.Purpose

Policy

Background

Release Date:

June 4, 2020

Definitions

Requirements

Verification Docs

Household (HH) Size

Allowance Per Person

Per Month

Allowance Per Person

Per Day

1

$139.00

$4.63

2

$149.00

$4.97

3

$159.66

$5.32

4

$164.50

$5.48

5

$168.00

$5.60

6

$170.33

$5.67

7

$173.28

$5.78

8

$173.75

$5.79

9

$175.00

$5.83

10

$175.00

$5.83

Diet

Male

Female

Diabetic Adult, 1,200 Calories

$0.00

$0.94

Diabetic Adult, 1,500 Calories

$0.00

$2.47

Diabetic Adult and Child, 1,800 Calories

$3.43

$5.88

Diabetic Adult, 2,200 Calories

$6.30

$8.75

High Calorie High Protein Moderate Need, 3,000 Calories 100 grams of Protein

$5.27

$5.27

High Calorie High Protein Moderate Need, 3,400 Calories 125 grams of Protein

$9.60

$9.60

Bland

$4.69

$4.28

Low Calorie, 1,500 Calories

$0.00

$1.72

Low Fat Low Cholesterol, 50 grams of Fat

$3.88

$3.67

Term

Description

Emergency Needs

A need that requires immediate attention, where a hardship would be created if the applicant/participant had to wait for the regular GR grant.

Homeowner’s Special Needs

Provides allowances for fire insurance, property tax, and repairs.

Meals Out

A special emergency allowance that allows participants to purchase meals outside of their home.

Occupational or Trade Tools

A special allowance to participate in education/training related activities or as employment requirement where specific tools are needed.  The term “tools” may also include items as required uniforms and safety shoes.

Personal Care Items

A kit with items used for maintaining good hygiene.

Special Needs

Special Needs are resources to assist GR applicants/participants with unique emergent needs which are not common to all applicants/participants and which might not otherwise be met.  At Intake and annual agreement, participants are evaluated for any special needs that they may have. 

Therapeutic Diet

A special diet to control the intake of certain foods as part of the treatment of a medical condition. 

Transportation

Transportation is a way of getting from place to place. GR applicants/participants may be issued MTA SV TAP cards or an EBT allowance to take the bus or pay for mileage within

Los Angeles County.

Special Need

Conditions

Distilled Water

1.    The participant must submit a written recommendation by a medical physician verifying this is required for the health of the participant.

2.    The maximum allowance is $12 a month.

Fire Insurance Premiums

1.    The case must not be short-term.  Short-term means any case that will be discontinued within six months from the effective date of aid.

Examples of short-term cases would be an employable participant expected to secure full-time employment or a new GR applicant with a pending SSI/State Supplementary Payment (SSP) case.

2.    The County must have secured a lien on the homeowner’s property. The lien must be recorded as verified by the Line Operations Development (LOD), Property Services Unit.

4.    The maximum allowance is the monthly fire insurance premium.

Home Repairs

1.    The County must have secured a lien on the property. The lien must be recorded as verified by the LOD, Property Services Unit.

2.    The participant must own and reside in the home (shared ownership is acceptable).

3.    The allowance must be necessary to provide safe and healthful housing or to minimize deterioration.

4.    Total repairs per household may not exceed $200 for any 12-month period, as determined by the LOD Property Services Unit.  Any repairs that exceed the limit must be approved by the Division Chief.

Meals Out

Either of these three conditions must apply:

1.    There is a current PA 539, Request for Medical Verification of Need for Meals Out (Attachment I), on file.

2.    The PA 539 from the physician must show there is a physical or mental condition that makes it impossible for the participant to shop for or prepare meals.

3.    The Division Chief has approved a Meals Out allowance due to a temporary hardship; or the District Director (DD) has approved Meals Out allowance due to catastrophe.

Note:  Catastrophes are limited to participants who need the Meals Out allowance because their cooking facilities have been destroyed by fire, earthquake, or flood.  A catastrophe or a temporary hardship may receive an allowance for only one month.

