Counties may temporarily exempt ABAWDs (limited to three months in a 36-month time period unless they work at least 20 hours a week or participate in a qualifying work or training program) who are at risk of losing food stamp eligibility due to the three-month limit by granting the 15% exemption. The 36 counties with an ABAWD waiver covering the entire county are listed; these counties are not allocated 15% exemptions, since ABAWDs in these counties are not subject to the work requirement. Inlcudes a reminder that 15% ABAWD exemption cannot be granted during a food stamp sanction. [Download]
Summaries of select CalWORKs, CalFresh, Health and Housing Regulations
ACL 08-18: Phase One In-Home Supportive Services Social Worker Training Questions/Comments And Answers (4/23/08)
This letter transmits policy clarification on questions/comments raised during Phase One training of the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), Social Worker Training Academy. The Key Question is # 22: Is time allowed to accompany recipients to medical appointments that are not local? (YES!) Other topics include minimum number of hours; can a worker increase time-per-task hours, based on assessed need (thankfully concluding “yes”); the interaction between Functional Ability” and an available spouse; when is a spouse “available” (including when non-married folks get treated as spouses); when pro-rating of meal time and domestic chores may be done; maintenance exercise may be done outside the home; no IHSS for people who are homeless; terminating a case for not having a provider (no can do); no limit on the number of providers; and no hours allowed after recipient’s death. And, just to make you remember what a cumbersome program this is: No time for toe/finger nail cutting (with scissors or clippers) is permissible, and can be claimed under Medi-Cal only if performed by a podiatrist. [Download]
ACL 08-11: CalWORKs And Food Stamp Program: Changes In Asset Exclusion Rules And New EITC Outreach Activities (4/23/08)
Assembly Bills 2466 and 1078 changed the asset exclusion rules in the CalWORKs and Food Stamp programs and provide for EITC outreach activities in the CalWORKs program. Until the implementing regulations are released (“soon”), the counties must follow the rules in this ACL. 1) Effective January 1, 2008, there is no maximum amount that current CalWORKs recipients may save in a restricted account. (This changes the existing regulation at MPP Section 89-130.) The ACL tells counties to “ensure” that no one has been discontinued since 1/1/08 for excess resources in restricted accounts, and if they have, to restore aid retroactively. Already a rule in the Food Stamps program, and CalWORKs through Food Stamp simplification (MPP Sect. 42-213.2) the letter also instructs counties that both the principal and interest in 401(k), 403(b) and 457 retirement plan accounts are exempt from consideration as property for both CalWORKs applicants and recipients. Additionally, effective January 1, 2007 (yes, over a year ago), AB 2466 exempted IRAs, 529 college savings plans and Coverdell Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) from consideration as property for CalWORKs recipients only. Counties must immediately exempt these three accounts for either applicants or recipients, and correct any cases denied or terminated for these accounts on or after January 1, 2007. Food Stamps does not exclude IRAs, 529 college savings plans and Coverdell ESA accounts for non-assistance households, per Food and Nutrition Service’s Administrative Notice (AN) 02-26. Since there is no separate food stamp resource test for CalWORKs families who are categorically eligible for food stamps, accounts excluded for CalWORKs eligibility purposes shall also be excluded for categorically eligible food stamp households. There’s a handy chart of what counts/doesn’t in these two programs, attached to the letter. Finally, the letter reminds counties that they are required to provide applicants/recipients the federal EITC form and encourage and assist the recipient to take advantage of it. [Download]
ACWDL 08-14: Revised mail-in Healthy Families Program and Medi-Cal joint application (4/10/2008)
The Healthy Families Program/ Medi-Cal joint application has been revised. Changes to the application include a lower reading level, a table of contents, and a documents needed checklist. The applications now include an option for applicants to consent to have their information forwarded to their County Healthy Kids Program if they do not qualify for full-scope Medi-Cal or Healthy Families. The application also provides a space for pregnant woman to indicate how many babies they are expecting. [Download]
ACIN I-27-08: CalWORKs And Food Stamps: Treatment Of Tax Rebates Provided By The Economic Stimulus Act Of 2008 (4/9/08)
Squeaked out just before tax day, the perhaps tardy letter on Tax Rebates: they don’t count as a resource in the month of receipt or the following two months. They’re also exempt income for CalWORKs and Food Stamps. [Download]
ACL 08-01E: Foster Care, Kinship Guardianship, Assistance Payments Program, And Adoption Assistance Program Rates (4/11/08)
The corrected wraparound rates, effective January 1st, 2008. [Download]