A joint effort to improve the Quarterly Reporting (QR) forms for ease of client use, to simplify the questions, and to make the quarterly reporting process more efficient is done. Forms attached. Reminds counties that information about determining “completeness” of the document can be found at ACL 03-18 and ACIN I-29-04. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
ACIN I-100-08: New EBT Types For Ancillary/Work-Related Cash Benefits (12/31/08)
EBT gets bigger: counties can choose (but are not required) to add Cal-Learn and Welfare-to-Work benefits to the EBT system. Theory is better data, reporting and tracking, and faster client receipt of benefits, than those old fashioned checks. Available payment are transportation, ancillary, and bonuses for Cal-Learn; transportation costs and ancillary expenses necessary for WTW participation. (The letter does not address this issue, but one hopes that counties will counsel recipients about these payments appearing on the EBT, for budgeting purposes.) [Download]
ACIN 1-02-09: Federal Family Unification Program (1/5/09)
In this hard economic time, some good news. $20 million in new Section 8 vouchers through the federal Family Unification Program (FUP) is now available. The funds are for families for whom the lack of adequate housing is a primary factor in the removal, or imminent separation, of children from their families; and youth who are at least 18 years old but not yet 22, who left foster care at age 16 or older, and lack adequate housing. (Youth only qualify for a voucher for a maximum of 18 months.)
Although child welfare agencies certify eligible recipients for the vouchers, public housing authorities are the only eligible applicants for funding. The Housing Authority must submit its application to HUD by 1/28/09. There must be an MOU between the child welfare agency and the housing authority. Includes resource links. [Download]
ACL 08-65: Documentation Of Interpretive Services (12/31/08)
Ringing out the old year with clarifying instructions on how and when to document that the county offered and provided interpretive services to clients. Includes review that an offer, in the client’s primary language, of interpretive services and written materials, must record the reason why a applicant/recipient declines material in their primary language. [Download]
ACWDL 08-61: Medi-Cal budget calculation chart (12/31/2008)
This letter contains, as you may have guessed from the title, the updated Medi-Cal Budget Calculation Chart. [Download]
ACWDL 08-60: 2009 Tuberculosis income standard and related issues (12/23/2008)
$1,433 is the 2009 TB income standard for an individual. $2,000 is the 2009 resource limit for an individual. If the applicant is married counties count only income in their own name, and only separate property plus half of any community property. The 2009 SSI standard allocation for an eligible child with ineligible parents is $337; the federal benefit rate is $674 for an individual and $1,011 for a couple. [Download]