County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 1 of 6 Revision Date 08012019 Background Effective 112013 the State of California established the WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock WTW 24MTC a cumulative 24month period during which all adults required to participate in Employment Services ES may choose to be assigned to barrier removal activities training education andor employment leading to selfsufficiency based on their circumstances career goals and remaining time on cash aid Purpose This section has been revised to include current WTW 24MTC policies under one CalWORKs Program Guide CPG section Policy The WTW 24MTC is independent of and does not add time to the participants CalWORKs 48month Time on Aid TOA If a TOA extender is approved the participant will be entitled to any remaining WTW 24MTC months Participants who transfer to a different Assistance Unit AU in the same or in another county are not entitled to a new WTW 24MTC period WTW 24MTC extensions may be approved to complete an activity or education program During the WTW 24MTC period participants are not required to meet CalWORKs Federal Standards Once the WTW 24MTC is exhausted participants are required to meet CalWORKs federal standards to retain their cash aid eligibility Individuals Not Subject to the WTW 24MTC Individuals required to participate in or who are exempt from CalLearn Aided 19year old parents with no high school diplomaGED who are not CalLearn eligible Teens 1617 years old who are required to participate in ES due to truancy or not meeting postsecondary education exemption criteria after graduating from high school WTW 24MTC Begin Date For newly referred mandatory participants or individuals referred to ES after a break in aid of more than 30 days the WTW 24MTC will start the first day of the month following the date they sign a new WTW plan For participants with a break in aid of less than 30 days the WTW 24MTC will start again the first day of the month following the date cash aid resumed unless they meet a circumstance that may untick a month or they sign a new plan For participants scheduled to meet CalWORKs federal standards months will start counting towards their WTW 24MTC the first day of the month following the date the ECM notifies them via the WTW 38 WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Notice that they are no longer meeting CalWORKs federal standards without good cause Comprehensive Discussion During Assessment the Employment Case Manager ECM is required to complete a Comprehensive Discussion with the participants regarding WTW 24MTC hourly participation requirements education and training opportunities workrelated activities leading to selfsufficiency and benefits of adding core activities to their plan to meet CalWORKs federal standards and preserve WTW months for future use Documentation of the Comprehensive Discussion outcome in case comments will validate the participants WTW 24MTC start date County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 2 of 6 ECM will take into consideration employment and education history skills career goals barriers and remaining CalWORKs months to assign the most appropriate ES activities ECM will encourage participants to pursue their educationaltraining goals and acquire the necessary skills to obtain and retain employment leading to selfsufficiency while maximizing their WTW 24MTC The following is an example of the best use of the WTW 24MTC for educationfocused participants CalWORKs Year WTW Plan Developed to 1st Meet CalWORKs federal standards by utilizing the federal 12month vocational education core option Vocational Training 2nd and 3rd Meet CalWORKs minimum standards by solely doing educational activities eg Community collegeuniversity courses or certificate program 4th Meet CalWORKs minimum standards with educational activities during the approved WTW 24MTC extension or Meet CalWORKs federal standards to retain CW eligibility by adding a core activity eg Work Study Employment to education WTW 24MTC Stoppers Once the WTW 24MTC has started a WTW month will not tick when the participant is Exempt Granted a Domestic Violence waiver Excused from ES participation even when volunteering to participate while the other parent is in compliance and meeting the 2parent participation requirements with own hours Assigned to Initial Engagement Activities Developing a WTW plan in OrientationAppraisal Assessment Reassessment Granted Good Cause for at least 50 percent of the total required monthly participation hours Assigned to additional Job Search for at least 50 percent of the total required monthly participation hours after exhausting all allowable weeks of Job Search Core WTW 24MTC may stop up to two months in a 12month period Meeting CalWORKs federal standards with scheduledactual hours or with combined hours 2Parent AU as result of activities assigned in WTW plan WTW2 or Compliance Plan WTW32 Not receiving cash aid due to sanction or any other reason Granted Good Cause while participating in the Family Stabilization FS program WTW 24MTC may not tick up to six months for FS participants whose emergency or other destabilizing