For self-employed persons whose income fluctuates, persons on extended or maternity leave and students, and seasonal workers who do not work 12 months of the year or are laid off and rehired, eligibility must be determined based on adjusted gross annual income. This includes when the non-exempt ABAWD is the head of household for Basic Food. Q37: Data element #48 (Work Participation Status): What is the difference between code 2 and code 13? Includes expenditures made to implement or support program activities. TANF Programs (Attachment A) and State Maintenance-of-Effort (MOE) Programs (Form ACF-204) (Attachment B), If you have any questions about forms, please contact your, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Native Americans (ANA), Administration on Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF), Office of Family Violence and Prevention Services (OFVPS), Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR), Office of Legislative Affairs and Budget (OLAB), Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE), Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS), About Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, About Health Profession Opportunity Grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Instructions for the completion of the ACF-196R Form, Final TANF & SSP-MOE Data Reporting System Transmission Files Layouts and Edits. Income disregards result in increases in assistance. Reporting Requirements | DSHS For example, we may have someone coded as disabled (07), but they may be participating in an activity that they are capable of doing. Family Assistance program informational training, Enroll a child in the Imagination Library. States and territories must provide information on how they spend their TANF block grant, state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) funds, and other federal TANF funds (e.g., Contingency and Emergency Contingency funds). Q35: Data element #46 (Is the current month exempt from the States time limit): Can States leave this data element blank if there is no State time limit? A52: Payments for supportive services, such as transportation, to an employed family are by definition not "assistance." OFA aggregates the data to: analyze program outcomes; understand which TANF families are working, training or looking for work; and Take the following steps when receiving notification that someone is verified to be incarcerated over 30 days: When a client contacts the department to report they are no longer incarcerated, request reactivation of benefits and document case action. Q48: Data element #65 (Amount of Unearned Income): This data element requests a separate amount for Social Security (item b. Ask about United States military service: the individuals spouses and dependent childs parents. In Minnesota, TANF funds allocated through the Local Public Health Act can be used for eligible program services including non-medical home visiting for families, Womens Infants and Children (WIC) clinic services, and youth development: focus on reducing out of wedlock births. A45: The amount of TANF assistance is not included in this data element. Use FORS to determine whether the client is still incarcerated. A57: Yes. A3: The preferred coding for data element #12 is as follows: Use code "3" to identify child-only families (except where there is a minor child head-of-household). Q12: Data element #22 (TANF Child Care): When the family pays the provider directly, the State increases the need standard and does not consider it as a child care payment. Includes services provided by a professional staff in one or more of the following program areas: non-medical home visiting for families, WIC clinic services, or group youth development activities focusing on reducing out of wedlock births. A23: No. When information reported by a third-party doesn't conflict with information provided at certification, we must determine if the household is required to report the change based on their benefit program. To enroll in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, you must complete a TANF benefits interview. Providing you opportunities to get training to increase your skills and get a better job. If a family receives assistance under both the States TANF program and an SSP-MOE program for the same month, it is subject to reporting under each program for the month. A44: Either leave blank or enter "0" hours. Update and document the new shelter costs in ACES. Update theExpense Page in ACES once you get proof of the medical expenses. If an AU member or the entire AU leaves the state, follow the rules in WAC 388-468-0005 to determine if they are still eligible for benefits. A53: In item #21, the State reports $90 (since this is the family's "assistance" payment), and in item #26.b. They continue to draw as adults who are still unmarried (but who could be parents). Q43: Data element #58 (Education directly Related to Employment) and #59 (Satisfactory School Attendance): What hours should be reported for a teen parent who is married or a single teen head of household if (s)he maintains satisfactory attendance at a secondary school or the equivalent or if (s)he participates in education directly related to employment for at least 20 hours per week? Use DOH web portal to verify a client's death. Congress created the TANF block grant through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996, as part of a federal effort to "end welfare as we know it." Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provides temporary cash for families in need. ), Q26: Data element #36 (Receives Disability Benefits): BENDEX does not easily differentiate between disability, survivors, and retirement benefits. Q23: Data element #33 (Social Security Number): Can you use an alpha character instead of, or in combination with, "999999999" when the social security number (SSN) is unknown? The worker is unable to contact Annie or the landlord. C. Youth Development: Reducing Out of Wedlock Births, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Interventions. However, all children being supported may be counted as part of the household. Q56: When there is a child under 12 months and the State opts not to disregard the family from the work participation rate, the "Guidance" to Item #48 indicates the State should use code 19. An official website of the United States government. Adults who receive TANF cash assistance generally are required to participate in work, as one of the express purposes of TANF enumerated in statute is to "end the dependence of needy parents. Use code "1" to identify all remaining families (i.e., families with one or more adults and/or a minor child head-of-household that are not two-parent families.). However, in some of these cases, even though they may be coded as having "good cause", they are participating. Form ACF-204: Electronic Submission of Annual Report on TANF Programs and State Maintenance-of-Effort Programs. Sec. See, Take action on the information using the effective date rules in. Eligibility determinations must occur at least once every 12 months. Must States report a reduction in transportation payments made to a participant who is not "employed", even if the cash grant remained the same and the reduction in transportation payments was due entirely to lower expenses encountered by the recipient? We want to capture reductions in assistance from what the family would normally receive based on the States eligibility rules. What Is Form 5500? Everything You Need To Know - Forbes the State reports $10 (as a reduction in assistance due to recoupment). If a family home visiting or WIC participant who receives MFIP indicates that any member of the household is a non-citizen, the local county human services agency should be contacted to verify the funding source that is used to pay for the MFIP grant. A TANF family is due $100, the state recoups $10 for a prior overpayment and the family receives $90 for the report month. For information on mid-certification reviews, please see theMid-Certification Reviewssection. It is not acceptable to transmit alpha characters as part of an unknown social security number. A8: The total amount of TANF assistance paid to the family is broken out and coded in data elements 21 through 25. The Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant allows states to allocate resources for a broad array of services that promote the four purposes of the TANF statute: assisting needy families so children may be cared for at home, ending dependence of needy families on government benefits by promoting work and marriage, reducing non-marital pregnancies and encouraging the formation and maintenance of two parent families. C. Youth Development: Focus on Reducing Out of Wedlock Births. 1. A10: Yes. If an individual receives child support on an infrequent or inconsistent basis, an annual income determination might be more appropriate. Send notice to the client if there is a change in the benefit amount. However, if the BENDEX shows a "date of onset", then SSA determined that the individual was disabled at some point. It is important that States and their computer systems be able to make distinctions between "assistance" benefits and benefits that are not "assistance" because such benefits are treated differently under child support distribution rules. There is no duplicate reporting. If a member of the household starts receiving unemployment or another type of unearned income, we would count the entire amount against the grant. Families First In other words, if we code someone "Yes" under "Hispanic or Latino", can we code that same person as "No" under all the "Race" categories? incorporated into a contract. A7: Cash resources are defined by the State for purposes of determining eligibility for and amount of benefits. This information is not subject to simplified reporting rules. It especially focuses on state strategies since passage of the Deficit . What is included and what is excluded? To be eligible for the program, participants must meet technical and financial eligibility standards and must agree to follow a Personal Responsibility Plan (PRP). To qualify for TANF you must be: A resident of the District of Columbia; Either pregnant or responsible for a child under 19 years of age; A U.S. citizen, legal alien, or permanent resident; Meet income requirements based on household size (see Income Requirement table below); Make it clear in the letter they don't need to wait for the first regular rental or utility payment to tell us the amount(s); and. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. Applying for services and uploading documents using the One DHS Customer Portal or resources at a TDHS office can reduce the application processing times. Write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). f. A pregnant woman should be counted as two, taking into consideration the unborn fetus. