 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Change # 02-2010
March 1, 2010
The rules under the Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996 or PRWORA require that adults receiving assistance are expected to engage in work activities and develop the ability to support themselves before their time limited assistance runs out. As a result, adults who receive assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant are subject to a 60 month life time limit.
In addition to the 60 month lifetime limit on the receipt of TANF assistance, most families in North Carolina that include a work eligible adult are also subject to a 24 month time limit.
These time limits are a significant incentive for families to be focused and intensive in their efforts to prepare for and obtain stable long term employment that will support their families. The family’s partner in this effort is the county department of social services. During this time the county department of social services must make intensive efforts to assess, plan, and support the family’s efforts.
Families that exhaust their time limits may apply for an extension or hardship exemption, which may allow them to receive additional months of assistance. There are different rules regarding the verification, tracking, and family’s request for additional time as it relates to the 24 month and 60 month time limits. These will be discussed later in greater detail.
Any month in which a family receives benefits that meet the federal definition of assistance counts against the family’s 60 month time limit. Not every month of assistances counts against the 24 month time limit. For example months when the person is coded “O” or “F”. Benefits that have cash value (are cash-like) and are intended to meet basic, ongoing needs are defined as “assistance.” (The traditional, monthly cash assistance check is intended to meet basic, ongoing needs so it is considered assistance.)
Benefits are not considered assistance if they are:
In order to exclude a “cash-like” benefit from the definition of assistance, it must meet all three criteria in the bullets above.
The exceptions to this rule are transportation and childcare services. These are not considered assistance when provided to persons who are employed.
Benefits that are not cash-like (such as counseling, case management, peer support, information and referral, etc.) do not meet the definition of assistance. (Therefore, they never “count” against the time limits.)
EXAMPLE: 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,” you 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 rides with someone to a class and the driver’s car breaks down or the driver drops out of class, you 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.
|
For questions or clarification on any of the policy contained in these manuals, please contact your local county office. |
| |||||||||||||