DPSS ePolicy

The Administratively Unemployable (AU) status is a designation assigned to individuals who are unable to work for reasons other than physical or mental incapacity which prevent them from finding, accepting or continuing existing employment. Individuals who disclose that they are unable to work for reasons other than physical/mental disability and provide required verification, are assigned an AU status and are not required to comply with employability requirements including participation in the General Relief Opportunities for Work (GROW) Program.

The General Relief (GR) applicant/participant will be assigned an AU status if one of the following AU categories apply:

1. Enrolled/pre-enrolled in California Department of Rehabilitation (DOR) training program;
2. Providing full time care for ill/incapacitated family member;
3. Requesting GR pending receipt of first paycheck;
4. Requesting GR to return to his/her legal residence;
5. Enrolled in a Mandatory Substance Use Disorder Recovery Program (MSUDRP);
6. Determined by the District Director (DD) or Deputy District Director (DDD);
7. Age 17 and younger;
8. Age 18 and participating in an acceptable course of study;
9. Pregnant;
10. Providing care to a child under age one;
11. Age 60-64 with no designated unemployable status;
12. Age 65 and older;
13. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) individuals.

The AU categories a - e will be designated by the Eligibility Worker (EW), Eligibility Supervisor (ES) or Hearing Officer after GR applicant/participant provides the appropriate verification(s). The AU category f will be determined by the DD/DDD only on a case by case basis. System will automatically determine the AU categories g - m once the GR eligibility requirements are met, and the case is processed.

Participants with an AU status will receive a notification letter informing them of their AU status and its expiration date. If an individual continues to be unable to work for the reasons other than physical or mental incapacity, they must have the appropriate documentation re-established before AU status expiration date. An AU status expiration notice will be centrally mailed 60 days before expiration and again 10 days before expiration. The notification letter provides detailed instructions on how to extend the AU status if needed.

The AU status will be re-assessed by Eligibility staff at the end of the exemption period. Individuals determined to be employable will be required to complete the employability requirements including participation in GROW. Unemployable individuals will be referred for a physical/mental disability assessment.

An individual is determined to be administratively unemployable when one or more of the following (AU categories a through m) criteria are met:

1. Enrolled/pre-enrolled in a CA DOR training program that provides vocational rehabilitation for individuals with physical and mental disabilities who meet DOR disability criteria. The enrollment/pre-enrollment status must be verified by a DOR form.
   
   
2. Providing full time care for an ill/incapacitated family member who resides with the GR applicant/participant because no other arrangements can be made, and the need is medically documented.
   
   
3. Requesting GR pending receipt of first paycheck from employment. The employment has been verified and salary makes applicant/participant ineligible to ongoing GR.
   
   
4. Requesting GR on a System generated PA 898-15, General Relief Application-Non-Resident, to return to his/her legal residence and is awaiting final arrangements for transportation.
   
   
5. Participating in a MSUDRP and both of the following conditions exist:
   • The parent has a child placed in foster care by court order; and
   • There is a reunification plan (i.e., plan to reunite the family) which has been verified (by phone or in writing) with the Children’s Services Worker (CSW) of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
     
     The AU status continues until the client completes the substance use recovery program.
     
     
6. Determined by the DD/DDD for the reason(s) other than indicated in the policy. The reason(s) for the decision must be indicated on the ABP 597, Determination of the Administratively Unemployable Status form, and a separate DD/DDD signature and date are required on the appropriate field.
   
   Individuals in this category can have an AU status for up to three months. At the end of the three-month period, the AU status must be re-assessed.
   
   Individuals determined to be employable will receive an appointment to see the Employment Specialist, then will be referred to GROW for orientation.
   
   Unemployable individuals will be referred to their health care providers for a disability assessment. Individuals who are unable to work due to a mental health condition, will be referred to their mental health care provider or collocated Clinician from the Department of Mental Health (DMH) for a mental health assessment.
   
   
7. Age 17 or younger.
   
   
8. Age 18 and participating in an acceptable course of study. The applicant’s/ participant’s age, enrollment in school full time, and expected graduation to complete the school program must be verified.
   • Full time high school enrollment consists of four or more hours of attendance per day.
   • Full time vocational/technical school enrollment consists of 3-1/4 hours or more of attendance per day.
     
     Individual’s AU status will last until their expected graduation date, if it is before their 19th birthday or until their 19th birthday, if the expected graduation date falls after their 19th birthday.
     
     
9. Pregnant and to be aided on GR during the first three months of pregnancy only.
   
   
10. Providing care to a child within the GR household who is under one year of age. The child may be an ineligible alien.
    
    Note: This rule applies only to the sponsored alien families who are determined to be ineligible for CalWORKs because their sponsor refuses to provide support or information so that a CalWORKs eligibility determination can be made.
    
    Both parents are in the home:
    • If one parent is employable and the other parent is determined AU to provide care for the child under age one.
    • If one parent is unemployable and determined to be AU to provide care for the child under age one.
      
      If the unemployable parent cannot provide child care due to incapacity, a doctor’s statement with the supporting reason and the disability duration date must be provided and recorded in the System.
      
      
11. Age 60-64 and not designated Needs Special Assistance (NSA), temporary or permanent unemployable status.
    • If the individual states they are employable, no referral to his/her health care provider is needed;
    • If the individual states they are physically disabled, a referral to his/her health care provider is required to ensure potential eligibility to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is explored;
    • If the individual states/appears to have a mental health problem, a referral to his/her mental health care provider or collocated Clinician from DMH is required to ensure potential eligibility to SSI is explored.
      
      Note: When GR participant reaches age 59 years and 11 months, the employability status centrally will be changed to AU on the System.
      
      
12. Age 65 or older. No referral to his or her health care provider is needed. These individuals are required to apply for SSI benefits at age 65.
    
    
13. Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) individuals who have not received their Employment Authorization from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (formerly known as the INS).

The ABP 597, Determination of Administratively Unemployable Status form is required for all AU categories to determine and verify unemployable status.

The following additional verifications are required for each AU category:

1. Enrolled/pre-enrolled in a CA DOR
   • A letter on the DOR letterhead signed/dated by a DOR counselor
     
     
2. Providing full time care for ill/incapacitated family member
   • Doctor’s statement with the supporting reason and duration date
     
     
3. Requesting GR pending receipt of first paycheck
   • Employment verification
     
     
4. Requesting GR to return to his/her legal residence
   • PA 898-15, General Relief Non-Resident Application
     
     
5. Enrolled in a MSUDRP
   • Court order indicating that the child is placed in foster home; and
   • Verification of reunification plan from DCFS
     
     
6. Determined by DD/DDD
   • Reason(s) for DD’s/DDD’s decision and a separate signature/date is required in the appropriate field on the ABP 597 form
     
     
7. Age 17 and younger
   • No additional verification is required
     
     
8. Age 18 and participating in an acceptable course of study
   • Full time enrollment verification from the school
     
     
9. Pregnant
   • Pregnancy verification:
     • Applicant’s/participant’s statement; or
     • Doctor’s statement
       
       
10. Providing care to a child under age one
    • Doctor’s statement with the supporting reason and disability duration date
      
      
11. Age 60-64 with no designated unemployable status
    • No additional verification is required
      
      
12. Age 65 and older
    • No additional verification is required
      
      
13. VAWA individuals
    • T-Visa - Pending; or 
    • T-Visa - Denied and in the USCIS’s appeal process; or 
    • U-Visa - Pending; or 
    • U-Visa - Denied and in the USCIS’s appeal process