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. child care) in exchange for room and board, the family can be counted as a separate household. Do not use a "Request for Information" letter as this letter requires a Basic Food AU closure if the client does not respond. States and territories must submit an annual report containing information on benefits and services in their TANF and State MOE programs. Our vision is to build a new, secure, web based data reporting system to improve the federal reporting experience for TANF grantees and federal staff. Use the checklist in Appendix A to determine status. Territories? A55: In general, if the NCP does any of the following: (1) receives assistance as defined in 260.31; (2) participates in work activities as defined in section 407(d) of the Act; or (3) has been designated by the State as a member of a family receiving assistance, the State must report all disaggregated data (TDR- Section One) and aggregated data (TDR Section Three). This information is important for computing the States work participation rates and for other purposes. Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Grant Guidelines For example, assume an applicant applies 5-15-99, is approved 6-15-99, and receives payment for May and June. We don't need to take action on these alerts. Does this last line belong with item 65.c. The site is secure. We must verify information reported by a third-party that conflicts with the information reported at application or recertification if the information is a reportable change. Determine how to treat these tickles or alerts based on how we treat third-party reports. A detailed description of the TANF Program is available in the New Jersey State Plan for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) FFY 2021-2023 (pdf). We must act on changes reported by the household even if they didn't have to report itunder. A51: No. Check class category code on the documentation: A. Restricted businesses are also subject to penalties. It does not seem that it should since the benefits for July were the same as the benefits for June. Option 3: E-mail an application to Farmington.DHHS@Maine.gov. DATES: Comments due within 60 days of publication. Take action based on changes the person reports. Q47: Data element #65 (Amount of Unearned Income): We assume this only includes money given directly to the individual to pay their rent and will not include housing subsidies given directly to a landlord for a portion of the rent. a. Sign into TANF Data Portal. It also can include actual costs of such things such as training materials, conference registration, mileage, outreach activities, educational and safety materials for families, program planning, evaluation or purchase of a computer. If they voluntarily report a move between mandatory reports or for another program, they must provide their new shelter costs. (See, Ask for more information or proof if needed. Q39: Data element #48 (Work Participation Status): Will there be further guidance on codes #18 and #19? For Basic Food, under simplified reporting rules, clients do not have to report when they move until recertification or until the mid-certification review, whichever comes first. A family of three, with no income, would receive a monthly TANF grant of $654. If there is no military service documentation, go to #3. We will clarify the coding instructions when we issue the final report and instructions. When providing youth development services, effort should be made to provide outreach for group activities to communities that are citizens or eligible non-citizens. Eligibility information can be found here. Q9: In the final regulations, employment status is key to determining whether child care and/or transportation benefits are considered "assistance" and therefore subject to the TANF data reporting requirements. Click Here to learn how to prevent, report and stop EBT theft and fraud. TANF funds can not be used to fund home visits that provide medical services such as home health care. Information on whether a recipient is receiving federal or state funded MFIP can only be obtained by contacting the local social service agency. The only exception to the above requirement for States to provide disaggregated data for NCPs relates to a NCP participating in work activities. 812 Modifications to TANF Data Reporting specifies that new reporting requirements for engagement in additional work . A. Non-Medical Home Visiting for Families. If all of the following criteria are met: (1) a NCP participates only in work activities that fall outside the definition of assistance (most employment services do); (2) the NCP does not receive assistance; and (3) the NCPs TANF-eligible family (i.e., the family containing the NCPs child) does not receive assistance, the State must report only the aggregated data in TDR-Section Three for NCPs. A State supplemental to SSI is included in 36e. See. Current Statute and Regulations Governing the TANF Program TANF Statute, Social Security Act, Title IV (Part A of Title IV) Should the State report actual hours of participation or the required hours of participation? Verbal declaration of citizenship of all household members by parent