It took nearly two decades for California to lift the statutory prohibition preventing individuals with prior drug felony convictions from qualifying for CalFresh or CalWORKs benefits. But the recent enactment of AB 1468 (2014) did just that. Effective April 1, 2015, no person can be excluded from an assistance unit or otherwise be denied CalFresh or CalWORKs benefits because of a prior felony drug conviction. Two important All County Letters have been issued addressing this change: All County Letter No. 14-100 sets out in detail the rule changes, key implementation dates, applicable forms, as well as what is expected of local county welfare offices to facilitate eligibility and receipt of benefits for individuals previously excluded. There is also the related All County Letter No. 14-92 explaining specific changes made to the CalFresh application form to conform to AB 1468. ACL 14-100 (December 19, 2014); ACL 14-92 (December 22, 2014).
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
CalWORKs
Counties to implement new CalWORKs Stage 1 child care benefit notices and forms
Several new forms and notices for Stage 1 child care, revised to comply with current regulations and to be more easily understood by recipients, were sent to the counties on November 13, 2014. ACL 14-85.
Changes to how counties will calculate CalWORKs participation hours
Beginning July 1, 2014, counties must determine whether or not a CalWORKs recipient has met his or her hourly participation obligations by using a weekly average per month rather than a weekly minimum number of hours. Workers should (1) add up the total number of participation hours in all CalWORKs activities for the month, (2) divide by 4.33 and (3) round to the nearest whole number. Counties should no longer use weekly minimums, thus allowing recipients more flexibility in a given month to reach the required participation hours total. ACL 14-80.
ACL 14-64: CalWORKs Family Stabilization Program (FS) Quarterly Status Report (9/23/14)
Interested in what your county is doing with its Family Stabilization form? The new FSP 14 form will be used to track that information. (The form is not yet posted on the forms site link provided…) [Download]
ACL 14-58: CalWORKs): Five Percent Increase To The Maximum Aid Payment (MAP) Levels (9/22/14)
Information about the 5% increase to the CalWORKs Maximum Aid Payment, effective April 1, 2015. This policy change must be automated into the consortia systems by the effective date. If the MAP increase cannot be modified, CWDs must put a policy in place that will ensure CalWORKs recipients receive the MAP increase and are appropriately and timely notified of changes. The increase may change the income reporting threshold, and that change must also be noticed. [Download]
ACL 14-61: CalWORKs: Family Stabilization (FS) Program Guidance, Notices, And Request Form (9/2/14)
Additional guidance on the Family Stabilization (FS) program, a new
request form, and notices. A county may provide FS program participants with services, including housing assistance, for so long as they meet the CWD’s criteria for the FS program as set forth in the CWD’s FS plan. Clients may request FS services at any point in their 24 month WTW clock, via the new FSP 1 form. [Download]