A reminder to counties to adjust the required FSET participation in unpaid work activities to reflect the higher minimum wage, effective 1/1/07. (The grant divided by minimum wage results in the maximum assignable hours.) [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
Author: Webdog
ACL 06-60: Eligibility For Aid and Services for Non-Citizen Victims Of Human Trafficking, Domestic Violence, And Other Serious Crimes (12/21/06)
This letter transmits the provisions implementing a new state program to assist victims of Trafficking, DV and other serious crimes. The program is effective January 1, 207, and is implemented via this ACL, pending emergency regulations. The new program covers those seeing “T” visas and “U” visas, who are not yet eligible for federal benefits. Affected persons (adults and minors) can receive social services equivalent to those available to refugees, including (but not limited to): Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), California Food Assistance Program (CFAP), CalWORKs, CAPI, IHSS, and Employment Social Services. Self-certification plus one other document demonstrating the trafficking, DV or other serious crime suffices. If the person has no other document, self-certification alone is sufficient if the agency finds the statement credible. The individual must also be pursuing the appropriate via with USCIS. [Download]
ACIN I-96-06: Q & A on Food Stamp Simplification Options (12/26/06)
Find the answers to those pressing Food Stamp questions. Topics include changes to the Utility allowances, and obligated child support payments. Good things such as applying the child support deduction first to unearned income (vs. earned). The ACIN also includes revised budget worksheets to deal with the child support changes. [Download]
ACIN I-78-06: County Refugee Program Guidelines (10/19/06)
The State Refugee Program Bureau (RPB) has issued new Program Guidelines for the different Refugee work programs. Parts of the letter and Guidelines apply to all counties, and part to the 12 “impacted” counties. Information about refugee services plans, approvable work and training, and more. The Guidelines themselves are located elsewhere on the RPB site. [Download]
ACL 06 – 58: Implementation of the Changes to the Homeless Assistance Program (12/14/06)
A Q & A on the changes to the Homeless Assistance (HA) program to include homeless prevention. Covers such things as whether: the payment of rent arrearages counts as the “once in a lifetime” homelessness aid payment (yes), the HA program can pay the full rent arrearages in shared housing with non-CalWORKs members (no); payment of arrearages is required if it won’t prevent the eviction (no). The ACL also includes a discussion of extraordinary circumstances and financial hardship, giving some examples, but ultimately leaving this to the discretion of the county and their “reasonable assessment of the facts.” [Download]
ACIN I-91-06: Food Stamp Q & A (12/5/06)
Info on calculating fair market value/exclusions of non-exempt property, drug felonies, loans, and more. And, in the perverse world of benefits, if you save your own retirement funds (IRAs, Keoghs) they are not exempt, but if done through an employer (401(k) and 403(b) plans) they are. Go figure. [Download]