Emergency Broadband Benefit

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The Federal Communications Commission has announced the Emergency Broadband Benefit to help families struggling to afford internet service because of COVID-19.  The Emergency Broadband Benefit will provide a discount of up to $50 for broadband service for eligible households and $75 per month on qualifying Tribal Lands.  Eligible household can also get a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer or tablet if they contribute between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price.

A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of these criteria:

  • Has an income that is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
  • Approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program;
  • Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
  • Experienced a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough because of COVID-19, and the household had a total income in 2020 at or below $99,000 for single tax filers and $198,000 for joint tax filers; or
  • Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider’s existing low-income or COVID-19 program.

The providers participating in the program are listed here.

Eligible providers can enroll on the program here.  (https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, May 7, 2021.)

CalFresh Notices of Action for missing verification

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The California Department of Social Services has issued clarification regarding notices of action terminating, denying or changing benefits for failure to provide required verification.  Before denying or terminating a household for failure to provide verification, the county must give the household a Request for Verification (CW 2200) form and must give at least 10 days from the request to provide the verification.

If the household fails to provide required verification after the county sends a CW 2200, the county must send an adverse notice of action.  That notice of action must individually list what verification the household failed to provide.  This applies whether one or multiple verifications are missing.

The county can only send an adverse notice of action for failure to provide mandatory verification.  If the household does not provide verification for certain expenses but the county determines that the household is eligible for CalFresh without deducting the expense, the county must approve the case without the deduction.

Counties can only request verification of shelter costs if questionable.  If a household claims heating and/or cooling costs, or other utility costs, and a bill is not available, the county must accept the applicant or recipient’s statement as verification.  Counties must use the standard medical deduction for households that verify between $35.01 and $155 per month in medical expenses.  Household that verify medical expenses over $155 may deduct actual expenses.  (ACIN I-33-21, April 26, 2021.)

COVID-19 CalFresh emergency allotment for May, 2021

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California has been approved to issue an emergency allotment of CalFresh for May, 2021.  All households will receive at least the maximum CalFresh allotment.  Households eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size are now eligible to receive an emergency allotment of $95 per month. Households who are not eligible to receive the maximum allowable allotment based on household size, but whose emergency allotment would be less than $95 per month to receive the maximum allotment, will receive additional CalFresh benefits to raise their emergency allotment to the new $95 minimum.

The emergency allotment will be issued on June 13, 2021.

Moving forward, emergency allotments may be approved by FNS on a month-to-month basis until the Secretary of Health and Human Services rescinds the public health emergency.  There will be a one-month phase out of emergency allotments after the public health emergency is rescinded.  (ACWDL, May 5, 2021.)

COVID-19 fourth extension of time eligibility for RCA, ECA and TCVAP

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The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has issued instructions for the fourth  extension of time eligibility for Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA), Entrant Cash Assistance (ECA) and Trafficking and Crime Victim Assistance Program (TCVAP).  Effective May 1, 2021, this extension applies to RCA, ECA and TCVAP until September 30, 2021.  This extension is limited to persons whose date of eligibility for benefits is April 1, 2019 through January 31, 2021.  Applicants who became eligible on or after February 1, 2021 are only eligible for their regular eight months of cash assistance.

Individuals who meet eligibility timeframes for RCA, ECA or TCVAP extensions but never applied for cash assistance may submit new applications for the fourth time extension.

Counties must provide uninterrupted assistance retroactive to May 1, 2021 through April 30, 2021 regardless of whether they received the prior benefits extension.  For benefits recipients who were scheduled to be terminated January 31, 2021, counties must rescind any discontinuances of benefits. Recipients who reached their time limit before August 31, 2020 may reapply for benefits.  Those persons must confirm that they were economically impacted by COVID-19.

Counties must notify RCA, ECA and TCVAP recipients receiving extended cash assistance of the time extension and continuance of aid at least 10 days prior to issuing cash payments.  For people receiving the extension for the first time or reapplying for the extension, counties must issue a notice that benefits will discontinue on September 30, 2021.

RCA, ECA and TCVAP use CalWORKs rules.  This means that Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (the extra $300 per week in addition to Unemployment Insurance or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance) does not county as income for both applicants and recipients, Golden State Stimulus payments are exempt from being considered income and are not considered assets for 12 months, and tax rebates and refunds, including additional tax rebates and refunds under the American Rescue Act, are exempt from being considered income and are not considered assets for 12 months.  (ACWDL, May 3, 2021.)

CalFresh Employment and Training Laptop Loaner pilot

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The California Department of Social Services has announced a pilot project to provide laptops and cell phone for CalFresh Employment and Training participants.  The pilot project will be from May, 2021 to July, 2021.  The Pilot will be in San Francisco and Butte Counties, and the California Community College Fresh Success program.  The pilot will establish administrative processes and determine participant needs.  The Laptop Loaner program may be implemented in counties that have opted to provide CalFresh Employment and Training beginning October 1, 2021. (ACWDL, April 22, 2021.)

Reimbursement of TrustLine registration for Emergency Child Care Bridge Program

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The Emergency Child Care Bridge Program for Foster Children is designed to reduce child care barriers for children and parenting youth in the foster care system.  TrustLine is California’s registry of licensed-exempt childcare providers who have completed a criminal background screening and clearance process.

Before a licensed exempt provider can care for a Bridge Program eligible child, the provider must be registered on TrustLine.  Bridge Program caregiver families and county welfare departments can now reimburse license-exempt providers for TrustLine costs.  A total of $15,000 is available in Fiscal Year 2020-21, and $16,000 is anticipated to be available for Fiscal Year 2021-22.  (ACWDL, April 20, 2021.)