El Dorado County Municipal Code Art. II Eligibility for Financial Assistance

A. The County shall relieve and support all poor and indigent persons who are residents of the County applying for assistance and meeting the income and resource limitations established by the Board of Supervisors. Applicants shall be notified in writing within 30 calendar days of the date of application of the action taken.

B. Emergency assistance for residents may be provided for one month if the eligible applicant has no food, shelter, transportation or clothing. An Agency employee shall conduct an in-person review to determine if an applicant is in immediate need requiring emergency assistance, and upon determining that an applicant is in immediate need, applicant shall receive an interview appointment at the earliest opportunity, but in no event later than two days of requesting assistance from the Agency. Applicants shall be given written notification of the action taken by the Agency and the availability of a fair hearing.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.060)

A. The beginning date of entitlement shall be the date all eligibility requirements are met.

B. The applicant is required to appear at the Health and Human Services Agency to obtain his or her general assistance. The date of entitlement shall not precede this appearance. An exception to the appearance requirement shall be made for those who are unable to appear as a result of a disability or incapacity and the Health and Human Services Agency shall make other arrangements, such as a home visit if necessary, to provide the general assistance.

C. The application shall be executed under penalty of perjury by the applicant.

D. The Agency shall verify a sufficient amount of the information contained in the application to reasonably conclude that the applicant is eligible for general assistance.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.065)

No person under the age of 18 years shall be entitled to receive assistance under the provisions of this chapter, except for emergency relief, unless the person is a legally emancipated minor or is living in the home of an eligible relative.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.070)

No person shall be entitled to receive assistance under the provisions of this chapter, other than emergency assistance for nonresidents, unless the person is a resident of the County.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.080)

In order to receive assistance under the provisions of this chapter, a person must be a citizen, naturalized citizen or legal permanent resident.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.090)

The combined market value of all resources which may be retained by a recipient of general assistance shall not exceed $500.00. The following items of real or personal property shall be exempt from consideration as a resource for the purposes of this section:

A. Real or personal property used as a home;

B. One motor vehicle up to a market value of $2,000.00. The market value in excess of $2,000.00 shall be counted toward the $500.00 resource limit;

C. Reasonable household furnishings and appliances;

D. Clothing and personal effects;

E. Tools and equipment determined by the Agency to be necessary for employment.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.100)

A. No person shall be eligible for assistance if that person transferred property within six months of application with the intent to qualify for assistance.

B. The duration of ineligibility due to a transfer of real property is the period during which a reasonable return for the grantor's equity in the property, had it been sold, would have supported the grantor and those dependent upon him or her.

C. The duration of ineligibility due to a transfer of personal property is the period during which the amount of personal property in excess of the maximum personal property amount permitted at the time of the transfer would have supported the grantor and those dependent upon him or her. (Example: Fair market value divided by maximum grant based on household size, equals the period of ineligibility.)

(Code 1997, § 2.63.105)

A. All assistance provided under the provisions of this chapter shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of actual gross income, including in-kind income, received by the recipient. If the income is derived from employment only, standard deductions for work-related expenses, in the amount equal to 30 percent of the maximum aid payment, shall be deducted from the income received before determining the amount of assistance provided. Any person who receives income exceeding the maximum payment for his or her household size shall be ineligible.

B. Persons who receive income in lump sum payments, such as, but not limited to, Social Security retroactive benefits, shall be ineligible for a period calculated by dividing the general assistance maximum aid payment into the total retroactive lump sum amount.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.110)

A. General. Persons shall be eligible to receive assistance under the provisions of this chapter if they comply with the requirements of Article V of this chapter, Transitional Assistance Program (TAP).

B. Assistance related to employment. An employable general assistance recipient shall be prohibited from receiving general assistance program benefits for more than three months in any 12-month period whether or not the months are consecutive if that recipient has been offered an opportunity to attend job skills or job training sessions. Persons who are capable of seeking and maintaining employment shall comply with the following requirements, as determined by the Agency:

1. If currently employed, the applicant or recipient person shall maintain his or her employment (including part-time) and shall not quit employment without good cause as defined in the good cause provisions of Section 8.84.920.

2. The applicant or recipient must accept any bona fide offer of suitable employment. Suitable employment shall be determined by the Agency. In order to be considered suitable, wages offered for the employment must be at least equal to the applicable minimum wage.

C. Disability-related assistance. Persons unable to seek and maintain employment shall be entitled to assistance under the provisions of this chapter.

D. General assistance benefits. If all other eligibility requirements are met, an applicant or recipient who has been previously discontinued pursuant to Subsection B of this section may be granted general assistance program benefits during the period of ineligibility if, upon re-application, the individual is unemployable for a period of 30 days or more from his or her date of application. The individual shall be entitled to receive general assistance program benefits only for the time he or she is unemployable, as determined by Section 8.84.620.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.120)

A. Recipients shall notify the Agency of any of the following changes:

1. Any income of any member of the household increases or decreases or stops. This includes social security payments, loans, settlements, or income from any source.

2. The person plans to be out of the County more than 30 days.

3. The person changes his or her place of residency within the County.

4. The person receives, transfers, gives away, or sells any item of real or personal property.

5. Any member of the household becomes employed, changes employment, or is no longer employed.

B. The applicant or recipient is required to furnish completed applications or re-certification forms, job search forms and other verifications necessary to determine or maintain eligibility.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.125)

All aid rendered by the County under this chapter shall be a charge against the responsible relative or relatives of the recipient thereof, and the County shall be entitled to reimbursement therefor. Applicants and recipients shall provide necessary information to identify all responsible relatives.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.130)

A. All applicants and recipients must apply for, and maintain eligibility for, any benefits or assistance for which they may be eligible. Proof of such application is required as a condition of eligibility. Applicants and recipients must apply for benefits, such as, but not limited to, Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB), State Disability Insurance (SDI), Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or a successor, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), State Supplemental Program (SSP), Workers Compensation, Food Stamps and Veterans Administration Benefits.

B. Applicants who have been sanctioned or otherwise had a period of ineligibility imposed by another Federal, State, or County cash or in-kind assistance program or employment services program shall be ineligible for general assistance until the previously imposed sanction or period of ineligibility expires.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.140)

Applicants shall be placed on continuing aid in the month following the approval of the applicant's general assistance application if ongoing assistance is required. Recipients shall be required monthly to return a written form showing any changes in their status and may complete face-to-face interviews.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.150)

Applicants and recipients who comply with provisions of this article and are otherwise eligible shall receive general assistance. Persons who fail to comply with the provisions of this article shall be ineligible to receive assistance according to the program penalties provisions of Article VIII of this chapter.

(Code 1997, § 2.63.155)