The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has released new forms and notices for the CalWORKs Family Reunification benefit. The CalWORKs Family Reunification benefit provides up to six months of cash aid and child care as part of a child welfare services reunification plan.
CDSS states that families will be eligible for a Family Reunification cash grant when automation is complete. (ACL 24-48, July 2, 2024.)
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided information about the replacement of current magnetic stripe EBT cards with chip/tap cards. The new cards will be for CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Assistance, Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA), Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI), and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). County equipment will be replaced in May, 2024. New cardstock will be delivered to counties in May, 2024
In Summer, 2024, new chip/tap cards will be mailed to anyone with an active case, that is anyone who has accessed benefits in the last nine months. The new cards will be mailed in three phases. The first phase will be combined CalWORKs and CalFresh cases, GA, RCA, TCVAP, CAPI and LIHEAP. The second phase will be cash-only benefits cases. The third phase will be CalFresh only cases.
The existing PIN will carry-over to the new chip/tap card. Cardholders will need to enter the PIN for each transaction with the chip/tap card.
SunBucks and Women, Infants and Children benefits will not be moved to the new chip/tap cards.
Counties should tell cardholders to use their replacement cards as soon as they receive them. A successful transaction with the new card will activate it. Cardholders can also activate their new card using the EBT Edge application, or by contacting the EBT customer service center. Cardholders will have approximately 45 days after they receive their new card before their old magnetic stripe card will be unusable.
CDSS will monitor activation data and do direct outreach to cardholders who receive their new card but do not activate it.
Counties should refer questions to the EBT customer service center.
Any remaining magnetic stripe cards will be deactivated approximately 60 days after mass replacement is completed. Cardholders who do not receive a new card can ask for their chip/tap card through the EBT Customer Service or the county.
Some retailers may not have equipment to accept chip/tap cards. In most of those cases, the EBT card will need fall back to a magnetic stripe or manual key-in transaction.
Cardholders who are unhoused can have their replacement cards mailed to the county welfare department. County welfare departments will get a list of cardholders who use the county welfare department mailing address for triage. (ACWDL, June 24, 2024.)
This letter is updated by ACWDL December 19, 2024, summarized here.
The California Department of Social Services has informed counties that the vehicle value for the CalWORKs program increases to $32,968 effective July 1, 2024. This increase also applies to Refugee Cash Assistance, Entrant Cash Assistance, and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program (TCVAP). The vehicle value is the amount of the value of a vehicle that does not count toward the program resource limit.
The welfare department computer systems will be programmed for the increased vehicle value effective July 1, 2024. (ACL 24-36, May 31, 2024.)
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has informed counties that the CalWORKs Minimum Basic Standard of Care (MBSAC) will increase by 4.32% effective July 1, 2024. This is an annual cost of living increase. This will increase the MBSAC in Region 1 to $899 for a 1 one-person assistance unit, $1,476 for a two-person assistance unit, $1,829 for a 3 person assistance unit and increasing with increases in assistance unit size. The MBSAC for Region 2 will increase to $853 for a 1 one person assistance unit, $1,401 for a 2 person assistance unit, $1,736 for a 3 person assistance unit and increasing with increases in assistance unit size.
The MBSAC is the maximum income before deductions that a family can have to be eligible for CalWORKs.
The same increase will apply to the MBSAC for Refugee Cash Assistance, Entrant Cash Assistance and Trafficking and Crime Victims Assistance Program. The same increase will apply to the CalWORKs Income in-kind level, which is the maximum amount of in kind income that is counted against the grant. (ACL 24-37, May 31, 2024.)
The California Department of Social Services has issued process changes regarding County Welfare Departments (CWD) and the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP). CalWORKs HVP is a voluntary program that supports the health, development, and education of parenting individuals and infants born into poverty. HVP participants must meet both of the following criteria:
Following the 2024-2025 ACWDL letter, the process for continuing country participation in HVP programs has changed. CWD’s that opt to maintain CalWORKs HVP eligibility (while keeping the same evidence-based model) are no longer required to complete a county plan application on a annual basis. Bi-annual county plans are replaced by a directors certification. The CWD certification requires the following:
The process for new county participation in HVP has changed. CWDs must create a county plan and submit it to the CDSS. CWDs must work with home visiting partners to complete the application. This includes information about proposed and selected county partners and an explanation of how the partnership will provide the best services for CalWORKs recipients. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must be submitted with the RFCP application. The MOU should list specific roles and responsibilities of the CWD and home visiting agencies, including data sharing, reporting, distribution, collection of consent forms, enrollment, outreach, and claiming of funds.
