HomeMy WebLinkAbout15-023 %(!i 'lf:... v y./ 1 t �' Yf/ aft fll' ,.i t'f✓r%) tl/i%;�Ir IE, r nfr i' ,r31r 1, ll.f�{.fl f�li iCrf;l;�.r,, ,�f1�I ,i1 1Jt,,�iJit,.�11�.1, 'L( ,Yr4�lr, F,.i
���`� � � 1,r. l�!�f� I!�411 n,� �f 11 ilt� ri ✓��rb�'� �,t ¢ �!� l� iir U !�(lt°�/, � �%/ � It 7 al%r'J��,<
��"�j� �, �, , °✓ `'" /g�� , � IAF �' � r ,�f,,fUfjj��, �,i,��,�J ^r'�ri
I�/, J rr r,��iru✓ ,l,,.l�r��r,lrlfan�ls������ ,1,�15t „r..rl,fr��,.«f�..r�1�J�cl.r,,,(�/r,�,inr { � l 11/r
61;,✓l rl.,,,f9u�;s,�-a e;, , ,,.z-2rri�.;d�G.,.u,. ,r r`��i��,..frr�,vi .�v, l ,.. li�,��� �...,.U1�1. �.� a,�..,,�1..�llu ,��r,�l��u�l�.J ,f�i'��°�;I�a�'.r�ll�n,rs
Resolution No. 15-023
RESOLUTION ADOPTING A STANDARD F AID FOR GENERAL ASSISTANCE
AND AMMENDMENTS TO THE GENERAL ASSISTANCE MANUAL
PURSUANT TO WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CE SECTION 17000 et se
WHEREAS,the Board of Supervisors for the County of Butte has adopted the Butte County
General Assistance Manual, and the General Assistance program requirements within, pursuant to Welfare
and Institutions Code, section 17000 et se .; and
WHEREAS, Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17000.5 permits the Board of Supervisors to
annually adjust the standard of aid for General Assistance to reflect increases and decreases in the
maximum aid level in the County under the Ca1WORKs program, commencing with 62% of the Federal
Poverty Level effective 1991;. and
WHEREAS,it is prudent to administer GA benefits in an efficient and consistent manner; and
WHEREAS, it is prudent to update the Butte County General Assistance manual in order to clarify
current regulations, roles, and responsibilities in accordance with the Welfare and Institutions Code,
Section 17000 et se .
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED as follows:
1. That the County of Butte adopt as a standard of aid and care for General Assistance, effective April 1,
2015,the amounts stated on Attachment A to this resolution;
2. That the amounts set forth in Attachment A reflect the standard of aid and care permitted by Welfare
and Institutions Code Section 17000.5 as adjusted heretofore by increases and decreases in the
maximum aid level in the CaIW®RKs program from 1991 to present;
3. That the General Assistance manual be amended to remove the direct vendor housing payment method;
4. That the General Assistance manual be amended as noted in Attachment A, thereby updating the
content of the manual to accurately reflect and clarify current regulations made true by this resolution;
5. Nothing contained in this resolution is intended to affect the right of the County of Butte to implement
in any manner permissible by law or subject to discretion of the Board of Supervisors any change in
law effective after the date of this resolution which permits counties to further adjust or eliminate
General Assistance aid levels or program requirements.
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 10th day of March, 2015 by the following vote:
AYES: Supervisors Connelly, Wahl, Dirk, Lambert and Chair Teeter
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
NOT VOTING: None
Doug Teeter, Chair
Butte County Board of Supervisors
ATTEST®
Paul Hahn, ief in` trative,offiter
and Clerk y Sup `iso,,/s
13
V
Attachment A
March, 2015
GENERAL ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY MANUAL LETTER 15-01
To: All holders of the General Assistance Manual
The purpose of this letter is to transmit a complete, new edition of the GA Manual with
additions and revisions approved by the Butte County Board of Supervisors. Please
discard the old manual to avoid any confusion in the future.
Included in this new edition are amendments that were made
The effective date of these regulations is April 1, 2015.
