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November 25, 2025

Action Change Transmittal Letter No. 297

TO: All Cash Assistance Manual Holders FROM: Matt Damschroder, Director SUBJECT: January 1, 2026: Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance Cost-of-Living Increase.

Background: Section 5107.04 of the Revised Code requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to increase the Ohio Works First (OWF) payment standard on the first day of each January by the cost-of–living adjustment (COLA) that occurs in the previous year. The COLA is determined by the Social Security Administration. New Payment Standard: On October 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a COLA increase of 2.8 percent. Beginning January 1, 2026, ODJFS will issue the following revised OWF and Refugee Cash Assistance payments, based on assistance group size and reflecting the COLA increase: Assistance Group Size Payments as of January 1, 2026 1 $382 2 $521 3 $640 4 $790 5 $924 6 $1028 7 $1149 8 $1275 9 $1400 10 $1527 11 $1650 12 $1777 13 $1904 14 $2027 15 $2157 +15 ADD $159 Implementation: Mass change will run in Ohio Benefits to update the payments; program blocks will be updated from November 26, 2025, through November 30, 2025. An exception report will be created for all cases which Ohio Benefits cannot update automatically. The eligibility worker will be required to run the Eligibility Determination/Benefit Calculation (ED/BC) then save and accept the results for those cases to implement these changes. Each assistance group affected by this change will receive a notice with the new amount of benefits they will receive.

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Official source

November 25, 2025

Action Change Transmittal Letter No. 297

TO: All Cash Assistance Manual Holders FROM: Matt Damschroder, Director SUBJECT: January 1, 2026: Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance Cost-of-Living Increase.

Background: Section 5107.04 of the Revised Code requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to increase the Ohio Works First (OWF) payment standard on the first day of each January by the cost-of–living adjustment (COLA) that occurs in the previous year. The COLA is determined by the Social Security Administration. New Payment Standard: On October 24, 2025, the Social Security Administration announced a COLA increase of 2.8 percent. Beginning January 1, 2026, ODJFS will issue the following revised OWF and Refugee Cash Assistance payments, based on assistance group size and reflecting the COLA increase: Assistance Group Size Payments as of January 1, 2026 1 $382 2 $521 3 $640 4 $790 5 $924 6 $1028 7 $1149 8 $1275 9 $1400 10 $1527 11 $1650 12 $1777 13 $1904 14 $2027 15 $2157 +15 ADD $159 Implementation: Mass change will run in Ohio Benefits to update the payments; program blocks will be updated from November 26, 2025, through November 30, 2025. An exception report will be created for all cases which Ohio Benefits cannot update automatically. The eligibility worker will be required to run the Eligibility Determination/Benefit Calculation (ED/BC) then save and accept the results for those cases to implement these changes. Each assistance group affected by this change will receive a notice with the new amount of benefits they will receive.