420-1        REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR AND PURSUE OTHER BENEFITS

420-1 A.   REQUIREMENT DEFINED

To be eligible for Adult Public Assistance, an APAAdult Public Assistance applicant or recipient must apply for and diligently pursue any other benefits to which the Division believes he or she may be eligible.  Under this requirement, a benefit must meet all of following criteria:

1. Require an application or similar action; and
    
2. Have conditions for eligibility; and
    
3. Provide periodic or one-time payments; and
    
4. Be a source of income that reduces APAAdult Public Assistance payments.
    

In addition to applying for the benefit, the applicant or recipient must take all appropriate steps to pursue eligibility for other benefits.  This means that he or she must:

1. Apply for the benefit; and
    
2. Provide the source of the benefit with the information necessary to determine eligibility; and
    
3. Agree to receive the other benefit; and
    
4. Take all necessary steps to receive, and to continue receiving, the benefit.
    

420-1  B. SSISupplemental Security Income APPLICANTS OR RECIPIENTS ARE PRESUMED TO BE APPLYING FOR OTHER BENEFITS

An APAAdult Public Assistance client who is applying for or receiving SSISupplemental Security Income benefits is presumed to be pursuing any other benefits to which he or she is entitled.    SSISupplemental Security Income has a development of income policy which is equivalent to the APAAdult Public Assistance policy.  If the case worker becomes aware of an available benefit which is not being used by an SSISupplemental Security Income / APA client, he or she should inform the servicing SSASocial Security Administration office and let the SSISupplemental Security Income claims representative resolve the matter.  Whenever SSISupplemental Security Income assistance is denied or terminated for failure to apply for and pursue other benefits, the client loses APAAdult Public Assistance eligibility as well.

420-1  C. NON- SSI APPLICANTS OR RECIPIENTS MUST BE ADVISED OF THE REQUIREMENT TO APPLY FOR AND PURSUE OTHER PROGRAM BENEFITS WITHIN 30 DAYS

Whenever a case worker believes that a non- SSI APAAdult Public Assistance applicant or recipient may be eligible for benefits he or she is not already receiving, the individual must be given written notice of the requirement to apply for and pursue the other benefit within 30 days.  The 30-day notice period shall not be used as a reason for delaying an eligibility decision on an APAAdult Public Assistance application.  If the individual fails, without good cause (such as illness), to apply for and pursue the other benefit within 30 days of the date the notice is mailed, the case worker shall either deny the APAAdult Public Assistance application or close the APAAdult Public Assistance case.

Changes in circumstances may cause a non- SSI APAAdult Public Assistance recipient to become eligible for a benefit to which he or she was not previously entitled.  When this occurs, the case worker must provide the client with written notice of the requirement to apply for and pursue the other benefit within 30 days of the date the notice is mailed.  The client may continue to receive APAAdult Public Assistance benefits while he or she is applying for the other benefit.  If the recipient does not apply for and pursue the other benefit within 30 days of the date that the notice is mailed, the APAAdult Public Assistance case must be closed, and the client provided with timely notice of benefit termination for failure to apply for other program benefits.

Example 1:

A disabled APAAdult Public Assistance applicant applies for assistance on April 7, and is interviewed on April 15.  During the interview, the case worker discovers that the applicant may be eligible for Workers' Compensation payments for which he has not yet applied.  The applicant is otherwise eligible for assistance.  The applicant is informed, in writing, that he must provide proof that he has applied for Workers' Compensation payments by May 15.  On May 7, the APAAdult Public Assistance application is approved.

The individual then fails to provide proof that he has applied for Workers' Compensation payments by May 15, the end of the 30-day notice period.  The case worker closes the APAAdult Public Assistance case effective May 31, providing timely notice of termination for failure to apply for other program benefits.

Example 2:

A similar situation to the example above, except that the applicant is not otherwise eligible for assistance because the application must be held for a disability determination by either SSASocial Security Administration or the DDSDisability Determination Service .

When the individual fails to provide proof that he has applied for the other benefit by May 15, the APAAdult Public Assistance application is denied.

420-1  D. VERIFICATION OF APPLICATION FOR AND PURSUIT OF OTHER BENEFITS

Application for and pursuit of other benefits must be verified.  Verification may be obtained by various means, depending upon the type of benefit involved.  The client's own documents (for example, award letters, referral letters, benefit-related correspondence, check stubs) are the preferred verifying documents.  If the client claims that he or she is applying for the other benefit, but is unable to provide documentary evidence, the case worker must try to get the necessary verification.    EISEligibility Information System interface information is one possible verification source; direct contact with the other agency is another acceptable method of verification.