Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) Payments
Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) is temporary assistance available under the
Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP) and funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). This payment is for newly arrived single or married refugees with no dependents.
NOTE Refugee participants receiving the
Match Grant payments are not eligible to receive CA or RCA benefits.
RCA eligibility is determined by a
Voluntary Agency (VOLAG). The VOLAG is also responsible for issuing the payments.
The payment is available for eight months who arrived before 10/01/2021. Refugees arrived on or after 10/01/2021 are potentially eligible to receive 12 months of RCA benefits. It starts from the date of the refugee's entry into the U.S. The arrival month is included in the eight or 12-month count. The payment time period ends the first day of the 13th month after entry into the U.S.
NOTE For asylees, the eight or 12-month maximum eligibility period begins from the month the asylee status is granted, not the month of U.S. entry.
RCA budgetary units are
Basic Categorically Eligible for NA.
RCA payments are countable for NA and not countable for CA.
Key the OF Unearned Income Code in the INC TYPE field on UNIC to budget the RCA payments received by the refugee household.
NOTE Documentation must support determinations of eligibility and benefit level.