ACT 282 (January 1, 2021: Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance Cost-of-Living Increase)
Action Change Transmittal Letter No. 282
November 23, 2020
TO: All Cash Assistance Manual Holders
FROM: Kimberly Hall, Director
SUBJECT: January 1, 2021: Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance Cost-of-Living Increase

Background:  Section 5107.04 of the Revised Code requires the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to increase the Ohio Works First (OWF) payment standard on the first day of each January by the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that occurs in the previous year.  The COLA is determined by the Social Security Administration.

New Payment Standard:  On October 13, 2020, the Social Security Administration announced a COLA increase of 1.3 percent.  Beginning January 1, 2021, ODJFS will issue the following revised OWF and Refugee Cash Assistance payments, based on assistance group size and reflecting the COLA increase:

Assistance Group Size Payments as of January 1, 2021
1 $306
2 $417
3 $512
4 $631
5 $738
6 $822
7 $918
8 $1018
9 $1119
10 $1220
11 $1318
12 $1420
13 $1521
14 $1619
15 $1723
+15 ADD $127

Implementation: Mass change will run in Ohio Benefits to update the payments; program blocks will be updated the week of November 23, 2020. An exception report will be created for all cases which Ohio Benefits could not update automatically.  The eligibility worker will be required to run the Eligibility Determination/Benefit Calculation (ED/BC), then save and accept the results for those cases to implement these changes.  Each assistance group affected by this change will receive a notice with the new amount of benefits they will receive.