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ABX4_8, CalWORKs Changes Out the Gate: What does the repeal of ABX4_8 teach us about long-term changes to the CalWORKs p

ABX4_8, CalWORKs Changes Out the Gate: What does the repeal of ABX4_8 teach us about long-term changes to the CalWORKs program?. Antionette Dozier, WCLP CalWORKs Association Training Program 3/14/2011. What we will cover?. Review the budget proposals Review the likely changes

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ABX4_8, CalWORKs Changes Out the Gate: What does the repeal of ABX4_8 teach us about long-term changes to the CalWORKs p

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  1. ABX4_8, CalWORKs Changes Out the Gate:What does the repeal of ABX4_8 teach us about long-term changes to the CalWORKs program? Antionette Dozier, WCLP CalWORKs Association Training Program 3/14/2011

  2. What we will cover? • Review the budget proposals • Review the likely changes • Review the implementation strategies • How to prepare students? • Future of CalWORKs

  3. ABx 4_8: What’s its fate?Quick summary of its contents: • 3 stage graduated sanction process that reduces child grants to 50% of maximum. • Work requirements on all adults or grant reduced to 50%. Even non-TANF eligible adults. • 48 month time clock. 12 months off. 12 more months. • Self Sufficiency Reviews. 50% grant reduction for failing to attend.

  4. ABX 4_8 Time Limits • Adults may not be in welfare to work activities for more than 48 consecutive months in a 60 month period. • County must screen for exemptions. • After 48 months the adult must be off the caseload for 12 consecutive months. Children become safety net cases. • After that are allowed to come back on for 12 months more. • Months while sanctioned count towards 48 and 60 month time clocks.

  5. 3 Stage sanction processAB x 4_8 • Stage 1 – If the adult is not meeting work requirements, the adults portion of the grant is eliminated. Grant goes from maximum of $694 for a family of 3 to $566 for a family of three. • Stage 2 – If after 90 days more of continuous non-compliance with welfare to work requirements the child’s grant is cut by 25%. The maximum grant will be reduced from $566 to $420 a month. • Stage 3 – If after 90 days more of continuous non-compliance, the child grant is reduced by another 25%. The maximum grant will be reduced from $420 to $283 a month.

  6. Governor Brown’s ProposalsWho knew it could get worse? • End statutory exemptions for parents of young children, ABx 4_4 • Retroactive 48-month time limit, no exemptions or exceptions retroactively • 48-month time limit for safety net and child only cases unless parents meet WTW reqmt • Eliminate child care for 11 & 12 year-olds • 13% grant cut, family of 3 will receive $604, instead of $694

  7. Governor’s Proposal Cont… • The Governor proposed to retroactively eliminate all exemptions except the following: • Family living in Indian country where at least 50 percent of the adults are not employed; • Families with a pregnant or parent minor, not the head of household; • Families that only receive non-cash assistance under the Welfare-to-Work program; • Families in which a parent is receiving Supplemental Security Income; and, • Families in which eligible children are residing with non-needy caretakers. • All other statutory exemptions to the time clock (e.g. those for victims of domestic violence) would no longer apply. According to DSS 147,000 households will hit the 48 month time limit and 115,000 would lose all cash aid during 2011-12.

  8. Likely Changes Based on the budget committee’s actions, here are the likely changes: • A new time limit for adults • New income disregard rules • New child care rules • Grant cut

  9. Where there are changes beware… • Make sure that the county isn’t limiting vocational activities or SIPs • Ex: County only approves AA degrees for SIPs or only assigns child development as a vocational activity • County may be trying to limiting amount it pays for ancillary expenses • Remember: No caps allowed • Can’t limit type of tool or books

  10. Beware (cont…) • County may try to limit the number of SIPs • Ex: By assessing students when they come into the office even though it’s clear they need an exemption (DV or medical) • County may try to limit education enrollments • Recipients can attend school as non-core activity • Voc edu is not limited to a year • After 12 months • Then non-core activity • Must do 20 hours of core

  11. CalWORKs Program, It’s Fundamental • Basics of the WTW program remain unchanged: • Students entitled to go to school • SIPs rule remain the same • Students still receive supportive services • Exempts can still volunteer • Eligibility rules remain the same

  12. The New Time LimitWhat you can do to help students? • Help them stop the clock • Help them get back on aid • Help them get an accurate count of time • Help them plan to complete education within time-limit • Help them access other resources • Advocate with your county

  13. Help students stop the clock • Some people are exempt from 60-month & new 48-month time limit • Can you identify the appropriate exemptions for students? • Play Name that Exemption

  14. Clock stoppers • 60 years or older • disabled with disability benefits • a caretaker of 1) a child at risk of foster care placement or 2) an ill or disabled HH member and caretaking limits work • incapable of work as determined by county and there is a history of full cooperation in WTW activities for a sustained period • a DV survivor if county has a waiver

