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.
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
CalWORKs
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.
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)
Guidance for counties on the Expanded Subsidized Employment (ESE) Program
County welfare departments have submitted numerous questions to CDSS about the CalWORKs Expanded Subsidized Employment (ESE) Program, which was established to increase the number of subsidized employment placements provided by the counties for CalWORKs recipients who are required to participate in welfare to work. CDSS clarifies that counties may add ESE programs to their existing subsidized employment programs, but cannot combine ESE funds with other funds for individual placements. ACL 14-81 (11/20/14)
Prior felony drug conviction no longer precludes CalFresh and CalWORKs eligibility
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).
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.