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Defending your Dreams:Maximize Student

Supportive Services How To Fight WtW Sanctions & For

Your SIP2nd Annual CalWORKs Association Training Institute

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March 14, 2011San Diego, California

Kevin Aslanian, CCWRO1901 Alhambra Blvd

Sacramento, CA 95816-7012Tel (916) 736-0616FAX (916) 736-2645Cell (916) 712-0071

E-mail address: kevin.aslanian@ccwro.org

ccwro.org

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What We Will Cover• Background on Welfare

• CalWORKs Welfare-to-Work (WtW) Requirements

• Supportive Services

• How to Fight WtW Sanctions

• SIP Requirements

• How to Ask For a State Hearing

• Questions & Answers

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Welfare History•Why do we have a welfare program?

•Who gets welfare?

•Deserving poor v. undeserving poor

• Test to get welfare

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How much do we spend on welfare?

• What portion of payments goes to families?

• How much do CalWORKs children receive a month versus foster care children?

• How much does TANF contribute to the General Fund?

• Benefits levels - COLA

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WtW Operators• Who is running the WtW system in California?

• EDD – The jobs people

• DSS/CWD – the welfare people

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WtW Pavlovian Tunnels• Orientation/Appraisal [§42-711.52]

• Job Club or Remedial Education [§42-711.53]

• Assessment and WtW Plan being assigned to a component [§§42-711.55 through 711.6]

• If not working, then back to assessment[§ 42-711.7]

• Component assignment – can be secondary education – WtW-2

• SIP – Has to be enrolled in college before appraisal – signing the WtW 1 and 2. [§42-711.31(b)]

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Post Assessment• The CWD and the WtW participant must agree on an

appropriate component. WIC § 11320.11

• Education is one component.

• Insist on going into the education component.

• Do not sign the plan if the participant does not agree with the

plan.

• Ask for a third-party assessment.

• File for a state hearing.

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WtW Plan

• If the participant disagrees with the WtW plan:

• Ask for a third-party assessment.

• Ask for a hearing.

• Just say, “I disagree with the plan.” Do not refuse to sign it.

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WtW Participation Requirements• State law – 32/35 hours a week. [WIC § 11322.8; see also

EAS § 42-711.4]

• Federal law:• 20 hours a week for kids under 6

• 30 hours a week with kids +6

• 35 hours a week for two-parent families

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How to qualify as a SIP• Enroll in school before appraisal.

• Enroll in a program that would lead to self-sufficiency [EAS §

42.711.54].

• The program must be in the county plan.

• If not in the county plan, provide proof that it would lead to

self-sufficiency.

• Must make satisfactory progress as defined by the educational

institution.

• If the SIP is denied, file for a state hearing.

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Welfare to Work Plan• A WtW plan is supposed to be a five-year plan.

• A SIP can be approved for 60 months. [§42-711.54]

• The 60-month clock that applies to adults can be stopped

for:

• 1. Persons who could not work 32 hours a week for some physical

or mental reason;

• 2. Had child support paid;

• 3. Domestic Violence Waiver.

• NOTE: Soon to be 48 months

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Who is exempt from WtW [WIC § 11320.3; EAS § 42-712]

• Under 16 years old;• Full time students under the age of 18;• Child aged 16-17 with a HS diploma going to college;• Ill or disabled;• 60 years or older;• Needed in the house to care for a disabled family member;• Child under 2 years of age-coming soon, under 3 years of age;• Pregnant with verification;• VISTA volunteer

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Child Care• County is required to provide child care. [EAS § 42-701.1(d); §

42-750.11].

• When will the CWD pay for child care? [§42-711(b)(1)(B)]

1. During approved activities

2. Including travel time to and from activities

3. Child under 10

4. Regional Market Rates -http://www.cde.ca.gov/ fg/aa/cd/ap/ - ACL 06-28 – August 8, 2006

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Ancillary Services [EAS § 42.750.1]

• Books, fees (no tuition ), tools, clothing;

• No caps;

• For all classes that count toward completion of

degree/certificate, including elective classes;

• Can’t require students to get EOPS/CARE book voucher

first.