1
Attachment A
The Department shall administer the General Assistance program in accordance with
W&I Code 17000, and all regulations contained in this manual.. In absence of specific
regulatory instructions, the Department shall refer to CalWORKs program regulations.
Included in this new edition are several amendments, as noted in the matrix below.
Amendments:
Section I — B Added the sentence, "The Department will use all
Applicant and Recipient available resources to verify facts to determine
Responsibilities eligibility." Amended to clarify the Department's
responsibility.
Section I — C Deleted "Section C - Periodic Reporting. Replaced
Periodic Reporting with "Section C — Change Reporting" and "Section D
— Periodic Reporting." Amended to clarify reporting
requirements.
Section I — E —4 Added, "or files an incomplete report form" and
Complete Periodic "submit" and removed the phrase "following the
Report Form report month or files an incomplete periodic report
form." Amended to clarify reporting rules.
Section I — E — 5 Deleted the phrase, "following the report month" and
Complete Periodic replaced with "submit." Amended to clarify the rules
Report Form of periodic reporting.
Section II General Added the statement, "verified as such either by Birth
Assistance Eligibility Certificate or MEDS." Amended to clarify citizenship
Standards requirements.
Article 2
Citizenship
Section II Article 3 Added the paragraph, "Income in Kind (IIK), either
Income A-3 earned or unearned, counts in its entirety in
determining the GA grant amount in the month
2
Attachment A
received. The amount will default to the standard
amounts used by CalWORKs or by statement from
the benefit provider, whichever is lower. Partial
income in kind is not counted." This paragraph has
been added to clarify IIK rules.
Section II Article 4 Replaced the words "market" and "taxable" with
Property (Real and "assessed." Amended to clarify property evaluation
Personal) A 3-4 methodology.
Section II Article 5 Added the phrase, "and cooperate to receive" and
Cooperation A 1 e "SDI." Amended to clarify client responsibilities.
Section II Article 6 Deleted the phrase, "up to and including 60 years of
Employable Persons age."Amended to clarify client responsibilities.
Section II Article 6 Deleted the phrase, "employable parents." Amended
Employable Persons C for accuracy by definition, parents cannot receive
General Assistance.
Section 11 Article 6 Deleted the phrase, "i.e. CaIJOBS." General
Employable Persons C-1 Assistance shall not be paid to employable persons
until these requirements are met." Amended for
accuracy, CaIJOBs is no longer the site used for
online job registration.
Section II Article 7 Deleted the words, "knowing" and "found" and added
Disabled Person B 5 the word "re-determined."Amended for clarification.
Section II Article 8 Replaced the number "60" with the number "48."
Other Conditions of Amended to reflect current regulatory time limits.
Eligibility C 1
Section II Article 8 Added the paragraph, "Individuals participating in the
Other Conditions of AB429 program shall be eligible for the General
Eligibility J Assistance program provided they are meeting all
participation requirements of the AB429 program."
Amended to clarify participant eligibility criteria.
Section II Article 9 Deleted the phrase, "Any persons presenting
Responsible Relatives / themselves as a couple or who have had common
Sponsor A children will receive benefits as a couple." Amended
3
Attachment A
for clarification.
Section II Article 10 Added the paragraph, "Fail, without good cause, to
Sanctions A-4 comply with the provisions set forth in Article 5,
Cooperation." Amended to clarify clients'
responsibilities.
Section III Deleted the word "Prospective." Amended to reflect
Determination of current budgeting methods.
Eligibility A
Section III Replaced the paragraph, "The Department shall
Eligibility A 3 continue to prospectively determine General
Assistance eligibility after the beginning months. The
prospective eligibility determination determines
whether or not a household continues to be eligible
for benefits, and does not determine what benefit
level a household is entitled to receive. A household
is neither eligible for a restoration of benefits, nor
shall an overpayment be established against a
household for an inaccurate estimate of a
household's prospective eligibility." With "The
Department shall continue to determine General
Assistance eligibility after the beginning months as
stated in Section I, C and D." Amended to clarify
reporting requirements.
