Support Services: Getting What You Need in Welfare to Work
From CalWORKs | Welfare Resources
Contents |
Support Services
- What Are Support Services?
- If you are in the welfare-to-work program, CalWORKs is supposed to pay for what you need to do your assignments. This includes payments for:
- child care
- transportation
- books
- supplies
- clothing
- uniforms
- licensing fees
- counseling
- car insurance
- drug/alcohol services
- tools
- computer
- anything else needed to do your welfare-to-work plan
- Note: What you can get depends on what stage of welfare-to-work you are in.
- Welfare-to-Work Meetings
- You can get support services for welfare-to-work meetings and appointments. This includes orientation, appraisal, assessment, job club, good cause meetings, etc.
- Note: You do not need to have a signed welfare to work plan to get support services for these appointments.
- During Training Time
- You should get whatever services you need to do your welfare-to-work plan. The plan should list your support services.
- Think of what you will need to do your plan, and ask for it!
- After the Training Time
- After your training time, you must either work or do unpaid community service. CalWORKs must pay your childcare costs for these jobs. Most counties will cover other services during this time. Ask to see your county’s policy. If you don’t get needed services, you are excused from your assignment.
- For a Compliance or Cure Plan
- You get whatever services you need to do the things in:
- A compliance plan, to avoid a sanction.
- A cure plan, to end a sanction.
- Post-Employment Services
- Many counties have some support services for recipients and former recipients who are working. Ask to see your county post-employment services policy.
- Advance Pay
- The county must pay you in advance, if you do not want to pay for support services with your own money and get reimbursed.
- No Services? No Participation
- If you don’t have a needed support service, you have good cause for not doing your welfare-to-work assignment or meeting. This includes if the county won’t advance payment for an item you need. Good cause means you won’t have your aid cut for not following the rules.
- Make sure to tell your worker about your problem. Send a follow up note, to prove you reported this.
- Ask again for the service or to get another assignment.
- Ask for a state hearing if the county denies you payment for a support service.
- If you don’t have a needed support service, you have good cause for not doing your welfare-to-work assignment or meeting. This includes if the county won’t advance payment for an item you need. Good cause means you won’t have your aid cut for not following the rules.
Getting Support Services
- Ask for whatever you need to do your welfare to work tasks!
Don’t forget:
- Things you need to look for work or go to appointments, like child care, transportation, licensing fees, interview clothing....
- Things you need at work like uniforms, child care transportation, tools....
- If you have to drive, money for repairs, insurance, registration, maintenance....
- If your situation changes, ask for more or different services.
Denied? Fill out the back of any Notice of Action or call (800) 952-5253.
Need More Help?
For more legal help and information, you can use LawHelpCalifornia to contact a local legal advocate.
