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Program Requirements that Can be Waived
With the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 2277, counties are required to waive a program requirement for a recipient who has been identified as a past or present victim of domestic abuse (DA) and if the county determines that good cause exists. Pursuant to this requirement, an individual who is a past or present victim/survivor of DA must be exempt from Welfare-to-Work (WTW) activities and/or have certain program regulations waived on a case-by-case basis, but only for as long as DA would put the survivor's safety and well-being at risk.
A waiver must not be conditioned on participation in a specific activity or service. For example, a client must not be required to participate in counseling sessions and/or DA services in order to be eligible for a DA exemption.
Program Requirements that Cannot be Waived
The following program requirements CANNOT be waived due to DA:
- Deprivation
- Property (real and personal)
- Income
- Homeless Assistance eligibility criteria.
Program Requirements that Can be Waived
All other program requirements can be waived due to DA, including, but not limited to:
CalWORKs
- Time limit on cash aid
- Refer to Domestic Abuse Exemption/Extender.
- Paternity establishment
- Refer to Common Place Handbook Good Cause Determinations.
- Child support cooperation
- Refer to Common Place Handbook Good Cause Determinations.
- Once every 12 months Homeless Assistance (HA) rules
- Refer to Homeless Assistance Exceptions.
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Reminder: Refer to Expanded Temporary Homeless Assistance (THA) for information on Expanded THA.
- Proof of age-appropriate immunizations for all children in the Assistance Unit (AU) under the age of six
- Refer to the Good Cause section of Immunization Requirement.
- School attendance requirements
- Refer to the Good Cause Criteria sub-section of School Attendance Requirement.
- Sponsored non-citizen deeming rules
- Refer to the Battered Sponsored Non-Citizen section of Sponsored Non-Citizen.
Eligibility Workers (EWs) must determine which program requirement(s) to waive consistent with written policies and in discussion with the survivor. Waived requirements must be based on the needs of the survivor and adjusted as necessary to provide support.
WTW
- Orientation
- Appraisal
- Job Club/Supervised Job Search
- Other WTW participation requirements, work requirements, or education requirements.
When a CalWORKs client is approved for a DA exemption/extender, the CalWORKs Social Worker (SW)/Domestic Violence (DV) Advocate will consult with the Associate Employment Counselor (AEC)/Employment Counselor (EC) and any other agency working with the client, to develop a plan that removes the client’s barrier(s) to self-sufficiency. A client approved for a DA time on aid (TOA) exemption/extender will have their participation waived.
Refer to CWES Handbook Orientation, Appraisal, and Support Services for more information on these topics.
Related Topics
Domestic Abuse Forms and Supporting Documentation
Domestic Abuse Referral Process
Domestic Abuse Exemption/Extender