Work First 105A – WORK FIRST 24-month TIME LIMIT

Change # 08-2008

October 1, 2008

I. WORK FIRST 24-MONTH TIME LIMIT

While families that include an adult are subject to the 60-month lifetime limit on receipt of TANF assistance, most families in North Carolina that include an adult and are active in Employment Services, are also subject to a 24-month time limit on the receipt of Work First assistance. This provision became effective in August 1996.

The 24-month time limit is 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.

For each month during which a family’s 24-month clock is ticking, the county department of social services must also be making intensive efforts to assess, plan, and support the family’s efforts.

After receiving 24 cumulative months of Work First Family Assistance and Employment Services in North Carolina, these families are ineligible for assistance as defined in Section 105, I., B.

These families are ineligible for 36 consecutive months following termination, unless an extension is granted. (See V. below for information on extensions and appeals.)

Months when a family received assistance in another state do not count against the 24-month time limit.

NOTE: Receipt of services that are not defined as assistance, as well as Emergency Assistance (EA) or Benefit Diversion, do not count against the 24-month or the 60-month time limit.

Each time a request is made for Work First assistance, check the Eligibility Tracking (ET) screen in EIS for each adult, and verify that the 24-month time limit has not been reached. If any adult in the family has received assistance for 24 months (cumulative) and 36 months have not passed since the last receipt of assistance, the family is not eligible to apply. The family may, however, at any time during the 36 months of ineligibility, request an extension. (See VI. below.)

NOTE: During a family’s 36 months of ineligibility, they may apply for and receive Services for families at or below 200% of poverty, Benefit Diversion and/or Emergency Assistance if they are eligible. Benefit Diversion, Services for families at or below 200% of poverty and Emergency Assistance are not an extension because they do not meet the definition of assistance.