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Transportation & Ancillary Services

• W&IC §11323.2 - Transportation & ancillary services shall

be available to everybody who needs it to participate.

• W&IC §11323.2(a)(e)(2) Transportation costs, which shall

be governed by regional market rates as determined in

accordance with regulations established by the

department.

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Transportation & Ancillary Services

• W&IC §11323.2(a)(e)(3) Ancillary expenses, which shall

include the cost of books, tools, clothing specifically

required for the job, fees, and other necessary costs.

• For additional authority see EAS § 42-750

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DSS Regulations (1)• EAS § 42-750.112 Transportation. Transportation costs

shall be governed by regional market rates as

determined below:

• (a) The least costly form of public transportation, including

CWD provided transportation, that would not preclude

participation in welfare-to-work activities pursuant to

Section 42-721.313.

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DSS Regulations (2)• (b) If there is no public transportation available which meets

these requirements, participants may use their own vehicles.

Participants shall be reimbursed at one of the following rates:

• (1) The county shall select an existing reimbursement rate used

in the county, or

• (2) The county shall develop a rate that covers necessary costs.

• (3) The reimbursement rate may not include a "cap," or

maximum monthly reimbursement amount, beyond which

additional miles driven are not reimbursed.

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DSS Regulations (3) (c) Parking for welfare-to-work participants shall be reimbursed at actual

cost. Participants shall submit receipts for this purpose, except in cases

where parking meters are used.

(d) Participants who choose to use their own vehicles when public

transportation is available will be reimbursed at the least expensive

reimbursement rate of available transportation pursuant to Sections 42-

750.112(a) and (b).

• County mileage policies must be publicly available in order to

be a valid.

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Major Transportation and Ancillary Issues

• County fails to pay for transportation;

• County pays the wrong amount;

• County underpays;

• County does not provide advance payments of transportation & ancillary services;

• County issues vendor payments rather than payments directly to the participant.

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How The County Avoids Paying Transportation Costs

• No travel claim form available to WtW participants, while travel claims are readily available to county welfare employees.

• WtW participants are only able to claim 50%. Why?

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• Does the participant need an advance?

• Does the participant use his/her money to pay for the need?

• Does the county ask if the participant needed an advance?

• Does the county issue the advance?

• What is the written county policy for advance?

• Is the policy publicly available?

County Does Not Provide Advance Payments of Transportation & Ancillary Services

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Information must be publicly available?

• Can go to the welfare office and ask the receptionist for a copy of the County DV Policies.

• Have a “tester” (like an intern) go to the welfare office once every three months to verify the policies are publicly available.

• Write a letter to the CWD director asking why the information is not publicly available.

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• W&IC §11323.4(a)

• Payments for supportive services, as described in

Section 11323.2, shall be advanced to the

participant, wherever necessary, and when desired

by the participant, so that the participant need not

use his or her funds to pay for these services.

How Payments Are Made?

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Participation Hours For Supportive Services

• Manual of Policies and Procedures (MPP) (a.k.a EAS) §42-750.11 states that necessary supportive services, including transportation, shall be available to every participant in order to participate in the program activity to which he or she is assigned or to accept or retain employment. (emphasis added)

• Employment includes work study.

• See also All County Letter (ACL) 03-15

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Using Pell Grants/CARE/EOPS

• Counties cannot assume that PELL grants or other funds are available for supportive services.

• WtW 8 form has to be done before using PELL grants to reduce supportive services.

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WtW Work Supportive Services Issue

• Statewide, 50% of the WtW participants do not get transportation. DSS: Source WtW 25 report

• Statewide, counties provide mileage reimbursement from 44.5¢ to less than 20¢ a mile depending on the county one lives.

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County Option RegulationMPP § 11-501.3 County Standards “Where statutes or CDSS regulations authorize counties

to adopt specific standards which affect an applicant’s/recipient’s eligibility or grant amount or welfare-to-work activities, including supportive services, such standards shall be in writing and shall be made available to the public upon request.”

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• Did the participant ask for a vendor payment?

