Computer Error Delays Checks to Medi-Cal, Social Welfare Beneficiaries
A computer error in Santa Clara County's new CalWORKS Information Network system this month delayed benefits for "several hundred" beneficiaries of Medi-Cal, general assistance and other social welfare programs, according to a social services official, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The glitch occurred July 1 as the county sent its first set of welfare checks under CalWIN, which went online June 1.
A county official on Friday said the problem was the result of a coding error that prevented direct-deposit payments from reaching recipients' accounts.
Greta Helm, the county social services agency's director of government relations and planning, said, "I've been told the problem is resolved."
Santa Clara is among 18 counties statewide using CalWIN, which replaced a 30-year-old manual entry system. CalWIN automatically calculates eligibility, allowing caseworkers to "quickly and consistently" determine an applicant's qualification and benefits, according to the Mercury News (Woolfolk, San Jose Mercury News, 7/9).