STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER:   MC #31

MANUAL:  Adult Public Assistance

DATE:  September 1, 2011

We are making several changes to incorporate new policy, clarify existing policy, and align policies within our program manuals.  These changes include:

1. • A new military pay policy has been added to the financial responsibility and deeming chapter for ineligible spouses.
   • The addition of  Addendum 2 to provide an example of an Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) as well as three tables to define types of Entitlements, Allotments and Deductions that may be found on the Leave and Earnings Statement.

Other changes are either technical in nature or clarifications that are the result of policy questions or suggestions from the field.

Highlights to policy revisions are described below.  If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3382 or email dpapolicy@alaska.gov.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 421-5(B)  Non-Immigrants

• Adds a note stating aliens born in the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau can travel freely between the islands and the United States but are considered non-qualified aliens and are not eligible to receive public assistance.

MS 421-6(C)  Proof of Qualified Alien Status

• Creates a separate row in the table for Cuban or Haitian Entrants.  Previous manual combined this immigration status with the Battered Spouse or Child of a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal Resident.  

MS 431-2(G)  Retirement Funds

• Aligns policies in the Retirement Funds chapter with those in other program manuals.

MS 442-3(7)(b)  Other Education Assistance

• Adds that any money that “will not” be used for education expenses is countable unearned income.  Previous policy only indicated money that “is not” used for education expenses is countable unearned income.  

MS 460-1(G)  Deployed Spouse

• Adds deployed spouse to the list of definitions.  Since the APAAdult Public Assistance program does not have a household comp section, this will allow an explanation of how to budget a spouse that’s been deployed.

MS 460-4(A)  Resource Exclusions of Ineligible Spouse

• Revises this section to read any retirement fund belonging to an ineligible spouse is excluded.  
• Adds a link to Retirement Funds sub chapter for list of possible retirement funds an ineligible spouse may have.

MS 460-7  Special Rules for a Spouse in the Military

• Adds a new section for income and resources of a spouse in the military to combine all countable and excluded income, and resources of a deployed spouse.

MS 481-2(A)  Timely Notice Defined

• Adds a note to clarify the count for 10 days adverse action begins the day after the notice is mailed.
• Adds example to further clarify when the 10 day count begins.

Addendum 2  The Leave and Earnings Statement

• Adds an example of an LESLeave and Earnings Statement paystub and a definition list to the Addendum to give guidance for interpreting the LESLeave and Earnings Statement statement