  15. More clock stoppers.. • Month fully reimbursed by child support • Zero grant month – only receiving child care, transportation, and case mgmt • Grant would have been less than $10 • Sanctioned months

  16. Short-term exemptionsStopping the clock • Currently, counties exempt parents caring for kids from 12 to 23 months of age • New proposal: exempt parents with a child up to 35 months of age • Currently, counties exempt two children under the age of 6 • Counties may stop the clock and exempt recipients when county can’t pay for supportive services • Ends 7/1/11

  17. Retro exemptions • Retroactive exemptions • did the person ever get an adequate explanation of: • exemptions • how to request • did the person ever get an adequate notice of the exemption denial? • Due process considerations • Language access considerations • Once adequate NOA issued, retro application limited by timely hearing request

  18. Helping students get back on aid • Time Limit Workshops • Provide time-limit forms • Encourage students to request hearings • Have exemplar position statements- See exemplar for DV exemption

  19. Time-ClockException (Extension) • When more than one aided adult, all adults (timed-out individual and not) must meet an extension criterion in order for the timed out individual to receive the exception • The extension of aid applies at any time timed-out individuals meet exception criteria (ACIN I-95-02)

  20. After the 48-monthsGetting Back on aid…. • Post-time limit DV waiver • Post-time limit exceptions • Age-60 years-old or older • Disability • Care of Disabled HH member • “Foster Care” Exception • Hardship- they are incapable of maintaining employment as determined by the county and they have a history of cooperating

  21. Your on aid. Off aid. Back on. Now off again. What happens when time runs out? • For adults only • adults’ portion of grant will be cut • family will still get • child’s portion of the grant • food stamps • Medi-Cal • housing subsidies if eligible • check with county about supportive services • No GR until youngest child turns age 18

  22. Post-time limit job retention services • County option to provide. • Applies to: • former recipients (timed out or otherwise) • who have received aid within the previous 12 months and • who are employed and • Person must need the services and the services can’t be available from another source

  23. Post-time-limit services • Limited to a year • Person must need the services and the services can’t be available from another source • Ex: Alameda: provides mentoring, family planning, crisis management services

  24. Post-time limit services • Counties determines who is eligible, duration and types of services provided; participation requirements, and reimbursement rate for supportive services • If in on the job training, county must provide post-time limit supportive services during the OJT assignment.

  25. Child Care: 2 years • Child care continues (through Stage I or • Stage II) for up to 24 months after the adult leaves cash aid for any reason • if needed to participate in work, training, or education, and income eligible • 24-month limit is consecutive, and it begins again every time the individual leaves aid • Ex: leaves aid in 1/09; returns to aid 11/10 (23 mos); on aid for 2 months. When goes off, restarts 24 months.

  26. Child Care After 2 years • After 2 years, if funding is available, transition into Stage III child care. • families can then get child care subsidies until: • children reach age 12 (ltd circs/$ to 14) or • the family’s income exceeds 75% of the State Median Income; family of 3=$3769 • Must have been receiving Stage 2 in the 24th month • Governor’s Budget Proposes eliminating Stage 3 for 11 and 12 year olds

  27. Help them plan? • Review education plans • Review prerequisites • Help them get a new WTW Plan • Circumstances have changed • Encourage summer classes • Develop course plans that can be completed in 48-months • Help them find internships or paid positions

  28. Other needy family programs • Food Stamps • Parents no longer categorically eligible • work requirement unless exempt • student enrolled at least half-time w/ kid under 6 or 6-12 year old who needs more care • Full-time student with kid under 12 • If not exempt, and does not meet work reqmts, kids can receive food stamps • Work study meets work requirements • Medi-Cal (ACWDL 01-36) • recipients remain eligible for Medi-Cal under • 1931(b), until their next annual redetermination

  29. Looking on the Bright Side • Timed out adults can attend school without CW restrictions • May be FSET issues, if county requires mandatory involvement • Likely to qualify for child care • Financial aid, EOPS-CARE likely available • Federal Work Study income not counted against Safety Net grant

  30. What does this say about the future of the program? • Legislators aren’t afraid to go after the child’s portion of the grant • Limits will be placed on how long adults can receive aid • There is move towards limiting education opportunities

  31. Help students connect to the process • Health and Human Services Network of California: http://www.hhsnetworkca.org/events-action/ • Take action; Attend budget forum • Diana Spatz, LIFETIME Inc., http://www.geds-to-phds.org/staff_board.html • Astrid Campos (So Cal), Center for Comm Change • acampos@communitychange.org • Pete Woiwode (No Cal), woiwode@communitychange.org

  32. Get on the Bus……Take a trip to Sacramento

  33. Encourage Students to vote • Carry voter registration forms in EOPS/CARE, & CalWORKs offices • Give incentives • Profs-extra credit • Raffles for those with the vote sticker • Have students or professors make announcements in classes

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