Beginning April 1, 2015, prospective IHSS providers must attend an in-person provider enrollment orientation that includes training and materials detailing the applicable federal and state minimum wage, overtime, travel time and wait time laws. Counties must provide the orientation in English and any language spoken by five percent or more non-English speakers in the county. The county’s recognized employee organization must be permitted to make a presentation at the orientation. These changes are pursuant to SB 878. In addition, prospective providers may no longer use printouts from the Social Security Administration as original documentation of identity. However, Social Security cards, state driver’s licenses or identification cards and tribal identification cards are still accepted. ACL 14-102.
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Julie Aguilar Rogado
New IHSS time sheet and reimbursement processes implemented
IHSS providers who provide services to different recipients at different locations on the same workday are now eligible to be paid for up to 7 hours of travel time per work week in accordance with Welf. & Inst. Code §12300.4(f). Such providers, effective January 1, 2015, must now submit the IHSS timesheet with travel (SOC 2262) and the travel claim form (SOC 2275) to be paid for their travel time. ACL 14-103.
2015 child care reimbursement rates for CalWORKs
Effective January 1, 2015, CDSS issued new regional market rate ceilings, or caps on the amount child care providers can be reimbursed for subsidized childcare under CalWORKs Stage One child care. The changes increased the reimbursement rate for some assistance units and none received a reduction under the revised ceilings. Counties were required to issue notices of action for any changes (NA833) that included a right to hearing to challenge the subsidy or grant computation. ACL 14-94.
New CalWORKs immunization good cause request form in use beginning this month
Coincidentally, given the recent outbreaks of measles and whooping cough in California, CDSS recently issued a revised form for CalWORKs recipient families who seek a good cause exception to the child immunization requirements. As of March 1, 2015, counties must use the revised Immunization Good Cause Request Form (CW 2209) which allows families to explain why one or all eligible children in the assistance unit are not immunized or cannot show proof of immunization. The form must be provided at the time of application, redetermination and whenever the county requests proof of immunization. Families are still permitted to make a verbal good cause request. ACL 14-98.
Eligibility criteria and instructions to counties on Approved Relative Caregiver program
Relative caregivers of foster children who are not eligible for federal foster care payments may be eligible for an equivalent payment through the Approved Relative Caregiver (ARC) program if their counties elect to participate in the program. While the households of relative caregivers might be eligible for CalWORKs benefits for non-federally eligible foster children, those payments are lower than the federal foster care payment rate. This letter explains the eligibility requirements for the children and caregivers and instructs the counties on the requirements of the program and how to opt in or out, in accordance with Welf. & Inst. Code §11461.3. ACL 14-89.
New required language in CalWORKs notices related to failure to provide proof of eligibility
Upon request, or upon notice that a person requires accommodation due to a disability, counties must assist CalWORKs applicants and recipients to obtain required benefit eligibility evidence if the applicant’s or recipient’s good faith efforts to obtain the evidence have failed. CDSS has directed counties to revise 17 notices of action that deny, discontinue or decrease benefits due to failure to provide required verification to specify that the client did not ask the county for help getting the required proof of evidence of eligibility. CDSS also directs the counties to rescind any negative actions on CalWORKs cases wherein the applicant or recipient asked the county for help, but did not receive help. ACL 14-88 (11/20/14)