Section III B Deleted the section, "Transitioning Households from
Prospective to Retrospective Budgeting." Amended
to reflect current budgeting methods.
Section IV Replaced the phrase "Food Stamps" with the phrase
Immediate Need A - a "CalFresh." Amended to reflect the current program
title.
Section VI Updated grant levels. Amended to reflect the new
General Assistance payment levels after a 5% COLA increase, which will
Grant Levels go into effect April 1, 2015.
Section VI Deleted the section which reflects grant amounts
Maximum Grant Amount reduced by percentages based on the number of
A 2 people living in the home. Amended to reflect the
correct grant level for a single person receiving GA.
Section VIII Removed the word "vendor" from the sentence.
Method of Payment Amended as vendors are no longer used for
payments.
4
Attachment A
Section VIII Article 1 Changed to the article title "Definitions Housing
Payments," to "Payment Methods."
Section VIII Article 1 Deleted "Vendor Voucher — Payment by County
Payment Methods warrant in the name of the property owner of housing
or his/her authorized agent." Amended to remove the
requirement to pay General Assistance client's
housing expense by vender voucher.
Section VIII Article 2 Deleted the section "Article 2 Housing." Amended
section as all information contained therein was
regarding voucher payments for housing expenses.
5
Attachment A
Page 9 of 36
1. APPLICANT AND RECIPIENT RESPONSIBILITIES
B. Applicant and Recipient Responsibilities
1. The exploration of facts concerning eligibility shall be a joint responsibility of
the applicant and the Department. The Department will use all available
resources to verify facts to determine Eligibility. The records or documents in
the applicant's possession shall be used whenever possible to verify
information.
Page 9 of 36
C. Change Reporting
1. A recipient of General Assistance is required to report and provide verification
of changes in circumstances which may affect eligibility within ten (10)
calendar days. These changes include:
a. Household Income
b. Shelter and Utility Costs
c. Household Composition
d. Property Changes
e. Other circumstances relevant to determining the amount of the
General Assistance grant.
D. Periodic Reporting
1. All households participating in the General Assistance Program shall report
household circumstances on the standard reporting form utilized for other
programs or a form of the department's own design. The due date of the
reporting form shall be determined by aligning the General Assistance
reporting requirement with the current CalFresh reporting requirement.
2. The report is due by the 5th of the submit month. Failure to submit a complete
report by the "extended filing date", including verification, shall result in
discontinuance of aid following the issuance of a ten (10) day notice of action.
3. The "Extended Filing Date" in a periodic reporting system is the close of
business on the first working day following the submit month. This is the final
date by which the household must submit a complete report form, including all
required verification without penalty of termination of eligibility.
6
Attachment A
4. Eligibility can be restored to General Assistance participants within the month
following the discontinuance without the need for a new application or an
interview if the household resolves the reason(s) for the discontinuance in
that month. Before restoring the benefits, the client must meet all other
eligibility conditions if applicable. Benefits will be prorated from the date the
client resolves the discontinuance.
Page 10 of 36
E. Complete Periodic Report Form
4. The Department shall provide a notice of action to a household that fails to
file a periodic report form, or files an incomplete report form, by the 11th
day of the submit month.
5.The Department shall send the notice of action no later than 10 days before the
end of the submit month and give the household until the extended filing date to
file a complete periodic report form. If a completed periodic report form is
received after the 11th of the month following the report month, but prior to the
mailing of the notice, the notice shall not be sent.
Page 11 of 36
II. GENERAL ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS
Article 2. Citizenship
A person shall be a citizen of the United States, verified as such either by Birth
Certificate or MEDS, or a non-citizen lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the
United States. Verification of his/her non-citizen status and that he/she can legally
remain in the United States is required prior to authorization of aid.
Page 11 of 36
Article 3. Income
3.Income in Kind (IIK), either earned or unearned, counts in its entirety in
determining the GA grant amount in the month received. The amount will default to
the standard amounts used by CaIWORKs or by statement from the benefit provider,
whichever is lower. Partial income in kind is not counted.