The Meals Out allowance is time limited for the period specified by the physician on the PA 539; or If no time limit is specified; or if the physician indicates an expiration date after the next annual agreement, the need must be re-verified at the next annual agreement.

Occupational or Trade Tools

1.    The participant must sign the ABCDM 228, “Applicant’s Authorization for Release of Information,” (Attachment II) giving the County consent to contact his/her employer;

2.    The employer must verify immediate full-time employment is available for the participant if the participant provides his/her own tools;

3.    The employer must verify the participant cannot delay purchase of the tools until the first paycheck;

4.    The employer must specify the tools required and their estimated cost; and

5.    The purchase of the tools cannot be made by any other means.

Personal Care Kit (PCK)

1.    Issue a prepackaged PCK of common personal care items.  If the PCKs are not available, a $5.00 PCKC Allowance will be issued;

2.    The PCK may not be issued at reapplication for GR if the allowance was received within the last 90 days; and

3.    If GR is approved, $5 will be deducted from the initial grant.

Property Taxes

1.    The participant must own the home;

2.    The County must have secured a lien on the property. The lien must be recorded as verified by the LOD, Property Services Unit.

3.    The allowance may be issued up to actual taxes owed as follows:

4.    Current taxes – the actual amount of the tax charge for the period; and

5.    Taxes prior to the date of application (including delinquent taxes) – the actual amount of any delinquent taxes plus penalties; and

6.    The allowance may not be issued on a short-term case.

Note:  Short-term means any case that will be discontinued within six months from the effective date of aid. An example would be an employable participant who states he/she expects to secure full-time employment or a new GR applicant with a pending SSI/SSP case.

Telephone

1.    There must either be a documented extreme illness or a situation in which the lack of a telephone could create a hazard to the participant; and

2.    The special need must be budgeted at the lowest rate obtainable. The monthly allowance may not exceed $5.91, tax included.

Therapeutic Diet

1.    A physician must recommend a therapeutic diet via:

a.    The PA 596 (Attachment III), Special Diet Allowance Request; or

b.    Form H-4015 to authorize a therapeutic diet for LAC/USC Medical Center; or

c.    A physician’s note with the necessary data requested on the PA 596.

Note:  The current authorization must be in the case record before the allowance is issued.

2.    The allowance cannot be issued:

a.    On a pending case;

b.    For a participant who receives room and board or board and care assistance;

c.    For a participant with no cooking facilities; or

d.   For a participant allowed a Meals Out allowance.

Transportation

1.    The participant must need the allowance to comply with:

a.    GR employable requirements, such as assignments to attend GROW activities;

b.    Medical appointments; or

c.    Attending a required application appointment for SSI/SSP during an SSI/SSP appeal process, or to attend an SSI/SSP hearing.

2.    A transportation allowance may also be issued:

a.    As emergency aid for any of the circumstances described above, including travel to and from a vendor emergency housing;

b.    For transportation to and from work pending receipt of a first paycheck;

c.    When the applicant/participant must travel to the district office to resolve a problem related to agency error only (not participant error); or

d.    Whenever meal vouchers are issued and either:

i.      The nearest vendor is one mile or more from the participant’s home;

ii.     The participant is homeless, one mile from the district office; or

iii.    The participant is unable to walk a mile.

3.    A transportation allowance and SV TAP card(s) value are determined based on the number of trips needed:

a.    An amount over the standard allowance per day, per activity may be issued if the activity, is not related to employable requirements, will require a higher allowance (see example 3).

b.    In remote areas having no local bus routes, such as portions of the Lancaster district, current reimbursement rates per mile may be used for computing an automobile allowance.

4.    The maximum planned transportation issuance for an applicant/participant is not to exceed the cost of a MTA monthly pass.

Note:  Additional allowances may be issued for unplanned transportation needs, such as special employment-related activities or medical appointments that occur after the issuance of transportation allowance.

Category

Acceptable Documents

Distilled Water

A written statement, signed by a physician, indicating that the distilled water is necessary for the health of the participant. This statement is scanned into the Electronic Document Management System (EDMS).

