No change in policy, just a friendly reminder to counties that funds paid to refugees for “reception” (no, not the party kind) and placement is not counted as income to the Refugee Cash Assistance and CalWORKs programs. These funds are counted as property for CalWORKs but not RCA. If a family is ineligible for CalWORKs because of this rule, counties are required to assist them through RCA. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Brian Lawlor
ACL 04-59 – Drug Felony Bill, Effective January 1, 2005 (December 29, 2004)
Instructions on how to meet the exception to the drug felony bar on receipt of Food Stamps. Convictions for felony possession or personal use will not result in ineligibility, if the person verifies treatment or completion of, or being wait-listed by, a government-recognized drug treatment program (including “clean and sober” group living facilities) or other evidence that the illegal use of controlled substances has ceased. Includes self-certification when no other means exists. All new/existing food stamps households are to be given an opportunity to certify that they comply. No outreach, so tell your clients; otherwise it won’t come up for recipients until next re-cert. [Download]
ACL 04-56 – Voluntary Reports of Income Exceeding 130% Percent of the Federal Poverty Level for Quarterly Reporting Non-assistance Food Stamp Households (December 23, 2004)
Now don’t shoot the messenger, but the feds have told the state that, oops, “it was not their intent to allow benefits to continue mid-quarter when a NAFS household, not previously receiving CalWORKs, voluntarily reports income above the gross income level.” So, kind FNS, just in time for Christmas, granted a waiver, and CWDs are now required to discontinue a NAFS household mid-quarter when the household voluntarily income above the gross income limit. (This is not a mandatory mid-quarter report for NAFS households.) [Download]
Errata to ACL 04-41 – SB 1104 CalWORKs New WTW Requirements (December 9, 2004)
Clarifies the implementation timelines and universal engagement requirements (when the 90 days to have a complaint-with-the-new rules WTW plan signed). The third clarification is about converting non-core hours to core hours. NOTE: There is disagreement about the conversion example, and CDSS is reviewing this matter for developing the regulations to implement SB 1104. [Download]
ACIN I-81-04 – January 2005 COLAs that Affect CAPI (December 6, 2004)
Although there will be no increase in the State-funded SSP amount in January, the federal SSI COLA kicks in on January 1, 2005. The increased CAPI Payment Standards, set out in the attached charts, become effective on January 1, 2005, and April 1, 2005 for SSI and the State COLA for SSP respectively. Just for fun, there is also information on the Presumed Maximum Value of in-kind support and maintenance, ineligible children and sponsor’s allocation, in deeming situations. And, just to make your head spin, the increase ain’t gonna happen for a CAPI/SSI/SSP couple if normal retrospective budgeting of the spouse’s SSI/SSP benefit is used to determine CAPI payment in the effective month of a COLA and the subsequent month. [Download]
CSS Letter 04-30: Set Aside of Paternity Judgment (12/15/04)
The Department of Child Support Services has issued CSS letter 04-30 which implements A.B. 252 regarding paternity disestablishment. The legislation and implementing instructions establish a two year time frame for a father to move for paternity disestablishment after the father knew or should have known of the paternity judgment if a genetic test shows that the person against whom judgment was entered is not the father. The legislation also establishes standards for when a court can order genetic tests to prove paternity in cases involving the Local Child Support Agency. [Download]