If CWDs choose to add or change the HVP plan on file with the California Department of Social Services, they must submit a new county plan. Changes to county HVP’s require CDSS approval prior to implementation. (ACWDL, April 10, 2024.)
The California Department of Social Service (CDSS) has updated its guidance regarding the implementation of Assembly Bill (AB) 135 which authorized cash aid and child care services for up to six months as a part of the CalWORKs Family Reunification (FR) program. The bill also increased temporary absence for purposes of family reunification to six full months. It established two separate Family Reunification processes: one for cases with cash aid and reunification services, and one for only reunification services.
Once programming in the Statewide Automated Welfare System (SAWS) is complete, individuals who were a part of the CalWORKs Assistance Unit (AU) when their children were temporarily placed in out-of-home care by the Child Welfare Services (CWS) will be eligible for cash grants, child care, and reunification services for up to six months if the following conditions are met: all CalWORKs-eligible children were removed by the county CWS, the AU received CalWORKs cash aid when removed, and the child welfare services agency or court has determined that the services mentioned above are necessary for reunification.
Upon receiving the FR recommendation for cash aid, the CalWORKs worker must start FR services under the plan and continue the cash grant for a maximum of six months. A court order is not needed to start FR. Existing plans that do not have a recommendation for cash aid must be amended before cash aid approval. All members of AU, when eligible children were removed, will remain members of AU and will continue to be aided when the reunification plan comes with cash aid provisions. However, if no parent was aided at the time of the children’s removal then the family is not eligible for any reunification services or cash aid. The only exception is when the parent(s) is WTW-sanctioned.
Under existing FR policy if at least one eligible child remains in the home and the parent is eligible for a cash grant, the parent is not a reunification parent and they are not a reunification family. Once the child placed in out-of-home care is no longer considered temporarily absent they must be removed from the AU and remaining eligible AU members will retain benefits. If one eligible child remains in the home but the remaining AU members become ineligible for cash grants following removal of a child, the remaining people in the home may become an FR family when a reunification plan is authorized. If all children are removed and reunification is not recommended, the family is not eligible for any services.
According to existing policy, a member of the AU can be temporarily absent for one full calendar month and remain eligible for CalWORKs. In the case of FR, a child can be removed from the home for up to six months, with the CWS having the ability to grant good cause extensions. Good cause is limited to the number of days between removal and completion of the reunification plan, and time to complete the reunification plan. Cash aid for FR is limited to a maximum of six months and can’t be extended. When a child is removed the CalWORKs worker must consider the child temporarily absent for up to a month even though a reunification plan hasn’t been established. In the case that a month ends without notification of the necessity of FR, then the case must be discontinued.
While participating in FR, Semi-Annual Reporting (SAR) requirements apply with the reporting cycle remaining unchanged. Cash aid for reunification must stop at the end of the mandatory six-month temporary absence period or earlier if ineligibility is found based on the SAR7. All mandatory and voluntary reporting remains in effect when a reunification case gets cash aid. The county must discontinue FR if the family is found ineligible or if the plan is terminated. Reunification cases receiving only reunification services are subject to a six-month CalWORKs eligibility redetermination when reunification is complete. Failure to submit a SAR7 or complete redetermination results in a discontinuation of aid unless an exemption is provided. If a child is removed or reunification is recommended after discontinuance due to failure to comply with semi-annual reporting, the CalWORKs worker should look for good cause to restore or rescind the case.
Families must be engaged with a County Welfare Department when it is determined that FR is necessary and that children have been removed. To receive cash aid adults must participate in Welfare to Work (WTW) activities unless an exemption has been granted. All WTW sanctions, penalties, and overpayments remain in effect while participating in FR. County Welfare Departments are encouraged to engage with FR parents to assist in curing sanctions through exemptions and good cause.
CalWORKs time on aid remains unchanged. If a parent reaches their 60-month limit while in FR and they don’t meet extender criteria, then the parent must be removed from the AU. The parents will also not be eligible for any reunification services.
Reunification families experiencing homelessness may also be eligible for certain services including the CalWORKs Temporary Homeless Assistance, the CalWORKs Housing Support Program, and Bringing Families Home. Reunification cases are also eligible for CalFresh benefits to continue. Families in FR are not eligible for cash-linked Medi-Cal and will be re-evaluated for Medi-Cal eligibility and if ineligible should be screened for other programs. (ACL 23-94, November 7, 2023.)