CDSS has instructions to counties about AB 2062 regarding overpayments based on income or household composition reporting.  Effective January 1, 2017, counties cannot assess an overpayment in the month following a change in income over the income reporting threshold or a change in household composition for an assistance unit that does not include an eligible adult, if the recipient timely reported the change but the county was unable, before the first month following the change, to provide 10 days notice of termination or reduction in benefits.

Recipients subject to semi-annual reporting must report income changes over the income reporting threshold within 10 days.  Child only cases subject to annual reporting must report income over the income reporting threshold or changes in household composition within 10 days.  Prior to AB 1232, there was an overpayment if these changes were reported timely but the county could not issue a notice of action giving 10 days notice of reduction or termination of benefits.

Under AB 1232, this changes and now if these changes are reporting timely and the county is unable to give 10 days notice of reduction or termination of benefits, the next month of benefits will not be an overpayment.  However, if these changes are not reported timely (that is, not reported within 10 days) and the county could not issue a notice of action giving 10 days notice of reduction or termination of benefits, the next month of benefits will still be an overpayment.  ACL 16-120 (December 30, 2016). 16-120E (March 10, 2025) [editing one example in the letter].

CDSS has issued instructions to counties about SB 947 which allows counties to do telephone interviews for CalWORKs effective January 1, 2017.  Counties can choose whether to do telephone interviews for CalWORKs.  A county that chooses to do telephone interviews can do face-to-face interviews on a case-by-case basis.  Those counties must provide a face-to-face interview if requested by the CalWORKs applicant or recipient. The county must have procedures in their county plan for conducting telephone interviews.

Telephone interviews must occur within seven working days of filing of the application.  If an applicant meets the immediate need interview requirements on the application, the telephone interview must occur no later than the next working day.

For telephone interviews, there are three ways counties can obtain signatures on documents.  The county can mail the documents to the applicant or recipient.  The county can use an interactive voice response system that has a PIN number that can act as an electronic signature.  In addition, if the application was filed online, the county can upload documents to the applicant or recipient’s online account.  A journal entry stating the client attested to the information is not sufficient.  CDSS provided a chart that outlines the county’s options regarding telephone interviews.  ACL 16-119 (December 30, 2016).

CDSS has issued instructions about counting Welfare-to-Work hours for Workforce Investment Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Career Pathways participation.  As required by Welfare and Institutions Code Section 11322.83, when a WTW participant participates and is making satisfactory progress in an Approved WIOA Career Pathway, the participant is deemed to be meeting minimum participation requirements regardless of the actual number of hours of participation.  See ACL 16-51 for additional information about county welfare department collaboration with WIOA programs.

WIOA Career Pathway participation does not automatically meet federal participation standards.   Unless the WIOA Career Pathway program also meets federal participation standards, the participant’s 24 months WTW clock will tick while participating in a WIOA Career Pathway.

For the county to deem participation in an Approved WIOA Career Pathway as meeting WTW participation requirements, the Career Pathway must 1) be included in the participant’s WTW Plan; 2) meet the requirements of a career pathway program approved by the local workforce development board and 3) the participant must be making satisfactory progress in the pathway. ACL 16-102 (December 12, 2016).

CDSS has released a validated Spanish language learning disabilities screening tool.  Counties are to begin using the tool for Spanish speaking clients immediately. The tool must be administered either by a bilingual staff member or with a Spanish speaking interpreter.  Counties must offer learning disability screening at the first Welfare-to-Work contact (orientation or appraisal) or at the latest at assessment.  This offer must be made both verbally and in writing.

CDSS does not have a learning disability screening tool for languages other than English or Spanish.  For other languages, counties must perform learning disability screening based on discussion with and observation of the client.  Counties must refer clients whose primary language is not English or Spanish for learning disability screening.  (See ACL 15-101.)  ACL 16-93 (November 21, 2016).

Effective January 1, 2017, clients are eligible to receive CalWORKs Homeless Assistance once every 12 months with exceptions.  Previously, clients were eligible for Homeless Assistance once in their lifetime with exceptions.  This change is because of AB 1603, Section 15 (2016).

There are two types of Homeless Assistance.  Temporary Homeless Assistance is available to CalWORKs recipients or apparently eligible applicants and provides up to 16 consecutive days of shelter, which is generally a hotel.  Permanent Homeless Assistance provides security deposit, last month rent and utility deposit for commercially available rental unit where rent does not exceed 80 percent of the client’s income.  Alternatively, for clients facing eviction, Permanent Homeless Assistance can provide up to two months or rental arrearages for a client to remain in their unit.

The 12 month period begins the day the welfare department issues the first payment of temporary or permanent homeless assistance.  Exceptions are available once during the 12 month period.  ACL 16-98 (November 30, 2016).