Because the pass-through of the federal SSI COLA was reinstated effective January 1, 2007, the CAPI payment standards will also change at the same time. CAPI payments are based on the SSI/SSP payment standards, minus $10.00 for an individual and $20.00 for a couple. (The one exception is the Title XIX medical facility standard, which will not increase because there is no federal SSI COLA for this living arrangement.)

These changes also affect: In-kind Support and Maintenance, the allowances for Ineligible Children and Parent-to-child Deeming; the Sponsor’s Allocation in Alien Deeming, and the CAPI/SSI combo couple. Comes with a handy-dandy chart. [Download]

You want it, you get it. At least if you are a county. By county request, the state has issued an Inter-County Transfer (ITC) coversheet form for the CAPI program. Along with the coversheet, a reminder that CAPI is a statewide program, so CAPI benefits should not be terminated for a recipient who moves within the state. [Download]

In the fine Grinch tradition, CDSS sends out this ACIN reminding counties to reduce CAPI (Cash Assistance Progrm for Immigrants) payments to account for the federal SSI COLA. As background, the State SSP Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) was suspended for all of 2006, and the pass-through of the federal SSI COLA delayed from January 1, 2006, until April 1, 2006. (The only increase in the SSI/SSP or CAPI payment standards is for the Non-Medical Out-of-Home Care (NMOHC) rate, which will increase by the amount of the SSI COLA.) The ACIN includes a chart of CAPI Payment Standards that will become effective on January 1, 2006, and April 1, 2006.

The joyful tidings (NOT) is that the separate federal SSI COLA affects the valuation of In-Kind Support, allowances for ineligible children sponsor deeming situations, and “COLA Coordination When One Spouse Receives SSI/SSP.” The “intended result” is that a CAPI family get $10.00 less than the SSI/SSP benefit rate for a couple. Since that wouldn’t happen under the normal retrospective budgeting, this ACIN requires counties to do prospective budgeting for the January and February payments. [Download]

Oops. The state forgot to do parent-to-child deeming in 1998. They realized their mistake and are now issuing the instructions and worksheet. Parent-to-Child deeming applies whenever a minor child under age 18 lives with his or her parent(s), including step-parents. The parent–to-child deeming rules are applied through the month in whch the child attains age 18. The ACIN also sets out the allowance for ineligible household members also supported by the parent-sponsor, as well as the allowance for the parent him/herself. [Download]

Although there will be no increase in the State-funded SSP amount in January, the federal SSI COLA kicks in on January 1, 2005. The increased CAPI Payment Standards, set out in the attached charts, become effective on January 1, 2005, and April 1, 2005 for SSI and the State COLA for SSP respectively. Just for fun, there is also information on the Presumed Maximum Value of in-kind support and maintenance, ineligible children and sponsor’s allocation, in deeming situations. And, just to make your head spin, the increase ain’t gonna happen for a CAPI/SSI/SSP couple if normal retrospective budgeting of the spouse’s SSI/SSP benefit is used to determine CAPI payment in the effective month of a COLA and the subsequent month. [Download]