Household Repairs

1.    The following verifications are required:

a.    Written confirmation from the LOD Property Services Unit that a lien on the property has been taken and recorded.

b.    Written confirmation from the LOD Property Services Unit that the requested repairs are necessary to provide safe and healthful housing or to minimize deterioration, and that the requested allowance is not for cosmetic purposes only.

c.    At least two written estimates of the cost of the repair. LOD Property Services Unit must designate, in writing, which estimate is to be utilized in making the necessary repairs.

d.    A final bill from the service provider indicating the total final cost of the repair.

2.    A confirmation letter from the LOD Property Services Unit stating that they have inspected the property and that all work being billed for has been completed.

3.    If the cost exceeds $200 in a 12-month period, the following verifications are required in addition to the verifications above:

a.    The LOD Property Services Unit must inform the DD, in writing, if the cost of repairs exceeds $200 in a

12-month period. The LOD Property Services Unit must indicate what repairs are needed, why the repairs are needed, and the total estimated cost of repairs.

b.    If the DD agrees with the LOD Property Services Unit’s recommendation, the property folder is forwarded to the Division Chief, requesting approval of the allowance.

Meals Out

1.    Medical requirement is verified by a PA 539. A copy of the completed PA 539 returned from a physician or a signed physician’s note that contains a description of the disabling condition and the duration of the need is sufficient documentation.

2.    Catastrophe is verified by a medical note or hardship reason noted on the PA 538, Notice Regarding Time Limit on Meals Out Allowance, initialed by the DD.  This form is available in LRS, Client Correspondence, Template Repository.

3.    Hardship is verified by annotating DD has obtained Division Chief approval.

Occupational or Trade Tools

Verification may be obtained in writing or by telephone call to the prospective employer as follows:

1.    If the verification is obtained by telephone, the employer’s name, address, telephone number, and date of the contact is recorded on the LRS Journal page along with the required information.

2.    If the verification is obtained from the employer in writing, it must include the required information.

3.    The employer’s letter and the ABCDM 228 are filed in the case record.

Personal Care Kit

An applicant’s verbal statement of an emergency need for personal care items is sufficient verification for documentation purposes. The following statement is recorded on the LRS Journal page: A PCK or $5 PCK-Cash allowance requested and issued on __________ (date).

Property Taxes

1.    Contact the LOD Property Services Unit or review the tax bill in the participant’s possession.

2.    Payments directly to participants for tax impounds are verified with the mortgage company and the LRS Journal page is annotated with either the type of verification seen or that a mortgage company employee verbally provided the tax impound amount owed.

3.    Lien documentation is verified by the PA 622, Property Report, completed by the LOD Property Services Unit indicating that the County lien or mortgage is valid and in good order.

Telephone

Written approval from the participant’s physician.

Therapeutic Diet

1.    A PA 596, Special Diet Allowance Request, completed by the participant’s private physician.  The PA 596 form is available in LRS, Client Correspondence/Template Repository.

Note:  When a participant is under the care of a private             hospital or physician and has a diet authorization other than a completed PA 596 or H-4015, Part I of the PA 596 is completed and the original mailed to the physician or hospital.

2.    Verification from County Medical Facility: If the participant is under the care of a County medical facility, the PA 596 must originate from that facility.

Note:  If the participant states a physician at a County medical facility recommends a special diet and a request form has not been received, the participant should be advised to contact the physician at the appropriate facility for clarification.

3.    Special diet requests originating from the LAC/USC Medical Center are submitted to districts on an H-4015. When the H-4015 is received, Part I of the PA 596 is completed and Part II is annotated with “H-4015 on file.” The two forms are stapled together and filed in the case record.

Transportation

Verification of need for any activity other than employable requirements (e.g. medical appointments or required applications appointments for SSI/SSP) is required if the applicant/participant needs to make more than four trips per month, or when the monthly allowance for any requested transportation not related to employable requirements exceeds $11. This verification as well as the computation of the issuance, is recorded on the LRS Journal page.