Issuing a Client Assistance Card
Relevant To: Caseworker, Caseworker Health, Caseworker
Supervisor
Core Concepts
What is a client assistance card and why would I need to issue one?
Client assistance cards, often referred to as “CACs,” are a means of assistance where we
provide clients with stored value, or “prepaid,” debit cards that clients can use at nearly any
retail location that accepts MasterCard. They can also use the cards to obtain cash at an ATM.
We prefer to use CACs for a wide range of assistance types because they provide clients with
flexibility as to where they shop as well as greater privacy and dignity while making purchases.
Note, though, that for hotels and motels that withhold a security deposit when a client uses a
CAC, a disbursing order is preferable. In instances where your chapter has a confirmed
agreement with a hotel or motel to waive the security deposit for Red Cross clients, you should
use a CAC and indicate the number of room nights (the number of rooms x the number of
nights) in the Qty field of the relevant item listing at the CAC transaction.
Do clients need a PIN to use a client assistance card?
CACs require the entry of a PIN when they are used at an ATM or used as debit cards to make
purchases. We recommend that clients use their CACs as credit cards when making purchases
and that they avoid using a CAC at the pump when buying fuel. Taking these steps minimizes
the fees that accompany using the cards for debit transactions. But to ensure that clients can
get cash when needed, you must communicate a card’s PIN, which is auto-generated by the
bank, to the client when you issue a CAC.
Are there any forms associated with client assistance cards?
Yes. Issuing a client assistance card requires you to complete the CAC form (F1030), which the
client must sign. F1032 is the CAC Charge Out Record, which tracks the distribution of CACs to
caseworkers.
Is there a limit to the amount that I can load onto a client assistance card?
Yes. CACs are subject to both a per-load limit and a maximum overall limit per account.
Consult your Supervisor to learn the limits that apply to a particular division or DR.
After we have issued a client assistance card, can I add value to or deduct value
from it, if needed?
Yes. If a client needs additional assistance, you can add value to a CAC, and if circumstances
require you to reduce a card’s prepaid value, you can do a deduction. The system limits you to
four loads on a given client assistance card, so you can add value to a card three times after it
is issued. No such limit exists for deductions.
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Updated April 1, 2015
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After we have issued a client assistance card, can I suspend or deactivate it, if
needed?
Yes. Deactivating a CAC sets its balance to zero and permanently prohibits its use. We
deactivate a CAC as part of the case closure process and generally give a client fifteen days
after the card’s last load to use the loaded value. We also deactivate a card when we know that
a client no longer needs to use it or that it was lost or stolen.
Suspending a CAC, on the other hand, does not affect its balance, and while it prohibits the
card’s use, it does not do so permanently; an “Unsuspend” action allows the client to again use
the card for purchases. We suspend a card if a client has lost it and needs time to try to locate
it, or if either we or the client notice suspicious activity on the card.
Process
Process Flow
Access the case (if
you are not already
working with it)
Access the Client
Assistance Card
(CAC) tab
Enter Proxy #
Issue the CAC
Select items to be
purchased with the
CAC
Enter item details
Process Steps
Step
1. Access the case (if you are
not already working with it)
Action
•
•
(if not at the My Tools screen) Click CAS 2.0 My Tools.
Click Case Search.
 The system displays the Case Search screen.
•
Enter search criteria and execute a search, access a case
you have recently worked on, or use one of the available
pre-defined searches.
 The names that return in the search results are those
of the cases’ primary clients (formerly known as
“heads of household”) and do not account for the
names of all household members.
 For details on searching for a case, see the Searching
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Step
Action
for a Case quick reference guide.
•
Click the primary client’s Last Name or First Name, or
click the Case ID.
 The system opens the case associated with that
primary client to the default Household tab.
2. Access the Client
Assistance Card (CAC) tab
•
Click the Client Assistance Card (CAC) tab.
3. Select items to be
purchased with the CAC
•
Select an assistance category at the FastTrackCAC tool,
which resides in the Step 1 section of the screen.
 The system launches a FastTracks window that lists
items associated with the selected category. You may
need to scroll or resize the FastTracks window to see
all of its items.
•
Click select at the desired item.
 The item is added to the CAC Items listing in the
Step 1 section of the screen, but the FastTracks
window remains open for you to select additional
items, if needed. The FastTracks window lists the
items you’ve selected at its top, just beneath where it
identifies the assistance category.
 To learn more about an item before selecting it, click
its name link (e.g. Bedding/Linens) to open a
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Step
Action
separate window with details from the Resource
Directory.
4. Enter item details
•
(if needed) Select additional items from the open
FastTracks window.
•
Close the open FastTracks window by clicking Click
here to close this window.
•
(as needed) Add additional items from other assistance
categories.
•
(in the Step 2 section of the screen) For each item you
have added:
o
Adjust the default quantity (Qty), if needed
 If you are issuing the CAC for a hotel stay, the
Qty should reflect the number of room nights,
which is the number of rooms multiplied by the
number of nights (two rooms for three nights
equals six room nights).
o
Adjust the Unit Cost, if needed and the cost is
editable
 You will not be able to adjust the cost of all
items.
 The system automatically calculates the Total cost of
the items you have entered.
 When needed, you can click its associated red X to
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Step
Action
remove an entered item.
5. Enter Proxy #
•
Enter the proxy number of the card being issued into the
proxy # field.
 Enter the 13-digit proxy number without any dashes.
 When you navigate away from the proxy # field, the
system checks the validity of the card number by
confirming it is thirteen digits in length and conforms
to known standards for credit and debit card numbers.
If it is a valid number, the system displays a green
check mark and the word “Valid” beneath the proxy #
field.
6. Issue the CAC
•
Review the information you have entered in prior steps to
ensure its accuracy, and make any necessary
adjustments.
 If needed, you can remove all of the item and card
information you have entered by clicking Clear.
•
Click Submit at the bottom of the Client Assistance
Card (CAC) screen.
 The system validates and processes the CAC
transaction, and returns you to the Household tab,
where it displays a message indicating “Bank
transaction completed.” It lists the CAC transaction in
the Card History section of the Client Assistance
Card (CAC) screen. For details on viewing a case’s
CAC transactions, see the Viewing a Case’s Client
Assistance Card Transaction History quick
reference guide.
Related Training Materials
•
•
•
Introduction to Issuing Assistance in CAS 2.0
Searching for a Case
Issuing a Client Assistance Card for an Existing Case Using the “Lite” Version of CAS
2.0
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Updated April 1, 2015
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•
•
•
•
•
Adding Value to an Issued Client Assistance Card
Deducting Value from an Issued Client Assistance Card
Deactivating a Client Assistance Card
Suspending or Unsuspending a Client Assistance Card
Viewing a Case’s Client Assistance Card Transaction History
CAS 2.0 was made possible through the generous support of the Eli Lilly and Company
Foundation.
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Updated April 1, 2015
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