 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
1. Work First services described in this section may be provided to any family (that currently does not receive a Work First check) with income at or below 200% of poverty, provided there is a child in the household who meets the age, kinship, and citizenship and immigrant rules. The caseworker may accept the family’s statement regarding the U.S. citizenship, unless it is questionable, of those applying for benefits.
2. All counties must provide services to families with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
3. For counties to serve such families, local resources must be prioritized to ensure that all Work First Family Assistance recipients who are subject to the work requirements are receiving intensive employment services.
To provide services to low-income families, counties must develop local procedures and collaboration efforts. Counties are strongly urged to use the following strategies when working with these families:
a. Assess the family members’ skills, abilities, and needs, including the children’s needs, as with Work First Family Assistance recipients. Using the tools and the staff skills available, identify the barriers and challenges including physical, mental and learning disabilities which may be preventing the family from maintaining self-sufficiency. To be entitled to a reasonable accommodation for a disability, a caretaker need not be receiving or be eligible for SSI or other disability benefits.
b. Develop jointly with the family members a plan for how the adults will stay employed. The Mutual Responsibility Agreement could be a useful tool for this purpose. The caseworker cannot apply sanctions for non-compliance as with Work First Family Assistance recipients, so strike through the wording on the Agreement pertaining to sanctions. Keep in mind that the processes and standards set for families to receive services should be applied equitably to every family served. Decisions not to serve certain families should be made equitably and consistently.
c. Some of the families served may receive food and nutrition services and be mandatory Food and Nutrition Employment and Training (E&T) participants. Work First employment services may be a resource for support services to help families meet their E&T requirements while gaining the skills and work histories needed to stay employed or get a better job. Coordination with the Food and Nutrition Services Unit should be helpful in this process.
To Determine Eligibility for Services:
1. Complete the Eligibility Worksheet DSS-8225. File the worksheet in the case record. The applicant’s signature on this form represents his/her statement for those elements for which the caseworker may accept an applicant’s statement.
2. Determine whether the family’s income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level (or a lower limit if specified in the County Work First Plan). Use the family’s total gross monthly income.
Countable income is the same as for Work First Family Assistance. Refer to Section 114, Income and Budgeting. Compare the gross total family income to the income shown by family size on the DSS-8225.
The caseworker may accept the family’s statement of the family’s income unless it is questionable. If in doubt, request appropriate verification.
3. Use the same criteria for determining who may apply as used for current Work First participants. Refer to manual Section 104.I, Who May Apply.
4. Determine that at least one child in the family meets the age, citizenship/immigrant, kinship, and living with rules for Work First. Refer to manual Sections 109, 111, and 112. You may accept the family’s statement unless it is questionable. If in doubt, request appropriate verification from those who are applying for benefits.
C. Application and Authorization
The application for Work First Services is Form DSS-5027. This form serves as the application and the notice of rights and services. Complete sections A, B, C, G, and H. Give the applicant the copy that serves as the notice. Instructions for completing Form DSS-5027 are in the Services Information System (SIS) Manual.
Open a case in SIS for each family. When opening the case in SIS and when authorizing payment for services, use the service codes that apply to families with income at or below 200% of poverty, as defined in Appendix B of the SIS Manual.
The maximum authorization period is 12 months, but the case can be authorized for less than 12 months. If the family receives food and nutrition services, notify the food and nutrition caseworker of the authorization period.
NOTE: Work First workers must communicate effectively with food and nutrition case workers as the certification for services will affect food and nutrition services benefits.
Work First services are designed to:
Services may be provided to enable families to participate in a wide range of activities that will prepare them to seek and retain employment or enrich the family’s life, including, but not limited to:
Do not provide services that meet the federal definition of assistance stated below.
Services that have cash value (are cash-like) and are intended to meet basic, ongoing needs are defined as “assistance.”
Services are not considered assistance if they are:
Services also are not considered assistance when provided to persons who are employed.
Employed: For purposes of the definition of assistance, a person is considered employed if they are experiencing a temporary period of unemployment between jobs. For example, the caseworker may continue to provide services to support a parent’s job search activities while the family is between jobs without it being “assistance.” These services may continue for up to four months of unemployment.
Services that are not cash-like (such as counselling, case management, peer support, information, and referral, etc.) do not meet the definition of assistance.
EXAMPLES: Transportation is generally an ongoing need, and paying for or providing transportation would constitute “assistance” (except for employed persons). But, if the participant has a “specific episode of need,” the caseworker may be able to provide transportation that does not count as “assistance.” If the client’s car breaks down, transportation while the car is being repaired would be “non-recurrent, short-term benefits designed to deal with a specific episode of need” and, therefore, not assistance.
Or, if the participant is riding with someone to a class and the driver’s car breaks down or the driver drops out of class, the caseworker might provide the participant with transportation until he/she arranges another ride. Then (if it does not exceed four months) it is not “assistance,” because it deals with a specific episode of need.
The General Assembly appropriates a portion of the state’s TANF Block Grant for the purpose of providing domestic violence services to families who meet the eligibility requirements of WFFA or Work First Services for low income families. Each county has a plan developed by the department of social services and a local domestic violence service provider. The plan describes the services that will be provided using TANF domestic violence funds. This is a funding source that counties can use as an alternative to using their County Work First Block Grant.
If a family meets the eligibility requirements described in III. B., above, the family is eligible for domestic violence services using the specially designated TANF domestic violence funds.
NOTE: The family does not have to be authorized for any other Work First Services to receive domestic violence services.
Access these funds by using service codes 350 and 351 when authorizing services via Form DSS-5027 as described in C. above. See the SIS Manual for further instructions.
|
For questions or clarification on any of the policy contained in these manuals, please contact your local county office. |
| |||||||||||||