Domestic Abuse (DA) - Exemption/Extender

An individual who is a past or present victim/survivor of DA may be exempt from Employment Services activities and/or have certain program regulations waived on a case-by-case basis, but only for as long as DA prevents the individual from obtaining employment or participating in Employment Services activities. Program requirements/regulations that may be temporarily waived, include:

• WTW participation,
• 60-month time limit on receipt of CalWORKs benefits,
• Education requirement (for Cal-Learn participants),
• Paternity establishment,
• Child support cooperation,
• Once-in-a-lifetime Homeless Assistance rules, and
• Sponsored noncitizen deeming rules.

Refer to CalWORKs Handbook, Chapter 42: Domestic Abuse, for additional information.

Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Participation

When a CalWORKs client is approved for a DA Exemption/Extender, the CalWORKs SW/DV Advocate will consult with the EC and any other agency working with the client, to develop a plan which removes the client’s barrier(s) to self-sufficiency. A client approved for a DA TOA Exemption/Extender will have his/her participation waived.

Integrated Plan

When an individual is assessed by the SW and DA issues do not preclude participation in WTW activities, the SW will not approve the exemption/extender. The SW may recommend the recipient have his/her DV activities incorporated into the WTW Plan.

Supportive services are available while participating in an integrated DV/WTW Plan.

Example Example A CalWORKs recipient is attending parenting classes 2 hours per week but her present situation, as assessed by the SW, does not preclude participation in WTW. The SW does not approve the TOA Exemption but recommends an integrated WTW Plan that includes two (2) hours of parenting classes. The EC develops a WTW Plan that includes the parenting classes coupled with other WTW activities to meet weekly participation requirements. 

60-Month Time Limit

Exemption

Active CalWORKs clients approved for a DA exemption will not have their TOA counted against their CalWORKs 60-month time limit.

Extender

Previous CalWORKs clients who had been aided as an adult for 60-cumulative months, may receive CalWORKs beyond the 60-month time limit, when the client is a victim/survivor of past or present DA, and it is determined that the abuse has significantly impaired the client’s ability to participate in self-sufficiency activities. Individuals may qualify for an extender at any time after being discontinued. The TOA extender begins:

• For Safety Net case, the first of the month, following the month verifications are received, or the first of the following semi-annually period if results in a grant decrease,

Refer to CalWORKs Handbook, Chapter 4: Adding a Person to the AU, for additional information.

• The date of re-application for a family applying for cash aid, or date verification is provided, whichever is later.

Refer to CalWORKs Handbook, Chapter 39: Time Limits, for more detailed information regarding TOA Extenders/Exemptions.