circumstances are limiting full participation Noncompliance During the WTW 24MTC If the Noncompliance process is initiated months will begin or continue counting toward the participants WTW 24MTC the first day of the following month unless CalWORKs federal standards are met or the financial sanction is imposed Months in which CalWORKs federal standards are met through a Compliance Plan WTW32 will not count toward the participants WTW 24MTC Individuals in a Sanction Curing Plan WTW 29 are still sanctioned until a cure is successfully completed thus no WTW months are counted towards their WTW 24MTC WTW months will then be ticking or not ticking based on their new WTW plan WTW2 signed after cash aid is restored and applicable WTW 24MTC stoppers County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 3 of 6 Participation Requirements to Meet CalWORKs Federal or Minimum Standards Family Type Family Composition Participation Level CalWORKs Minimum Standards CalWORKs Federal Standards One parent Children deprivation is other parents absence or death Only one parent in the Assistance Unit AU No other parent in the household HH 1Parent Single parent with a child under six 20 hours no core hours required 20 hours all in core activities Single parent with NO child under six 30 hours no core hours required 30 hours of which 20 in core activities HH includes AU and Nonaided unmarried parent of common children or nonaided stepparent domestic partner 1Parent See Single Parent Family Type 30 hours of which 20 in core activities Pregnant Woman Only No other child in the HHAU 1Parent 20 hours no core hours required 30 hours of which 20 in core activities Two parents Children deprivation is parents unemployment Both parents are not exempt or One parent is exempt for other reason than disability or timedout sanctionedremoved from cash aid 2Parent 35 hours no core hours required 35 hours of which 30 in core activities Two parents Childrens deprivation is parents disability One parent is ineligible One parent is Exempt due to disability CalLearn participant CW ineligible SSI recipient fleeing felon probationparole violator undocumented 1Parent See Single Parent Family Type 30 hours of which 20 in core activities Optional Adult Stepparent Same sex spouse Domestic partner Is not the natural or adopted parent of aided children Chooses to be aided 1Parent See Single Parent Family Type 30 hours of which 20 in core activities AU with more than two parents Three or more aided naturaladoptive parents or Optional adult naturaladoptive parents 2Parent 35 hours no core hours required 35 hours of which 30 in core activities Per federal work requirements the average 20 weekly hours applies only to single parents with a child under six living in the home Therefore for the purpose of meeting CalWORKs federal standards a pregnant woman with no other children in the AU is considered a single parent with child under six only after the child is born County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 4 of 6 WTW 24MTC and TwoParent AUs Nonexempt adults in the AU have their own WTW 24MTC with an independent status Parent 1 is Parent 2 is WTW 24MTC Status Meeting CalWORKs minimum standards with combined hours Ticking for both parents Meeting CalWORKs federal standards with combined hours Not ticking for both parents Meeting CalWORKs minimum standards CalWORKs timedout or sanctioned Note Parent 2s verified hours may be used only to determine if parent 1 is meeting CalWORKs federal standards Ticking for parent 1 Not ticking for parent 2 Meeting CalWORKs federal standards Not ticking for both parents Meeting CalWORKs minimum standards Aided and nonexempt stepparent combining hours with parent 1 Ticking for both parents Meeting CalWORKs federal standards Not ticking for both parents Meeting CalWORKs minimum standards Excused or exempt may volunteer Note Parent 2s verified hours may be used only to determine if parent 1 is meeting CalWORKs federal standards Ticking for parent 1 Not ticking for parent 2 Meeting CalWORKs federal standards Not ticking for both parents More than two parents in the AU meeting CalWORKs minimum standards with parent 1 and parent 2s combined hours additional aided adult is excused from ES participation Ticking for both parents Not ticking for the excused adult More than two parents in the AU meeting CalWORKs federal standards with parent 1 and parent 2s combined hours additional aided adult is excused from ES participation Not ticking for all aided parentsadults WTW 24MTC Extensions Participants with remaining time on their CalWORKs 48month time limit may request an extension of their WTW 24MTC Extension may be approved for up to six months and reevaluated at least every six months The WTW 24MTC extension determination and notification process must be completed prior to the end of the 24th WTW month If an extension request is denied the participant will be subject to Post WTW 24MTC participation requirements for the remaining CalWORKs months On a casebycase basis ECM will approve WTW 24MTC extension after evaluating documentation provided by the participant supporting that Is likely to obtain employment within six months