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All County Letter No. 21-87 Page Two

of CalWORKs Grant Option. CalFresh recipients must receive notification of any negative changes to their household’s CalFresh benefits no later than September 20, 2021 to meet (10-day) timely noticing regulations per 7 CFR 273.13(a)(1).

The AB 85 redistributed funds to counties for CalWORKs expenditures and established the Child Poverty and Family Supplemental Support (CPFSS) Subaccount within the Sales Tax Account of the Local Revenue Fund to support CalWORKs grant increases. The cost of the 5.3 percent grant increase will be funded with revenues deposited into the CPFSS Subaccount. Any remaining amounts in the subaccount will be carried over to future fiscal years. The growth revenues deposited into the CPFSS Subaccount will be monitored to determine if funding remains sufficient for the following fiscal year and thereafter.

Each year the subaccount will also be monitored to determine if funds are sufficient to allow an additional increase to the MAP. If funds are sufficient, the increase would take effect on October 1st of that year. If funds are not sufficient to support an increase, no change to the MAP will occur. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) will notify CWDs in advance of any future grant increases.

The grant increase applies to all CalWORKs cases, regardless of whether the Assistance Unit (AU) lives in Region One or Region Two and regardless of the AU’s exempt or non-exempt status. The CWDs are to treat the grant increase as a mandatory county-initiated mid-period action for Semi Annual Reporting (SAR) and Annual Reporting/Child Only (AR/CO) cases.

INFORMING CALWORKS RECIPIENTS

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) has provided the attached mass mailer notice (TEMP 2250) for CWDs to send to all CalWORKs recipients, informing them of the change in state law that increases MAP levels effective October 1, 2021, and the potential decrease to the household’s CalFresh benefits as a result of the increase to their income. The CWDs must begin sending the mailer to all CalWORKs recipients as soon as administratively possible but no later than September 1, 2021. As stated above, CWDs must also send the attached adequate notice of action (NOA) (TM44-315L) to CalWORKs recipients providing information specific to their AU’s cash aid amount.

CalFresh noticing rules have not changed. AUs with CalFresh benefits affected by the grant increase will receive a separate notice about their CalFresh benefits. The CDSS strongly encourages CWDs to provide a copy of the TEMP 2250 to all new CalWORKs