How Are People on General Assistance Supposed to get California IDs?

[daredtowork]

California ID's are required for everything from applying for jobs to receiving Medi-Cal services. You are your ID card these days. You literally can't function without this card.

A month ago I got my renewal notice in the mail. $28! Pretty steep when General Assistance pays no direct cash income!

I checked their web site, and as usual California offers a "discount" ($8) to people (who, on G.A., get no direct cash income...).

http://dmv.ca.gov/dl/dl_info.htm#idrenew

I work with the Dept. of Rehab, so I've asked them to pick up the tab on that one. Many people on disability General Assistance, trying to establish their inability to work so they can get qualify SSI/SSDI, wouldn't be involved with the Dept. of Rehab., so I'd like to underscore that it's unusual that I had that option.

However, even with that option, the logistics seem a little fantastic here. Am I reading this correctly?

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You may pay a reduced application fee for an original or renewal identification card if you meet income requirements from a public assistance program. If you are eligible, the governmental or non–profit program will give you a completed Verification for Reduced Fee Identification Card form (DL 937) to take to DMV to apply for your reduced fee identification card.

See your local public assistance program agency for information about eligibility requirements and obtaining a DL 937 form.

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To break this down, I have to:

1) Acquire a DL 44 by going to the DMV (bus money!) or mail (10 business days! - if the person has a mailbox.).

2) Ask my DOR counselor to fill out a DL 937 form that may or may not be accepted (I had to download one I found at an iffy place on the Internet because he had never heard of it and gave up on trying to navigate the DMV site after it used up our whole meeting time).

3) Wait some unknown amount of time to get the DOR check approved/cut. Pray that doesn't exceed the deadline for renewing my ID.

3) Use bus money and/or take the handy wormhole to the DMV offered as a little known service by the Public Library.


I feel like I'm reading something wrong here. If these California ID's are required, if they are absolutely essentially to living, why charge people who - by the State's own bureaucratic knowledge - have no direct cash income? Especially if they are just renewing their ID - where's the door opening for identity scamming there?

And secondly, why make it such a recondite, time-consuming, costly process to get the discount ID? The information for the discount ID (which I couldn't directly bookmark to send to the DOR counselor) and the fee was in 2 separate places. He's not the only one who has never heard of this DL 937 form. When I looked it up online, Social Services handbooks were thanking people for doing the research and trying to figure out how to get these forms!!! Also there was some confusion as how the client was supposed to bring in the DL 44 form with DL 937 form when Social Services couldn't stock up on those, and you couldn't get them online - you could only get those from the DMV - creating an extra layer of run-around for the most stressed person in the equation - the person on welfare - to do.

Yes, we all know the DMV sucks. Nothing new under the sun here.

Just wondering if there was another way that I wasn't aware of that I could bring to the attention of my DOR counselor. I'm sure people working with other Social Programs would appreciate an update/rehash of this matter, too.

[apb1963]

1. Solution

Social Security Administration is supposed to have the form.

https://www.sccgov.org/ssa/cp/updates2007/cp07-02.upd.pdf

If SSA doesn't have the form, try 1) printing out the above PDF and bringing it with you to give to them as a reference and/or 2) call the phone number at the bottom of that link. I've not called so it may be out of date, but a competent SSA supervisor should be able to find their way using the info in that link. The person at that phone number (or their replacement) can probably give you a list of organizations that have the form, as he seems to be the source of them. He may (I'm guessing) also be able to provide guidance as to exactly what to ask for and/or who to talk to at the various organizations that have the form.

Part of the reason (for most things in fact) it's so hard is simple oversight - nobody has ever thought it through and come up with a simple mechanism to handle it. People that do not have to go through the process (those with jobs in this case - which would be anybody and everybody responsible for implementing and maintaining programs like this) do not realize there are problems with the process unless someone brings it to their attention. They don't walk the mile in someone else's shoes and just autopilot through their day.

Your average welfare recipient isn't generally all that well educated either, and may have trouble articulating the problem and/or simply be overwhelmed with their current issues and not have the emotional resources to deal with getting the system changed. It takes a special kind of person to get the system changed. Maybe you're that person.

Good luck. Suggest you (or anyone) post back here with any additional details you learn.

[Howdywes]

2. Form DL 937. $8 CA ID

Hi.

Do you know who this "eligibility worker" is who needs to sign this form?

Thanks!