or guardian must be recorded in the participants chart. Updated March 1, 2022 What Is TANF? Effective July 1, 2014, additional penalties will apply if benefits are misused. The law says that a state must have 50% of all families and 90% of two-parent families receiving assistance engaged in either work or activities. If the funding source is federal or TANF, the home visiting services the non-citizen criteria is met. limit TANF Data Report : Amount of contingency funds not remitted. It replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program and is the federal funding source for Tennessees TANF Program. Q33: Data element #45 (Number of Countable Months Remaining Under the States Time Limit): If a State has no time limit (only the Federal time limit), can we report zero or blank? The Customer Support Center can help you:. If the third-party report shows that we certified or recertified the case using significantly conflicting information, we must verify the report and make the necessary case corrections. 2. When the department verifies a client is incarcerated over 30 days, we suspend EBT benefits to prevent fraudulent use. Questions and Answers about Section One of the TANF Data Report Participate in all required job search and work preparation activities. Persons who are eligible for the TANF program may also qualify for ourDiversion Cash Assistance. If the Family Affiliation code is 1, States must make every effort to provide the SSN. How do States code a sanctioned person removed from the grant? However, a new-born child, enumerated at birth, may not have received the SSN in time to report it to us. A38: If an individual is coded with Work Participation Status (WPS) code 07 (disabled), family affiliation code of 1, and sufficient hours to count as engage in work, then the family is counted as participating for the all families work participation rate. Verify new shelter expenses at the next review. A21: A State must report information on a noncustodial parent if the noncustodial parent: (1) is receiving assistance as defined in 260.31; (2) is participating in work activities as defined in section 407 (d) of the Act; or (3) has been designated by the State as a member of the family receiving assistance. Families who chose this program can get help with living expenses when a family needs short term assistance and meets program requirements. If a family is not receiving federally funded MFIP, eligibility screening is required. 6. Revisions are intended to improve the clarity of the instructions, streamline reporting, and ensure all instructions are up-to-date. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Q57: In the instructions to TDR-Section One item #65.b. In data element #22, we want to know about receipt of TANF Child Care, when it provided to non-employed families. A9: Tracking employment is very important for families that receive benefits under the States TANF program or under a separate State program. Every state or tribal territory has its own rules for who's eligible for financial help, services, or other benefits. January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023 Submitted By: New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance TANF State Plan 2021 - 2023 This page contains links to PDF documents. Information reported by anyone other than the household is a third-party report. If the non-citizen has documentation follow the procedures below. Normally, we would expect the State to code at least one of the Race categories as "Yes" in addition to the coding for ethnicity. Please advise if this assumption is correct. Submit a Suspension of EBT benefits due to Incarceration request, Document the actions taken and reason for suspension of the EBT account, Include canned text in the termination letter informing of the reason for termination and how to reactivate benefits. report changes to your case; answer questions about your case or programs; This is also where you will send documents related to your case either by email, fax or mail.. A29: No. Use the following codes to identify two-parent families for the two-parent families work participation rate: Code the "Type of Family" (data element #12) with a "2" and for each of the two parents, code the "Family Affiliation" (data element #30) with a "1," code the "Parent with a Minor Child in the Family" (data element #39) with a "1," and use an appropriate "Work Participation Status" code (data element #48). To apply for benefits, submit your applicationonlineor visit the localDHS county office. We will check the hours of work participation in determining whether the family met the all-families requirements and/or the two-parent families requirement. Colorado Works operates in all 64 counties and is delivered locally through each county's department of human or social services. Eligibility for services must be documented in the individuals case record. Will this be clarified in further instructions? Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) - Maine DHHS Activities should be coordinated with other community efforts, build partnerships to mobilize the community in addressing the issue of teen pregnancy and must occur in a group setting. Is an IRA included? Examples of what is included in data element #21 are the TANF cash grant and vendor payments for rent, food, and other basic needs. A6: A State must make every effort to identify the total dollar amount of subsidized child care from all sources (e.g., CCDF, TANF, SSBG, State, local, etc.). Contact to the department is also considered a request for reinstatement or application. If the family is receiving a reduced amount of assistance and the adult is still part of the family receiving assistance, the family is not a new child-only family and is coded "2.". TANF - Mississippi Department of Human Services In turn, it is the states that determine the work participation requirements that apply to individual recipients. 4. Prorating is an acceptable alternative to identifying exactly the amount of food stamp assistance received by TANF family members. Information considered known to the department doesn't need verification to affecta household's benefits. Listen Current as of: May 25, 2022 The following links provide guidance and instructions for completing common ACF reporting forms required for TANF grantees: Form ACF-196R and ACF-196TR: Financial Reporting Forms. TANF grantees are legislatively-mandated to report to OFA on the characteristics and work participation of their TANF cash assistance caseload. PDF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families State Plan, October 2019 IR1, CR1, CR2, or F11, 4) the client is NOT eligible for services reimbursed with TANF funds for 5 years from the date of entry into the U.S. C. For all other codes, the family is NOT eligible to be reimbursed with TANF funds. Families Firstwas created as part of the larger Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 (commonly referred to as welfare reform). Update and document the new shelter costs in ACES; and. How should they report this data element? After you submit an application for benefits, you will be assigned a caseworker to manage your request. To be eligible for TANF, your family must have resources of $6,000 or less. Are estimates of the TANF expenditures through the Access to JOBS only allowable for financial reporting? A family (with an individual who is subjected to sanction for the reporting month for refusing to participate in work activities) may be disregarded from the participation rate for no more than 3 months in the preceding 12-month period. LAST UPDATED: B. Womens, Infants and Children (WIC) Clinic Services. When this occurs, the residency may be questionable. A46: We will explore the suggestion, but we expect that there would be privacy restrictions that preclude this approach. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it. Your eligibilitycounselor will explain what information is needed, how to get it and help you if you need assistance. The Claims Resolution Act of 2010 set forth new reporting requirements for States as it extended the funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial assistance program through September 30, 2011. Option 5: Visit one of our district offices and apply in person. A newborn comes home from the hospital; and, On the first paycheck that reflects a wage increase; and. To be eligible for cash assistance/TANF, you must meet certain requirements. GAO also reported in 2012 that . Current Families First recipients can find information on their Families First case withCaseConnect, in the One DHS Customer Portal. For example, if a recipient is sanctioned and the cash grant is reduced effective June, we must report this case as a reduction for the June report month since the benefits received for June are less that what was received for May. The possession of an Employment Authorization card itself is not evidence of eligibility for funding through TANF. When would code 13 be used? If the family receives assistance for the report month, employment status not only determines whether transportation and child care benefits are reported as assistance, but also impacts reporting of average hours per week of participation in one of the work activities. e. A child family member who resides in a school or institution is counted as a member of the household if the participants family pays for the childs support. A family receiving federally funded Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) can be determined automatically eligible for home visiting or WIC services. A central component of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is its emphasis on work. Ask for the new out-of-pocket share of shelter costs associated with the new residence. Report TANF fraud or file a complaint. below. D. If the non-citizen has other documentation, see #6. Q32: Data element #45 (Number of Countable Months Remaining Under the States Time Limit): Should we enter "0 months remaining" in this item if the recipient has reached our 24-month limit but is exempt and continues to receive assistance? ) However, a State could report the family for May and then the family would be a new applicant for May, not June. In the example, a family receives a reduced grant because a family member was sanctioned (but was not removed from the eligible family receiving assistance). Q1: Data element #10 (New Applicant): How do States code a case that appears for the first time on the report, but received benefits for the previous month? In neither case is there a threshold benefit level implied for receipt of public housing. b. Under the Food Stamp Act and USDA policy, discrimination is prohibited also on the basis of religion or political beliefs.