• When are counties authorized to issue a vendor payment?

a. People who do not report what they did with their temporary homeless assistance;

b. People being sanctioned;

c. §40-107(b) - Provides that where there is a need for a substitute payee, then one shall be arranged;

d. §22-071.19 - Provides that before vendor or protective payments are issued, one has to get a Notice of Action and a right to a state hearing;

e. §42-721.461- Provides for vendor payments or protective payees for persons being sanctioned

Issuing Vendor Payments Rather Than Payments Directly to the Participant

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WtW Sanctions• If a person does not participate in an assigned activity, then

the county may sanction the person. [EAS §§ 42-721 et seq.]

• Example: County schedules a student for job-club of CWEX – Unpaid Labor.

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Sanction Process• See ACL 03-59• 30-day calendar notice with a WtW 27 to indicate good cause;

[§42-721.23]

• An appointment to show good cause within 20 calendar days;

[§42-721.24]

• Can indicate good cause by phone within the 20 calendar

days; [§42-721.27]

• Make a notation of the contact on the NOA for protection

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Content of the Notice• The CWD Notice of Action must contain specific information. [§42-

721.23]. This information includes:

• i. The specific act(s) that caused the individual to be out of

compliance;

• ii. Inform the individual of the right to assert good cause for the

refusal or failure;

• iii. Inform the individual of the date and time of the scheduled

appointment;

• iv. Provide a general definition of good cause and examples of reasons

that constitute good cause for not participating in the program.

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Content of the Notice (Continued)• v. Inform the individual of the right to contact the CWD by telephone to establish

good cause in lieu of attending the appointment scheduled by the county.

• vi. Inform the individual of the right to reschedule the appointment once within the 20 calendar day period.

• vii. Inform the individual that if good cause is not found, a compliance plan will be developed and the individual will be expected to agree to the plan or face a sanction.

• viii. Inform the individual of the name, address and telephone number of the state and local legal aid and welfare rights organizations.

• ix. Describe that transportation and child care services that the individual is entitled to receive, as needed to attend the appointment.

What is a good cause• Lack of child care;

• Lack of transportation – Advance Payment;

• Domestic Abuse Waiver;

• Travel by bus more than 2 hours round trip from your

residence to the location of the assigned activity; (does not

apply to workfare);

• Illness;

• Or other good reasons. [see EAS §42-713 & W&IC

§§11320.31-11320.32]

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• §42-721.25 If the individual fails to attend the appointment, the CWD shall attempt to contact the individual by telephone at the time of, or after, the appointment to establish a finding of good cause or no good cause. If a finding of no good cause is made, the CWD shall develop a compliance plan to correct the instance of nonparticipation.

• County has to prove they made the call at the hearing.

CWD Telephone Contact Before Sanction

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What to do if you get a NOA?• Call and tell the county why you did not

participate. What was your good reason? Lack of child care; transportation not paid in advance. All good reasons.

• Immediately file for a state hearing.

• APP – sanction stayed pending the hearing.

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Do not agree to a participation plan

• If you had a good reason, do not agree to a participation plan. That is a “county trap” to sanction you.

• 2 days before the hearing, get the county’s position statement.

• If needed, postpone the hearing to allow time to become familiar with the county’s position and to develop a defense.

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• The sanction can be cured at anytime by turning in a WtW 31 form to the county.

• The participant must inform the county that he or she wants to cure the sanction.

• Sign a Plan to Stop a WTW Sanction (WTW 29) "the curing plan" either at a scheduled meeting, or by mail.

How to Cure the Sanction

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How to Cure the Sanction• Satisfactorily perform the activity or activities causing the sanction.

Until the curing plan is completed or up to a maximum of 20

calendar days, whichever is shorter, from the date that the curing

plan is signed. [EAS §42-721.481]

• When a participant contacts the county to start the curing process,

and the individual successfully completes the curing process cash

aid is restored the first day of the month following the date that the

individual contacted the county to indicate his or her desire to

cure.

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How to Ask For a State Hearing• Fax the request to:

•916-651-5210(State)

or

• CCWRO at 916-736-2645 if the State number is busy

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Q&A