ORR identifies other programs as equivalent to R&P or CDSS determines that RCA income disregards should be extended to other federal resettlement initiatives. (ACL 24-16, March 8, 2024.)