MEMORANDUM
DATE: December 1, 2004
TO: Adult Public Assistance Manual Holders
FROM: Ellie Fitzjarrald, Chief
Policy and Program Development Team
SUBJECT: Adult Public Assistance Manual Change #9
Each year Adult Public Assistance need and maximum payment standards are adjusted by the same percentage as the cost of living allowance ( COLA ) increase in Social Security benefits. This manual change incorporates the 2005 standards. The COLA adjustment also causes:
An increase in the income limit for Substantial Gainful Activity, and
An increase in the earned income exclusion of a blind and disabled student child.
This manual change also implements several new APA policies as a result of changes in the SSI program. In addition, it includes several changes that are the result of questions and suggestions from field staff. We appreciate all these comments and suggestions, and will continue to incorporate them into the manual whenever possible. Also included is an expanded table of contents at the beginning of the manual, an updated index, and numerous other technical changes.
Highlights of these policy revisions are described below. If you have any questions, please contact any member of the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3347 or e-mail us at dpapolicy@health.state.ak.us.
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OLD POLICY |
NEW POLICY |
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Section 421-1, United States Citizens and United States Nationals |
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Describes who is considered as a U.S. Citizen and U.S. National. |
Provides additional guidance on U.S. Nationals and verification of U.S. Citizen or U.S. National status. |
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Section 421-2, Qualified Aliens Section 421-3, Five Year Bar Section 421-4, Proof of Qualified Alien Status |
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Includes victims of trafficking as a qualified alien category and gives policy on verification procedures. |
Adds certain family members to the definition of victims of trafficking and clarifies verification procedures for this qualified alien category. |
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Section 424-2, Age Verification Procedures |
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Gives the Alaska Longevity Bonus Program as a source for verifying age. |
Removes the defunct Alaska Longevity Bonus Program as a source of age verification. |
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Section 425-3C, Blind or Disabled Applicants Who Do Not Appear Eligible For SSI and Have Not been Determined Disabled for SSA Disability |
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States that the DDS will issue a state-only disability decision within 30 days. |
Removes the 30-day timeframe. At present, the average decision time for state-only disability decision is around 90 days. |
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Section 431-1B, Property Rights |
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Instructs the caseworker to contact the APA Policy Specialist for information on life expectancy tables when determining the value of a life estate or remainder interest. |
Removes the instruction to contact the APA Policy Specialist and gives the website address for the life expectancy tables used to determine life estate and remainder interest values. |
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States that retroactive SSI and RSDI benefits are excluded from resource for six (6) months. |
Extends this resource exclusion to nine (9) months. |
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Sections 432-4B and 442-3A(14), Payments to Victims of Nazi Persecution |
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States that interest earned on unspent payments is not excluded from income and resources. |
Clarifies that interest earned on unspent payments is not excluded from resources but is excluded from income. |
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Describes the resource and income exclusions for educational assistance. |
Limits the resource exclusion for educational assistance to nine (9) calendar months, and allows gifts made for educational purposes to be excluded from resources and income. |
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Sections 432-4O and 442-3A(11), Agent Orange Settlement Funds/Payments |
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States that any funds received as a result of investment or deposit of settlement funds is not excluded from income and resources. |
Clarifies that any funds received as a result of investment or deposit of settlement funds is not excluded from resources, but is excluded from income. |
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Sections 432-4Q and 442-2B, Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Payments |
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Provides that unspent refunds or payments from the Earned Income Tax Credit ( EITC ) are excluded from resources for the month following the month of the payment or refund. |
Excludes the Child Tax Credit from both resources and income and extends the resource exclusion for both the EITC and the Child Tax Credit to nine months. |
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Sections 432-4T and 442-3A(16), Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund |
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Adds new resource and income exclusion for payments received from the Radiation Exposure Compensation Trust Fund. |
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Sections 432-4U and 442-3A(17), Individual Development Account ( IDA ) |
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Adds new resource and income exclusion for IDAs that are funded with TANF or Demonstration Project monies. |
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Sections 432-4V and 442-3A(18), Payments to Persons Captured and Interned by North Vietnam |
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Adds new resource and income exclusion for payments for persons captured and interned by North Vietnam. |
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Sections 432-4W and 442-3A(19), Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund |
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Adds new resource and income exclusion for payments provided under the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund. |
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Sections 432-4X and 442-3A(20), Vietnam Veterans Children with Spina Bifida |
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Adds new resource and income exclusion for payments provided for Vietnam veterans children who suffer from spina bifida. |
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Section 441-2N, Reserved (Previously Named Dividends and Interest) |
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States that dividends and interest count as unearned income. |
Moves the policy on dividends and interest income to manual section 442-3E. |
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Section 441-2P, Deposits Made to a Joint Account |
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States that interest earned on a joint bank account counts as income. |
Removes language about interest earnings. Interest earned on a joint bank account is no longer counted as income. |
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States that the infrequent /irregular income exclusion is calculated on a monthly basis. |
Changes the calculation period to a quarterly basis. |
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442-3A(10), World War II Restitution Payments |
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States that any funds received as a result of investment or deposit of a restitution payment is not excluded from income. |
Clarifies that any funds received as a result of investment or deposit of a restitution payment is excluded from income. |
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Section 442-3E, Dividends and Interest |
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Adds income exclusion for dividends and interest. A change in federal law now excludes most dividends and interest from income for APA purposes. |
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470-2, Continued Benefits for Temporarily Institutionalized Recipient |
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States that continued benefits may be available to APA recipients if they do not reside in an ineligible institution. |
Clarifies that continued benefits may be provided to an APA recipient who is temporarily residing in a medical institution, even if the facility is otherwise considered to be an ineligible institution. |
Manual Change Filing Instructions
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Remove Old Pages |
Insert New Pages |
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Table of Contents (page i through ii) |
Table of Contents (i through xviii) |
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Chapter Contents (Chapter 421) |
Chapter Contents (Chapter 421) |
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D-1 through D-10 |
D-1 through D-12 |
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Chapter Contents (Chapter 424) |
Chapter Contents (Chapter 424) |
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G-1 through G-2 |
G-1 through G-2 |
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H-7 through H-8 |
H-7 through H-8 |
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K-1 through K-4 |
K-1 through K-4 |
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Chapter Contents (Chapter 432) |
Chapter Contents (Chapter 432) |
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L-15 through L-16 |
L-15 through L-16 |
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L-23 through L-26 |
L-23 through L-30 |
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Chapter Contents (Chapter 441) |
Chapter Contents (Chapter 441) |
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O-17 through O-20 |
O-17 through O-20 |
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Chapter Contents (Chapter 442) |
Chapter Contents (Chapter 442) |
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P-1 through P-4 |
P-1 through P-4 |
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P-11 through P-12 |
P-11 through P-12 |
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P-15 through P-22 |
P-15 through P-24 |
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W-1 through W-2 |
W-1 through W-2 |
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Addendum 1 |
Addendum 1 |
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Old Index (pages 1 through 14) |
New Index (pages 1 through 14) |