PD 24-06: Single Allocation One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment Payment
| Date: | 05/22/2024 |
| To: | DEBS |
| From: | Michelle Rojas, SSA Business Policy Implementation Specialist |
| Reference: | N/A |
Background
CalWORKs 2.0 uses a holistic approach to improve outcomes for the entire family. To support these efforts, Employment Counselors (ECs) assist clients by developing goal-oriented CalWORKs Employment Services (CWES) plans.
Guidance
To support a goal, a one-time $400 per household One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment Payment will be issued to CWES families beginning May 28 through June 7, 2024.
Two different One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment payments will be issued during this time frame using two different funding sources: Single Allocation or Family Stabilization. However, households will only be eligible to receive one of the payments.
A point-in-time listing will be run on May 20, 2024, and will include all eligible participants, and will distinguish which payment the EC is to issue.
Note: This Program Directive provides guidance on issuing the One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment payment that is utilizing Single Allocation funding.
Eligible Population
CWES Participants in the following WTW/Cal-Learn Program statuses are eligible:
- Active
- Exempt
- Good Cause
- Non-Comp
- Pending
- Registered Cal-Learn (Head of Household Case)
Note: Post-Aid Services participants and CWES participants with Sanction statuses are not eligible.
Payment Method/CalSAWS
A point-in-time listing of the eligible population will be distributed once to ECs to assist staff with issuing payments. Only clients who are on the listing are eligible to receive this payment. There is a limit of one payment per Assistance Unit (AU).
To issue this payment, on the Need Detail page select Category: "Ancillary-Work Related", Type: "Other" and enter: "Single Allocation One-Time Payment FY24" in the Description field.
On the Service Arrangement Detail page, enter "One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment Payment" in the Service Type Description field.
To issue this payment in CalSAWS, there must be an active activity linked to the Service Arrangement. If a client doesn't have an active Welfare-to-Work (WTW) activity, then the EC will add a pseudo activity by navigating to the Select Activity page in CalSAWS and selecting "Appraisal/Assessment" in the Category field, selecting "Other Welfare-To-Work" in the Type field, and selecting "43-One Time Payment" as the activity from the Select Activity page. On the Customer Activity Detail page, enter "Workaround for Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment payment per Program Directive 24-06" in the Additional Comments field. Once the one-time payment has been approved in CalSAWS, the EC will navigate back to the Customer Activity Detail page of the pseudo "43-One Time Payment" activity, click on the [Add] button then select "Closed" in the Status field and "Interrupted" in the Status Reason field, and click on the [Save and Return] button.
This payment is to be issued via EBT or warrant as an exception.
Journal Entry
Once the payment is issued, the EC must enter "Single Allocation One-Time Summer 2024 Enrichment payment issued per Program Directive 24-06" in the CalSAWS Journal Detail page using Journal Category: "Employment Services", Journal Type: "WTW", and Short Description: "Single Allocation One-Time Payment FY24".
Client Notification
Central Services will mail out client notifications to eligible clients by May 28, 2024.
Budgeting (Eligibility Staff)
The Single Allocation One-Time Summer 2024 CalWORKs Enrichment payment is considered as an other ancillary supportive service, which is exempt from budgeting for all programs and is as follows:
- It is treated as exempt income for CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal.
- Clients do not need to report the payments.
- Verification is not required if a client does report the payments.
Supervisors
Employment Program and Eligibility Worker Supervisors must review this Program Directive immediately with staff.