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May 29, 2020

ALL COUNTY LETTER NO. 20-60

TO: ALL COUNTY WELFARE DIRECTORS ALL COUNTY CALWORKS PROGRAM SPECIALISTS ALL CALFRESH PROGRAM SPECIALISTS ALL COUNTY REFUGEE COORDINATORS ALL COUNTY CONSORTIA REPRESENTATIVES

SUBJECT: CALIFORNIA WORK OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO KIDS (CALWORKS): COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) INCREASE TO THE MINIMUM BASIC STANDARDS OF ADEQUATE CARE (MBSAC) LEVELS

REFERENCE: WELFARE & INSTITUTIONS CODE (WIC) SECTIONS 11450, WIC 11452, AND WIC 11453; ALL COUNTY LETTER NO. 19-47

MBSAC INCREASE

The purpose of this All County Letter (ACL) is to inform counties of an increase to the CalWORKs MBSAC levels effective July 1, 2020. The WIC Section 11453 requires CalWORKs MBSAC levels to be adjusted annually to reflect any increases or decreases in the cost of living. The Fiscal Year 2020-21 COLA increases the MBSAC and Income- In-Kind (IIK) levels by 3.72 percent. The new MBSAC levels are to be used in determining applicant financial eligibility for those families that apply for CalWORKs on or after July 1, 2020.

The new CalWORKs MBSAC Payment Standards Chart for Regions 1 and 2 is attached to this ACL to assist in implementing these changes. The new IIK levels are included in this chart as these amounts also increased as a result of the MBSAC COLA.

If a County Welfare Department’s (CWD’s) Statewide Automated Welfare System is unable to implement the new MBSAC level in a timely manner for applicants by July 1, 2020, the CWD must take immediate steps to review and correct any applications denied on or after July 1, 2020, if the sole reason for denial was failure to pass the applicant financial eligibility income test due to the MBSAC or IIK amounts used.