Attachment A
Page 14 of 36
Article 4. Property (Real and Personal)
A. Real Property
3. The value of the home in which a person lives is exempt if the assessed value is
$20,000 or less. The value will be determined by using assessed value, as verified
by the County Assessor, less verified encumbrances.
4. If the assessed value of the home, less verified encumbrances, exceeds
$20,000, the excess shall be considered as personal property and shall be
included in the property limit ($600.00).
Page 16 of 36
Article 5. Cooperation
e. Failure to apply for, and cooperate to receive, potentially available income
and/or benefits such as Unemployment Benefits, SDI, Social Security, SSI, etc.
Page 18 of 36
Article 6. Employable Persons
All applicants or recipients are presumed to be employable unless determined otherwise
by the County. This includes applicants or recipients with physical, mental, or functional
limitations or restrictions, which can be mitigated through employment services,
appropriate vocational rehabilitation and/or other treatment or services.
C. In order to be eligible for General Assistance, employable applicants/recipients over
18 years of age and legally emancipated minors shall:
1. Meet with a Resource Specialist at the Butte Community Employment Center
(CEC) and have received a computer logon for job search purposes.
Page 19 of 36
Article 7. Disabled Person
8
Attachment A
5. Refusal or failure to apply for or cooperate in the application process for SSI shall
result in the denial or discontinuance of aid as a disabled person. Eligibility for those
reapplying as disabled shall not be re-determined until cooperation is verified.
Page 20 of 36
Article 8. Other Conditions of Eligibility
1. Adult recipients of the CalWORKs Program who reach the 48-month lifetime limit
may be eligible for General Assistance only when all children in the household
are 18 years of age or older pursuant to AB 1542 SEC. 179. Section 17021(a).
Page 21 of 36
J. Individuals participating in the AB429 program shall be eligible for the General
Assistance program provided they are meeting all eligibility participation requirements of
the AB429 program.
Page 21 of 36
Article 9. Responsible Relatives / Sponsor
Responsible Relatives
A. Responsible relatives are persons who have a legal obligation to provide support or
partial support for an applicant/recipient of General Assistance. Responsibility exists
spouse for spouse and parent for child under 18 unless mitigated by the court.
Page 23 of 36
Article 10. Sanctions
A. An employable recipient of General Assistance shall be subject to sanction when
they:
4. Fail, without good cause, to comply with the provisions set forth in Article 5,
Cooperation.
9
Attachment A
Page 24 of 36
III. DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY
A. Eligibility
Page 24 of 36
3. The Department shall continue to determine General Assistance eligibility after
the beginning months as stated in Section I, C and D.
Section III B — Deleted section
Page 24 of 36
IV. IMMEDIATE NEED
A. Definition of Immediate Need
"Immediate Need" exists when there is an emergency situation, and the applicant's
liquid resources are less than $100.00 or the amount of the prorated grant.
Examples of an emergency situation include, but are not limited to:
a. Insufficient food for the family/individual which cannot be supplemented by
CalFresh issued by the next working day following the immediate need
request;
Page 27 of 36
VI GENERAL ASSISTANCE GRANT LEVELS
A. The grant levels for various assistance units, effective April 1, 2015
GRANT LEVEL
Assistant Independent
Unit Size grant level
1 330
2 405
Extra Person 75
10
Attachment A
Page 27 of 36
MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT
1. Persons shall be eligible to General Assistance in accordance with Welfare and
Institutions Code section 17000.
2. Boarding Home Care (non-medical facility) shall not exceed the following
allowance:
Grant Level $330.00
Care and Supervision $155.00
TOTAL $485.00
Page 28 of 36
Vill. METHOD OF PAYMENT
Payments shall be made by county check and/or purchase order.
Article I. Payment Methods
Section VI II Article 1 — Deleted Vendor Voucher.
Section VIII Article 2 — Deleted section — Housing.
11