Special Assistance Administrative Letters

Administrative Letter No. 09 – 07 - Economic Recovery Payments’ Effect on Special Assistance Adult Care Home (SA/ACH) and Special Assistance In-Home (SA/IH) Eligibility

N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services, Adult Services Section

Date:	April 16, 2009
Subject:	Economic Recovery Payments’ Effect on Special Assistance Adult Care Home (SA/ACH) and Special Assistance In-Home (SA/IH) Eligibility
Distribution:	County Directors Special Assistance Supervisors Adult Services Supervisors
Effective Date:	April 16, 2009

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009.  The ARRA provides for a one-time $250 Economic Recovery Payment to certain recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security (RSDI), Railroad Retirement Benefits, and Veterans Disability Compensation or Pension Benefits.

The purpose of this letter is to advise how to count this one-time payment for SA/ACH and SA/IH eligibility.

An insert with this information will be included in English with all SA recipients’ May Medicaid cards, and is attached with this letter. The Spanish version will be included in the June Medicaid cards.

Economic Recovery Payments and SA Eligibility

Each qualifying individual will receive a one-time payment of $250 beginning in May 2009.

A. These payments will be excluded as income for all SA/ACH and SA/IH applicant/recipients (a/rs).

B. The amount equal to the economic recovery payment will be excluded as a resource during the month of receipt and the 9 months following the month of receipt.

For example: If the payment is received in May 2009, it will be excluded as a resource May 2009 through February 2010. The funds, if retained, would be countable as a resource starting in March 2010.

DAAS Administrative Letter No. 09 - 07

April 16, 2009

Page 2

C. To determine the exclusion period if the a/r has excess resources at application or redetermination, view the check, or the a/r’s bank direct deposit record for Social Security/Supplemental Security, Railroad Retirement Benefits, Veterans Disability Compensation or Pension Benefits.

If you have any questions regarding this information, please contact your Adult Programs Representative.

Sincerely,

Dennis W. Streets

Director

Attachment

DWS/bfp

How will the Economic Recovery payment affect your assistance?

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009” ( ARRA ’09) which provides for a one time, $250 payment for certain individuals who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement or Veterans benefits. If eligible for the payment, individuals should receive the payment by the end of May 2009.

This payment will not be counted as income for Special Assistance, Medicaid, NC Health Choice, Work First, and Food and Nutrition Services. This payment will also be excluded as a countable resource for nine months following receipt.

The ARRA ’09 also provides for a $25.00 weekly supplement for certain recipients of Unemployment Insurance Benefits (UIB) effective with the week ending February 28, 2009. This weekly supplement will not be counted as income for Medicaid and NC Health Choice.

However, the $25.00 weekly UIB supplement will be counted as income for Work First and Food and Nutrition Services (FNS).You are responsible for reporting this to your Work First and/or FNS caseworker if you receive this benefit.

(Una versión en español de este aviso se le enviará junto con la tarjeta de Medicaid el próximo mes.)

Attachment 1