TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipient
Description
The TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipient information indicates whether the head-of-household received any type of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or CalWORKs cash assistance in the report month.
Note: "CalWORKs" is California's name for TANF.
Where to Find It
- On the CD-9600 form applicable for this month, confirm that the "Cash or other assistance under Title IV of the Social Security Act (TANF)
box is checked in Section III, "Family Adjusted Gross Monthly Income and Size."
Or
- On the CDE Notice of Action (CD-7617 form), confirm that the box "Current Aid Recipient" is checked in Section 5, "Family Eligibility."
Note: Check to see if the family has a subsequent Notice of Action on file (not the initial notice) that applies to the report month/year (i.e., completed on or before the report month as indicated by the Effective Date of Action). If such a Notice of Action is on file and the TANF status has changed, enter the updated information. There should also be documentation in the family file indicating the receipt of cash aid, such as a notice from the county welfare department or a stub showing the monthly warrant amount.
Important Note: Families who are receiving payments through the “State-only alien and two-parent programs for CalWORKs recipients” are not considered TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipients, and therefore should not be counted in this section. To determine which category applies to this family, check Section III of the CD-9600 form applicable for this month. If the family has the “State-only and two-parent programs for CalWORKs recipients” box checked, the family is not considered a TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipient and you should choose “No” for this data element. If this family has the “Cash or other assistance under Title IV of the Social Security Act (TANF)” box checked, you should choose “Yes” for this data element.
Rules and Guidelines
- The TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipient information is required.
- There are only two possible choices:
Yes - The head-of-household did receive TANF/CalWORKs cash aid during this report month.
No - The head-of-household did not receive TANF/CalWORKs cash aid during this report month.
Error Messages and Solutions
The TANF/CalWORKs information is required. [801A File Transfer]
or
The TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid information is required. [801A Web Input], [801B]
Problem
The information is missing from the transfer file or no selection has been made from the TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid drop down list.
Solution
Select "Yes" or "No" from the dropdown list in Web input or 801B or enter "Y" or "N" in the TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid information field in the transfer file.
Invalid TANF/CalWORKs information. [801A File Transfer]
Problem
The TANF/CalWORKs information is not one of the valid codes.
Solution
Confirm that you have entered a valid code (Y or N).
FAQs About the TANF/CalWORKs Cash Aid Recipient
Question 1
What do TANF and CalWORKs mean?
Answer
The federal welfare reform law, The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, replaced AFDC, EA and JOBS or GAIN and created TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). This is the federal cash assistance program for families, which contains many work requirements. It provides a block grant to states to assist needy families and created new work requirements and time limits. CalWORKs stands for the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids Program. It is California's name for the federal TANF program.
Question 2
Should we count Medi-Cal or Food Stamps as TANF assistance?
Answer
No.
Question 3
If a TANF recipient's income exceeds a certain amount for the month, they receive no TANF assistance even though they are still enrolled in the TANF program. If their income drops the next month, they will again receive TANF assistance. How should we answer those months in which no TANF assistance is received even though they are still enrolled in TANF?
Answer
Answer those months as a "Y" because the recipient is still enrolled in the TANF program.
