County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide Number Page CalWORKs and Employment Services Overview 10001 1of 2 Revision Date July 01 2022 Purpose This revision incorporates policy changes to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids CalWORKs program due to the passage of Assembly Bill AB 79 that repeals the CalWORKs 48month TimeonAid limit repeals the Welfare to Work 24Month Time Clock WTW 24MTC and changes the WTW program hourly participation requirements The policy updates became effective May 1 2022 Background The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act PRWORA became federal law on August 22 1996 and established a cash assistance program Temporary Assistance to Needy Families TANF which limited federal funding to a maximum of 60 months in a lifetime and required states to develop and implement programs that would move individuals from dependency to selfsufficiency through employment The WelfaretoWork act of 1997 established the CalWORKs program which is Californias version of TANF The CalWORKs program was originally implemented with a 60month lifetime limit for nonexempt adults and with a provision to allow children to continue receiving aid until they reach 18 years of age Effective January 11998 the CalWORKs program began helping families achieve selfsufficiency through the WelfaretoWork WTW program also known as the Employment Services ES program that has participation requirements and a WorkFirst emphasis while at the same time supporting families by offering services that help remove barriers to employment and encourage independence Effective July 1 2011 the CalWORKs time limit for aid to adult recipients changed from 60 months to 48 months per Senate Bill SB 72 However effective May 1 2022 the CalWORKs time limit has been extended back from 48 months to 60 months per AB 79 In summary from January 1 1998 through June 30 2011 the CalWORKs time limit was 60 months From July 1 2011 to April 30 2022 the CalWORKs time limit was 48 months Effective May 1 2022 the CalWORKs time limit is again 60 months Effective January 1 2013 per SB 1041 a 24month time clock was implemented limiting the number of months participants can choose freely from the full range of activities offered by the Employment Services program without meeting core work participation hours After the 24months were used a participant had to meet minimum hourly participation requirements in core work activities Other ES activities were allowed if core work participation requirements were met Effective May 1 2022 per AB 79 the 24month month time clock and the core participation hours associated with it have been repealed Policy Effective May 1 2022 adults will be eligible to receive CalWORKs for a maximum of 60 months The 60month CalWORKs time limit replaces the 48month CalWORKs time limit When counting the months of the 60month CalWORKs time limit a month does not count against the time limit when the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSACalWORKs Program Guide CalWORKs and Employment Services Overview Number Page 10001 2 of 2 adult meets one of the exemption criteria and there are certain situations that will qualify an individual to an extension of time on aid As of May 1 2022 the CalWORKs minimum participation standards are the sole set of required hours of participation throughout the customers time on aid and are referred to as the CalWORKs Hourly Participation Requirement Employment Services Employment Services help participants find employment stay employed move to higher paying jobs and eventually to become selfsufficient The services provided include job search job preparation education and training paid and unpaid work experience and other services to remove employment barriers such as Substance Abuse Treatment Mental Health Services Domestic Violence Counseling Housing Support Family Stabilization Services and Home Visiting Services Financial assistance is provided for child care transportation and work or training related costs Participation Requirements If the hourly participation and work activity requirements are not met participants may be sanctioned which means their cash aid is reduced by removing the adults portion of the cash aid There are some good cause reasons for failure to meet ES requirements and some individuals are exempt from participation References CPG 10002 Work Participation Requirements CPG 10005 Employment Services CPG 10020 Exemptions and Good Cause CPG 10025 Compliance and Sanctions CPG 15100 Time on Aid CDSS ACL 9765 9838 9927 9990 9990E 12671269 1416 1621 1701 1870 18123 20113 20120 CDSS MPP 40107a4A 42301 MPP 42302 42711 42714 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or before July 31 2025 Approval for Release Rick Wanne Director SelfSufficiency Services