Has encountered distinctive labor market barriers that are temporarily preventing employment Is making satisfactory progress in assigned treatment or educational program including adult basic education vocational education selfinitiated program high school program or its equivalent that has a known graduation transfer or completion date that would increase the participants chances to become employed Needs an additional period of time to complete an activity specified in the WTW plan due to diagnosed learning disability or other incapacity and the additional time would increase the participants chances of becoming employed Has submitted an application to receive Supplemental Security Income SSI benefits and a hearing date has been established County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 5 of 6 Has obtained high school diploma or its equivalent while participating in WTW activities and additional time is needed to complete an educational or training program If the WTW 24MTC expires only for one parent in a twoparent AU this parent may receive an extension for the duration of the other parents WTW 24MTC as long as both parents are combining hours to meet participation requirements Post WelfareToWork 24Month Clock Participation Requirements ES participants who do not qualify for an extension of their WTW 24MTC will be required to meet CalWORKs federal standards to continue receiving cash aid and supportive services Nonexempt adults in a twoparent family may reach the end of their WTW 24month limit at the same time or at different times For this reason there may be several scenarios and participation options A Parent 1 and parent 2 have exhausted the WTW 24MTC Both parents will be required to meet the twoparent families CalWORKs federal standards either by combining participation hours or by one parent meeting all requirements alone B WTW 24MTC ended for parent 1 however parent 2 still has WTW months left Options 1 Parent 1 meets CalWORKs federal standards alone thus parent 2 is excused parent 2s WTW 24MTC does not tick 2 Both parents combine participation hours to meet CalWORKs federal standards parent 2s WTW 24MTC does not tick 3 Parent 2 meets only CalWORKs minimum standards parent 1 is excused from participation until the WTW 24MTC ends for parent 2 WTW months ticking 4 Parent 1 and parent 2 combine hours to meet only CalWORKs minimum standards parent 1 receives a WTW 24MTC extension until the WTW 24MTC ends for parent 2 WTW months ticking C WTW 24MTC ended for parent 1 parent 2 is exempt not disabled 1 Parent 1 is required to meet CalWORKs federal standards 2 Exempt parent 2 may participate voluntarily hours may be combined only to meet CalWORKs federal standards WTW 24MTC Notification Requirements WTW CW2208 My WTW 24Month Time Clock to be issued at initial CalWORKs application annual redetermination and any time a correction to the WTW 24MTC status is made WTW 38 WTW Time Clock Notice to notify participants that WTW months will start counting toward their WTW 24MTC the first day of the month following the date the ECM determines that they are no longer meeting scheduled CalWORKs federal standards without good cause and issues the WTW 38 notice WTW 43 Notice of Your WTW 24Month Time Clock Ending Soon to be sent to participants between their 18th and 21rd WTW month WTW 46 WTW 24Month Time Clock Review Appointment Letter and the WTW 44 WTW 24Month Time Clock Extension Request Form to be sent to participants between their 18th and 23rd WTW month no later than the last day of their 23rd WTW month NA 1276 End of WTW 24Month Time Clock Notice to be sent to participants no later than ten days prior to the expiration of their WTW 24Month Time Clock County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency HHSA CalWORKs Program Guide WelfareToWork 24Month Time Clock Number Page 10003A 6 of 6 End of the WTW 24Month Time Clock Timeline Progression and Notification Chart Good Cause will apply if the ECM does not schedule the End of WTW 24Month Time Clock Review appointment before the participants WTW 24MTC is exhausted In this case the participant will be required to continue meeting WTW participation requirements and will be receiving supportive services in accordance with the existing WTW plan until the End of WTW 24Month Time Clock Review and transition to CalWORKs federal standards are completed Post WTW 24MTC Noncompliance and Removal from Cash Aid Participants who fail without good cause to meet CalWORKs Federal Standards will be removed from the AU however the other eligible members of the AU will continue to receive CalWORKs Removal from cash aid is effective immediately after the 20Day Cause Determination period if there is no good cause and noncompliance is not resolved The participant can request to cure the removal from cash aid at any time and will be added back to the AU after successfully completing a curing plan References Eligibility and Assistance Standards EAS Manual Section 42708 All County Letters ACLs 1267 1312 1315 1337 1359 1368 1409 1416 1465 1480 1501 1503 1521 1538 1599 1621 1778 1841 1884 1948 Sunset Date This policy will be reviewed for continuance on or by 08312022