(a) In addition to submitting the semiannual report form as required in Section 11265.1, the department shall establish an income reporting threshold for recipients of CalWORKs.
(b) The CalWORKs income reporting threshold shall be the lesser of the following:
(1) Fifty-five percent of the monthly income for a family of three at the federal poverty level, plus the amount of income last used to calculate the recipient’s monthly benefits.
(2) The amount likely to render the recipient ineligible for CalWORKs benefits.
(3) The amount likely to render the recipient ineligible for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
(c) A recipient shall report to the county, orally or in writing, within 10 days, when any of the following occurs:
(1) The monthly household income exceeds the threshold established pursuant to this section.
(2) The household address has changed. The act of failing to report an address change shall not, in and of itself, result in a reduction in aid or termination of benefits.
(3) An incidence of an individual fleeing prosecution or custody or confinement, or violating a condition of probation or parole, as specified in Section 11486.5.
(d) At least once per semiannual reporting period, counties shall inform each recipient of all of the following:
(1) The amount of the recipient’s income reporting threshold.
(2) The duty to report under this section.
(3) The consequences of failing to report.
(e) When a recipient reports income exceeding the reporting threshold, the county shall redetermine eligibility and the grant amount as follows:
(1) If the recipient reports the increase in income for the first through fifth months of a current semiannual reporting period, the county shall verify the report and determine the recipient’s financial eligibility and grant amount.
(A) If the recipient is determined to be financially ineligible based on the increase in income, the county shall discontinue the recipient with timely and adequate notice, effective at the end of the month in which the income was received.
(B) If it is determined that the recipient’s grant amount should decrease based on the increase in income, the county shall reduce the recipient’s grant amount for the remainder of the semiannual reporting period with timely and adequate notice, effective the first of the month following the month in which the income was received.
(C) If a recipient has reported a change in income in accordance with subdivision (c), an overpayment shall not be assessed for the following month if the county was unable to provide 10 days’ notice of the termination or reduction in benefits before the first of the month following the month in which the change occurred.
(2) If the recipient reports an increase in income for the sixth month of a current semiannual reporting period, the county shall not redetermine eligibility for the current semiannual reporting period, but shall consider this income in redetermining eligibility and the grant amount for the following semiannual reporting period, as provided in Sections 11265.1 and 11265.2.
(f) Counties shall act upon changes in income voluntarily reported during the semiannual reporting period that result in an increase in benefits, only after verification specified by the department is received. Reported changes in income that increase the grants shall be effective for the entire month in which the change is reported. If the reported change in income results in an increase in benefits, the county shall issue the increased benefit amount within 10 days of receiving required verification.
(g) (1) When a decrease in gross monthly income is voluntarily reported and verified, the county shall recalculate the grant for the current month and any remaining months in the semiannual reporting period pursuant to Sections 11265.1 and 11265.2 based on the actual gross monthly income reported and verified from the voluntary report for the current month and the gross monthly income that is reasonably anticipated for any future months remaining in the semiannual reporting period.
(2) When the anticipated income is determined pursuant to paragraph (1), and a grant amount is calculated based upon the new income, if the grant amount is higher than the grant currently in effect, the county shall revise the grant for the current month and any remaining months in the semiannual reporting period to the higher amount and shall issue any increased benefit amount as provided in subdivision (f).
(h) During the semiannual reporting period, a recipient may report to the county, orally or in writing, any changes in income and household circumstances that may increase the recipient’s grant. Except as provided in subdivision (i), counties shall act only upon changes in household composition voluntarily reported by the recipients during the semiannual reporting period that result in an increase in benefits, after verification specified by the department is received. If the reported change in household composition is for the first through fifth month of the semiannual reporting period and results in an increase in benefits, the county shall recalculate the grant effective for the month following the month in which the change was reported. If the reported change in household composition is for the sixth month of a semiannual reporting period, the county shall not redetermine the grant for the current semiannual reporting period, but shall redetermine the grant for the following reporting period as provided in Sections 11265.1 and 11265.2.
(i) During the semiannual reporting period, a recipient may request that the county discontinue the recipient’s entire assistance unit or any individual member of the assistance unit who is no longer in the home or is an optional member of the assistance unit. If the recipient’s request is verbal, the county shall provide a 10-day notice before discontinuing benefits. If the recipient’s request is in writing, the county shall discontinue benefits effective the end of the month in which the request is made, and simultaneously issue a notice informing the recipient of the discontinuance.
(j) (1) This section shall become operative on April 1, 2013. A county shall implement the semiannual reporting requirements in accordance with the act that added this section no later than October 1, 2013.
(2) Upon implementation described in paragraph (1), each county shall provide a certificate to the director certifying that semiannual reporting has been implemented in the county.
(3) Upon filing the certificate described in paragraph (2), a county shall comply with the semiannual reporting provisions of this section.
(k) This section shall become inoperative on June 1, 2020, or when the department notifies the Legislature that the Statewide Automated Welfare System can perform the necessary automation to implement Section 11265.3, as added by Section 42 of the act that added this subdivision, whichever date is later, and as of that date is repealed.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 27, Sec. 41. (SB 80) Effective June 27, 2019. Repealed on or after June 1, 2020, as prescribed by its own provisions.)