County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants CAPI Program Guide InKind Support and Maintenance ISM Number Page 991035 1 of 5 Revision Date July 1 2019 A Background The table below shows definitions for terms used in this section Term Definition CalFresh Californias version of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP California Food Assistance Program CFAP is a separate statefunded program which provides nutrition benefits to certain immigrants living in California who are not eligible to federally funded CalFresh solely due to immigration requirements CAPI recipients may receive either CalFresh or CFAP However for purposes of this section all references to CalFresh include CFAP Condominium Mobile Home Space Rental and Association Fees Not household operating expenses However these fees may include charges for household expenses and to the extent they are identified as such should be counted in the computation of ISM Earmarking A form of sharing of household expenses that applies when a customers monthly contribution is totally or partially designated to pay for shelter andor food and the customers pro rata share for food andor shelter is satisfied from the earmarked item Household A personal place of residence in which the individuals share common living quarters and function as a single economic unit They need not be related by blood or marriage Household of Another HOA aka Reduced Needs Payment Standard A payment rate lower than the Independent Living standard for CAPI customers who reside in another persons household for an entire calendar month and receive both food and shelter from that individual When a customers monthly benefit rate is calculated using HOA ISM does not apply Household Operating Expense The households total monthly expenditures include all shelter expenses listed in the definition of shelter except where those expenditures are paid for by someone outside the household Food is also included as a household expense unless the applicantrecipient purchases it separately Independent Living Payment Standard The CAPI payment standard that applies to customers who reside in their own households A customer who lives alone or just with a spouse andor minor children would be paid at this rate This payment standard also applies to roommate situations in which a customer has rental liability and purchases and prepares hisher own food Customers who share a residence with others and pay at least the pro rata share of household operating expenses are paid at this payment standard ISM A type of unearned income which is any food clothing or shelter that a customer receives because someone else pays for it or provides it CAPI customers may be fully or partially supported by ISM ISM can be received from someone living County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants CAPI Program Guide InKind Support and Maintenance ISM Number Page 991035 2 of 5 In the same household Outside the household NonPublic Assistance Household A household in which at least one member does not receive public assistance payments Examples of public assistance payments include Supplemental Security Income SSI CalWORKs and General Relief GR ISM is developed in nonpublic assistance households only When every member of the household receives public assistance payments ISM does not apply CalFresh and InHome Supportive Services IHSS are not public assistance payments Public Assistance Household Household in which every member receives public assistance payments Presumed Maximum Value PMV The maximum amount that can be attributed to ISM received by a CAPI customer for purposes of determining countable income The value of PMV is equal to onethird of the federal SSI benefit plus 20 Pro Rata Share of Household Expenses The portion of a households total expenses that is attributable to the customer It is calculated by dividing the average monthly household expenses by the number of people in the household regardless of age Determining the customers pro rata share is a step in calculating ISM that applies only to those who reside with others and who pay a portion of the monthly household expenses to the head of household Pro rata share does not apply to those who pay all household expenses in full each month nor does it apply to those who are fully supported Finally pro rata share does not apply to customers who reside alone or with a spouse andor minor children only Rental Liability Applies to those who live in their own households and are required to pay rent to the landlord in exchange for the right to reside on the premises Room or Rent Not ISM if recipient is paying Current Market Rental Value CMRV under a business arrangement Rent paid under a business arrangement is presumed to be the CMRV unless the recipient or anyone in the household is related as either parent or child to the landlord or the landlords spouse Shelter Room rent mortgage payments property taxes property insurance if required by mortgage holder gas electricity heating fuel water sewer and garbage collection service Purpose This section is revised to provide clarifications to developing ISM in CAPI B Policy ISM can be applied in two different ways as Household of Another HOA or as Presumed Maximum Value PMV The definitions above and 2 and 3 below show the application of each method These two provisions are mutually