701-1         WHAT IS THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT?

This section includes the policy for informing families about the 60-month time limit, and for determining:

• Who the limits apply to,

• Months that count toward the 60-month time limit,

• Months that do not count toward the 60-month time limit, and

• What happens when a family reaches the 60-month time limit.

701-1 A.      INFORMING FAMILIES ABOUT THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT

Families must be informed about the 60-month lifetime limit. It is very important that caseworkers and Work Service case managers have ongoing communication with families about the 60-month lifetime limit on assistance.

Families should make informed choices about when to receive assistance. Some families may want to reserve months for the future. Families need to know the number of months used and when their assistance is expected to end. To help the family make the decision, both the Work Services case manager and the caseworker must inform them:

• The number of TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) months used and the number of month’s left at application, during eligibility review, or whenever a family asks.

• When corrections or adjustments are made to the number of months used.

• Eligibility for other programs, such as SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and APAAdult Public Assistance, are not time limited and may continue after ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefit payments end.

EISEligibility Information System notices also provide information to families about the time limit. For example, the W102 ”Temporary Assistance Approved” notice explains the 60-month lifetime limit.  The X082 "Important Time Limit Notice" informs families about the number of months received and the number of months remaining.  The letters Work Services case managers send inviting recipients to participate in their Family Progress Reviews provide similar information.

701-1 B.      TO WHOM THE LIMITS APPLY

The 60-month time limit is counted month by month and applies only to cases in which an adult is included in the assistance unit, either as a parent or as a caretaker relative.

• Months are counted towards the time limit only for the adults in the family.

• In two-parent families, the family is considered to have reached the time limit when either parent reaches 60 months of assistance.

• Included are months of TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) assistance received from the State of Alaska or a Native Family Assistance Program (NFAP) from July 1, 1997 through present day.

• Included are months of TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) assistance received from any other state or Tribal TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) program from October 1, 1996 to present day.

Note:

Although ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program started in Alaska on July 1, 1997, the federal law allowed TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) programs as early as October 1996.This means that out-of-state TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) months may be countable starting October 1, 1996.

701-1 C.      MONTHS THAT COUNT TOWARD THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT

A "month of assistance" is any month an adult is included in the assistance unit or MFUMandatory Filing Unit, and the family is eligible for and receives a cash assistance payment of any amount.  Months that count include any month in which one of the following situations occurs:

• Penalty:  An adult is under penalty for non-compliance for any reason, or disqualified because of fraud.

• Ineligible Parent:  A parent is a MFUMandatory Filing Unit member but is ineligible to be included in the cash assistance payment because the parent does not meet program requirements such as; alien status, Social Security enumeration, or IPVIntentional Program Violation.

• Emancipated Minor:  A parent is under age 18 but either married or legally emancipated.  A married or emancipated minor is considered an adult.

• Prorated Payments:  A payment is prorated for a partial month, regardless of the number of days the payment covers.

• Cash Payments from Another TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) Program:  An adult receives TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) assistance from another state, Tribal TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) program, or NFAPNative Family Assistance Program.

When a client reports receipt of assistance from another state, Tribal TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) program, or NFAPNative Family Assistance Program, contact the applicable program office to verify how many months of TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) benefit payments the client received.  Add these months to any ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefit payment months received by the client to determine the combined total number of months of TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) received.

701-1 D.     MONTHS THAT DO NOT COUNT TOWARD THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT

There are situations when participation in ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program does not count toward the 60-month time limit.  These situations include:

• Child-Only Cases:  The 60-month limit does not apply to child-only cases. This includes situations where a caretaker relative or parent is not included in the assistance unit, such as when a child's parent is ineligible because of receipt of APAAdult Public Assistance or SSISupplemental Security Income. It also includes situations where a caretaker relative, such as a grandparent or aunt or uncle, is receiving assistance for dependent children but not for themselves.

• Minor Parent:  Any month used as a minor parent does not count towards the client’s 60-month time limit.  The client’s first countable month of TATemporary Assistance is the month in which they reach the age of 18.

• Refuse Cash:  Any month in which the family is eligible for a cash payment but refuses it does not count toward the time limit.  PASSParents Achieving Self-Sufficiency I child care, supportive services, or case management services given during a month in which the cash payment is refused also do not count as a month of assistance.

• Diversion Payments:  Diversion payments do not count as a month of assistance or against the time limit.

• Exempt Alaska Native village:  Any month in which the family lives in an exempt Alaska Native village or an Indian reservation as listed in Addendum 1 of the ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program manual.

  • This disregard applies to all residents of the villages identified in Addendum 1, regardless of the adult's ethnicity.

  • When determining if a family lives in an exempt village, use the location of the family's residence on the first day of the month.

• Suspension:  Any month in which the cash payment is suspended, such as for a temporary increase in income, does not count as a month of assistance.

• Ineligible overpaid months:  Any month in which a family is determined to be ineligible for assistance and is directed to repay the entire benefit amount does not count as a month of assistance.

• Returned or recovered benefits: Any month in which the full amount of the monthly ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefit payment voluntarily returned by the recipient or the benefit is cancelled due to the length of account inactivity (aged) does not count as a month of assistance.

Note:

When a full month of ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefits have been overpaid, the caseworker that determined the household ineligible for assistance is required to establish the overpayment in EISEligibility Information System and send a GEN 95Report of Claim Determination to the Claims Unit. Correcting the TLIPTime Limit Information / Previous Aid is required even if the overpayment was related to a fair hearing loss or if the client is no longer living in Alaska. The Claims Unit will create the overpayment claim and request an update to the TLIPTime Limit Information / Previous Aid counter via an email submission to hss.dpa.systems.support@alaska.gov, with the subject line of "ATAP Time Limit Change Request."

• Other Benefits:  Months in which only other types of assistance are received do not count toward the time limit.  These include:

  • Case Management services;

  • Supportive Service payments;

  • Child Care Assistance;

  • Subsidized Housing;

  • Medicaid or Denali Kid Care; and

  • SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

701-1 E.      WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A FAMILY REACHES THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT?

When an adult reaches the 60-month limit, the adult is ineligible for cash assistance, unless they meet the criteria for an exemption and an extension of benefits. When the adult is a parent, their children who live with them are also ineligible for assistance.

1. A Parent Reaches 60 Months

When the adult with 60 months is a parent, the family is ineligible for assistance. The children cannot receive assistance in a child-only case (also known as an "Adult Not Included" (ANI) case) as long as they live with a parent who is ineligible due to the time limit.

• If the children go to live with a caretaker relative, the caretaker relative may apply for and be eligible to receive assistance for the children. The caretaker relative may also be included in the assistance unit if they have not reached their 60-month limit and are otherwise eligible.

• A child who is a minor parent may qualify for assistance in a case with their own child if they are ineligible as a child because they live with a parent who has reached the 60-month limit. The minor parent and child are eligible in their own case, regardless of the minor parent's age.

2. Caretaker Relative Who is Not a Parent Reaches 60 Months

When the adult with 60 months is not a parent, only the adult is ineligible. Children who do not live with a parent can still receive assistance in a child-only case after their caretaker relative reaches the 60-month limit.

Note::

If a family has reached the 60-month time limit moves to an exempt Alaska Native village they are not eligible for ATAP unless they qualify for an extension (see ATAP MS 701-4.)