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 CalFresh Work Rules Oral Script provides guidelines for county welfare departments (CWDs) to explain work rules to CalFresh recipients. Section 1 provides information on CalFresh Work rules which may vary by household. Section 2 only applies to households with a work registrant. The section communicates CalFresh work rules and how to receive CalFresh benefits. Section 3 only applies to households with able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD). The section communicates the work requirements for ABAWD’s including exemptions, punishments for non-compliance, and the process to regain CalFresh benefits within a 3 year period. Section 4 only applies to households if the county provides an employment and training program (E&T). The section provides information on the E&T voluntary program and must be introduced by CWD’s to household members considered work registrants. Section 5 is for questions raised during the oral explanation.
California currently has a waiver of the ABAWD rules, which means that, except for work registration, none of the ABAWD rules currently apply in California. However, CWDs are still required by federal regulation to provide a written and oral explanation of CalFresh work rules to eligible members. After submitting a CalFresh application, applicants are automatically registered for CalFresh work requirements. CalFresh work rules must be followed to ensure benefits are not decreased or stopped.
CDSS’ CalFresh work rules script explains the ABAWD rules. CalFresh recipients are required to work at least 30 hours a week and cannot decrease hours worked unless they have a valid reason. Examples include being sick, caring for a child younger than 12 years old, working in unreasonable conditions, or physically being unable to work.
Recipients are excused from CalFresh work rules if they are:
The first violation of CalFresh work rules results in a 1-month suspension of benefits. The second violation results in a 3-month suspension. A third violation results in a 6-month suspension of benefits. Once benefits are suspended, applicants must reapply and meet or be excused from the work rules to access benefits.
. ABAWD work requirements apply to people between the ages of 18 and 52 who don’t live with children under 18 years old and are physically and mentally able to work. Adhering to ABAWD work requirements allows recipients to keep CalFresh benefits for longer than three months in a three-year period. In order to maintain benefits, ABAWDs must work, volunteer, or participate in employment and training activities for at least 20 hours per week or 80 hours per month. Examples of work activities include a job, workfare, community service, volunteer work, or joining a training program. If ABAWDs begin working below 20 hours per week/80 hours per month, the county must be notified within 10 days. ABAWDs are exempt from work requirements in the following scenarios:
If CalFresh recipients do not meet ABAWD work requirements for 3 months, they will lose benefits until the end of the 3-year period. To get CalFresh benefits again, recipients must reapply and meet or be excused from ABAWD work requirements.
If the county CalFresh recipients reside in has an employment and training program, CWDs are required to explain the program. The CalFresh employment and training program (E&T) helps recipients find and train for jobs. The program is voluntary and covers costs like transportation, childcare, tools, books, uniforms, and personal safety items. CalFresh recipients are not required to participate in the program to receive benefits.
After CWDs finish explaining the CalFresh work rules, recipients will be mailed all of the information discussed. (ACL 24-42, June 14, 2024.)
The Social Security Administration now has Benefits Statements (SSA-1099 or SSA 10425) available online for the past six years using the client’s my Social Security account. A Benefits Statements shows the total amount of benefits a person received from Social Security in a calendar year. (Social Security Dear Colleague Letter, November 29, 2023.)
The Social Security Administration now allows online completing and submitting the SSA 3288 form to release records to third parties. Clients can still submit the SSA 3288 form to their local office in paper (Social Security Dear Colleague Letter, August 17, 2023.)
The Social Security Administration has expanded its Compassionate Allowance Program to 12 additional medical conditions. The Compassionate Allowance Program identifies particularly severe claims and allows a disability finding for Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance for them on the basis of medical confirmation of the diagnosis alone. The new compassionate allowance conditions are: Deletion Syndrome, Anaplastic Ependymoma, Calciphylaxis, Cholangiocarcinoma, FOXG1 Syndrome, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Metastatic Endometrial Adenocarcinoma, Paraneoplastic Cerebellar Degeneration, Pineoblastoma – Childhood, Primary Omental Cancer, Sarcomatoid Carcinoma of the Lung – Stages II-IV, and Trisomy 9. (Social Security Dear Colleague Letter, August 14, 2023.)
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.)