Class members may now make a claim for General Relief benefits against the County for any mistake it made during the period August 24, 2012 to December 4, 2012.  You must submit your claim to the County by May 8, 2013.  You may use the optional claim form below. The County’s Notice of Reopened Appeal Rights explains your rights in detail.

For free assistance with your claim, please attend a clinic on January 19, 2013 or February 2, 2013, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., at the Legal Aid Society of Orange County’s office at 2101 North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana.  No appointment is necessary.  You may also call Legal Aid at (866) 921-3890 or (714) 571-5259.

Your claim can be about any mistake the County it made in your GR between August 24, 2010 and December 4, 2012.  If you received GR you may have been underpaid.  If you applied and were denied or cut off, that may have been a mistake.

Claim Form:  English/Español

Notice of Reopened Appeal Rights:  English/Español/Việt – Vietnamese

On October 10, 2012 the Orange County Superior Court approved a settlement agreement that affects the rights of Orange County General Relief applicants and recipients from August 24, 2010 to present.  After months of investigation and negotiations with the County, the parties reached a comprehensive settlement improving almost every aspect of Orange County’s General Relief Program, including:

  • Increasing the benefit level by $38 per month, which is 14%;
  • Removing application barriers and streamlining the application process;
  • Improving good cause standards for failing to meet program requirements;
  • Providing reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities; and
  • Providing retroactive relief for persons improperly denied or underpaid GR benefits at any time after August 24, 2010.

The County will issue regulations and policies to implement the settlement and establish a claims procedure to provide both prospective and retroactive relief for the class members.

To see the Notice summarizing the settlement and your rights, click here:(English/Español/Việt – Vietnamese)

For more information, you may also read the Class Action Complaint, the Consent Decree (English/Español/Việt – Vietnamese), the Settlement Agreement (English/Español/Việt – Vietnamese), the Court Order Preliminarily Approving Settlement and Certifying Class, and a Sacramento Bee article about the story.