exclusive When HOA applies the PMV cannot be charged and vice versa ISM cannot be charged at a rate higher than the PMV regardless of the actual value of County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants CAPI Program Guide InKind Support and Maintenance ISM Number Page 991035 3 of 5 the food shelter or clothing received ISM is unearned even when related to certain work activities in another persons home 1 FoodShelter Provided as Payment When food or shelter is provided as payment to a domestic or agricultural employee or for services not in the course of the employers trade or business they must be counted as ISM not wages Example A CAPI applicantrecipient Lives with her adult daughter Makes no cash contribution towards the household Receives both food and shelter from her daughter In return the applicantrecipient babysits her grandchildren 10 hours per day The applicantrecipient would be subject to the HOA living arrangement but not charged with any earned income 2 Household of Another HOA HOA refers to one of the living arrangement categories on the CAPI payment chart The HOA payment level is lower than the independent living payment due to the HOA individuals reduced needs The HOA level reflects the federal SSI payment category that has been reduced by onethird Although HOA is a living arrangement category it also indicates that the recipient is living in another persons household for an entire month and is receiving ISM in the form of both food and shelter from that person A person cannot be placed in the HOA reduced needs category if the individual Has ownership interest or rental liability ie legally liable for payment of rent Pays a pro rata share of the households food andor shelter expenses HOA does not apply to customers who meet the above standards and who also receive nonmedical care from one or more members of the household Such customers are subject to the higher CAPI nonmedical outofhome care payment rate It is not necessary for all of a customers shelter and food to be provided by a member of the household for the HOA standard to apply If the customer receives at least some of hisher shelter and some of hisher food from a member of the household HOA applies If a claimant pays for all of hisher food with CalFresh benefits andor with the assistance of food banks government or church food distributions free senior meals or similar communitybased alternative sources the HOA standard does not apply However if a portion of the customers food is provided in this way but is supplemented with food provided by one or more members of the household the HOA standard applies Note An applicantrecipient living with others and paying a pro rata share of the household expenses is in the independent living arrangement due to sharing and is not receiving ISM from within the household County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants CAPI Program Guide InKind Support and Maintenance ISM Number Page 991035 4 of 5 3 Presumed Maximum Value PMV PMV is charged whenever the individual is not subject to the HOA living arrangement and is receiving some form of ISM Instead of determining the actual value of any food clothing or shelter received presume that it is worth a standard maximum value This maximum value is equal to onethird of the federal SSI benefit rate plus 20 See Desk Aid 991051A for the current PMV values The recipient can rebut the PMV by presenting evidence that the actual value of the ISM is less than the PMV If the worker agrees that the actual value is less than the PMV charge the individual with the actual value 4 ISM from Within the Household Develop ISM from within the household when the CAPI customer is Living in a nonpublic assistance household with someone other than a spouse or minor child and Either has rental liability or ownership interest or Is either purchasing food separately or earmarking food or shelter payments See Desk Aid 991035A for an example 5 ISM from Outside the Household Develop ISM from outside the household when a third party who does not live in the household makes a payment to a vendor for an item of the households shelter or food Two examples are rentfree shelter and rental subsidy See Desk Aid 991035A for an example 6 Minors In most cases it is unnecessary to calculate the value of ISM for blind or disabled minors who are applying for or receiving CAPI When a minor resides with one or both parents the minor is presumed to be fully supported When a parent is ineligible for either CAPI or SSISSP the value of ISM received by the minor is accounted for through the parenttochild deeming process The minors CAPI eligibility and payment amount is calculated using the HOA standard However when a disabled or blind minor receives ISM from sources other than a resident parent including ISM provided by other relatives and nonrelatives residing inside or outside the household the ISM is treated as unearned income to the minor C Procedure Calculate ISM as shown in Processing Guide 991035A Program Impacts None References MPP 4903552 ACL 9882 and 0611 ACIN I2519 County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants CAPI Program Guide InKind Support and Maintenance ISM Number Page 991035 5 of 5 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance by 07312022 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director Eligibility Operations