No, this is not “deja vu all over again.”  This ACIN is for the CalWORKs program, tag teaming with the Food Stamp ACIN I-99-06.  It provides an explanation on how to calculate the unpaid work experience and community service hours for CalWORKs welfare to work participants. [Download]

A Q & A on the changes to the Homeless Assistance (HA) program to include homeless prevention.  Covers such things as whether: the payment of rent arrearages counts as the “once in a lifetime” homelessness aid payment (yes), the HA program can pay the full rent arrearages in shared housing with non-CalWORKs members (no); payment of arrearages is required if it won’t prevent the eviction (no).  The ACL also includes a discussion of extraordinary circumstances and financial hardship, giving some examples, but ultimately leaving this to the discretion of the county and their “reasonable assessment of the facts.” [Download]

Ok, a tad late, but here it is. The Monthly Basic Standards of Aid and Care (MBSAC) and Income in Kind levels have gone up … 4 months ago! (The Maximum Aid Payment, unfortunately, remains frozen through June 2007.) So, ALL eligibility determinations since July need to use these new numbers. That’s right: the county needs to go back (that’s right, an actual case search) and figure out if they improperly denied cases for excess income, and issue retroactive benefits, as appropriate. [Download]

Just a heads up what’s coming down the pike. Per AB 1808 and TANF reauthorization implementation, all counties must amend their CalWORKs plans on file with the state. They must describe. This letter also summarizes the TANF changes. The ACL lists the information that, at a minimum, must be in the plans (How the county will address increased participation (up-front engagement); re-engaging noncompliant or sanctioned individuals; sanction prevention; full engagement of those partially or not participating; increasing work participation; how the county spend its money; anticipated outcomes resulting from county program improvements; how the county will measure progress in achieving the anticipated outcomes; how the county will collaborate with local agencies).

Counties have 90 days from the date of the letter to file the plan addendum with the state. The ACL also includes a self-diagnostic (optional) tool for counties to assist them in assessing their current programs with an eye towards improving participation.

Counties are also reminded that they cannot require applicants to participate in WTW activities, including WTW orientation, appraisal, and job search, but they may participate on a voluntary basis. Counties also cannot make such participation a condition of eligibility for aid, deny an application for failing to participate during application, or impose WTW sanctions on an applicant, regardless of the applicant’s consent to participate in the activities. [Download]

Well, since the Deficit Reduction Act counts separate state funded programs (SSP’s) that count for MOE purposes for the work participation rate, California’s SSP for 2-parent families will now no longer be an SSP. It will be a TANF program effective October 1, 2006. (Yup, 2 days prior to the letter being issued). And though the SSP was supposed to be to allow creative programming to serve the 2-parent families, they are now in TANF to make sure they participate. These families will now be under aid code “35” (with some exceptions for those that really care). This impacts these families, who will be using their federal 60 months of TANF aid now. [Download]

This baby’s been more than 9 months in the making, temporary sidetracked (sideswiped?) by TANF reauthorization. Learn what the counties get paid bonuses for doing, including partial bonuses for partially doing. Big bonus for clients: there is a “super bonus” for counties that place recipients into higher paying jobs. [Download]