Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Ken Cole, Director, Human Services Agency
Subject: Modification to the Rules and Regulations of the General Assistance Program Standard of Aid
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution authorizing a modification to the rules and regulations of the General Assistance Program by increasing the General Assistance grant to the same level as the CalWORKs grant, consistent with the statutory formula, effective October 1, 2022.
body
BACKGROUND:
State law requires counties to provide support for indigent county residents who do not qualify for other financial assistance. Counties meet this requirement by providing financial assistance through the General Assistance (GA) program. The GA program provides this financial assistance in the form of a cash grant, or in the form of vouchers, for essential services to individuals who have no minor children and whose income and property do not exceed certain limits. It is incumbent on the county Board of Supervisors to set the county “standard of aid”.
Welfare and Institutions Code Section 17000.5 permits the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors to set the County’s GA grant levels according to a statutory formula, which requires GA to be based on and subject to the same annual adjustment as CalWORKs grant levels. Compliance with the statutory formula relieves the County of the requirement of setting the grant levels based on the cost of subsistence in the County. It ensures consistency of grant levels between counties and discourages recipients from “grant shopping.”
Pursuant to Section 2.30.050 of the San Mateo County Ordinance Code, the Human Services Agency (HSA) is responsible for proposing changes to the rules and regulations concerning policies and procedures for GA program administration to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
DISCUSSION:
The California State Department of Social Services (CDSS) has advised counties that the maximum aid payment to CalWORKs families will be increasing effective October 1, 2022. HSA recommends that the monthly GA standard for aid be increased effective October 1, 2022 to align with the State’s CalWORKs standard as follows:
|
# of GA Cases |
Current Rate |
New Rate |
Variance |
|
188 |
$579 |
$707 |
$128 |
The County Attorney has reviewed and approve the resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The FY 2022-23 fiscal impact related to the increase in the General Assistance (GA) standard for aid is estimated to be an additional $216,576. Funding for this increase is included in the FY 2022-23 Adopted Budget and no additional Net County Cost is needed.