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HomeWelfare and Institutions CodeDiv. 9Pt. 3Ch. 3Art. 5§ 12205 Federal Benefit Adjustment Method

§ 12205 Federal Benefit Adjustment Method

Welfare and Institutions Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 12205 Federal Benefit Adjustment Method

Key Takeaways

  • •If the government gives more money to some people on disability (SSI) but not to others on retirement (Social Security), the extra money gets spread out fairly to everyone on disability in the state.
  • •The state figures out how much extra to give each person by doing some math: they add up all the extra money, divide it by how many people get disability help, and round it to the nearest dollar.
  • •After the first time this happens, any new extra money is just the difference between the old amount and the new amount the government gives.
  • •The state has to tell the federal government how much extra they’re adding within 15 work days of being told about the change.

Example

The federal government decides to give an extra $50 per month to people on disability (SSI) who are blind, but not to people on retirement benefits. California has 10,000 people on disability help, and 2,000 of them are blind.

The state adds up the extra money ($50 x 2,000 blind recipients = $100,000) and divides it by all 10,000 people on disability ($100,000 ÷ 10,000 = $10). So, every person on disability in California gets an extra $10 per month, not just the blind ones.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12205 Federal Benefit Adjustment Method

Increases in federal benefits under Part A of Title XVI of the Social Security Act for reasons other than cost of living which are not accompanied by an increase in federal benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act shall be added to the payment schedules as set forth in Section 12200, excluding subdivision (h), in accordance with the following method: The amount of the increase in the federal monthly benefit level shall be multiplied by the number of recipients who will benefit therefrom and the resultant amount divided by the total number of recipients eligible for assistance under the provisions of this chapter at the time the increases are to go into effect, and the quotient rounded to the nearest dollar. This amount shall determine the increase in the aforementioned payment schedules. Subsequent to the first increase pursuant to this section, each additional increase in the Title XVI federal benefit levels added to the payment schedules of Section 12200, excepting subdivision (h), shall be based on the difference between the federal benefit levels immediately applicable prior to an increase thereto and the federal benefit levels immediately applicable thereafter. The director shall notify the Secretary of the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare of the amount of the increases to be added pursuant to this section to the payment schedules in Section 12200, no later than 15 working days following the date on which the director is notified by the secretary in writing of the amounts of the increases to federal benefits. This section shall be suspended for the period from July 1 through December 31, 1983, and on January 1, 1984, shall become operative again. (Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 323, Sec. 116.1. Effective July 21, 1983. Note: This amendment suspended the operation of this section from July 1, 1983, until Jan. 1, 1984.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

educationbenefitshealthsecretarydirectorsocial security actdifferenceoperation

Related Statutes

  • § 4565 State Plan Review Process
  • § 12201.03 Federal Benefit Cost Adjustments
  • § 18204 Social Services Waiver Projects
  • § 4094.2 Community Treatment Facility Budgets
  • § 10227.6 Alternative Methodology Childcare Rates

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Welfare and Institutions Code. Section 12205.
View Official Source