705-3 THE INTERVIEW
705-3 A. WHEN IS AN INTERVIEW REQUIRED?
Interviews are mandatory for all Temporary Assistance applicants. An interview is required at the time of initial application and once every 12 months thereafter.
705-3 B. WHO MUST PARTICIPATE IN THE INTERVIEW?
A member of the applicant family who can sign the application form or an individual authorized by the family must participate in the interview.
705-3 C. WHO CAN CONDUCT THE INTERVIEW?
DPA Caseworker: Most individuals will be interviewed by a DPA caseworker in the DPA office or by telephone.
DPA -Contracted Fee Agent: In communities where there is no DPA office, the fee agent conducts the interview for individuals who want to apply for public assistance. The fee agent will complete a Fee Agent Interview Report form (FA #1) and submit it with each application.
Native Family Assistance Program ( NFAP ) Agency: We will accept the NFAP interview, if one is conducted, and not require the individual to be interviewed again. If the NFAP interview notes are not provided with the application, the caseworker will obtain them from the NFAP agency.
Note:
Regardless of who conducts the interview, if additional information or verification is needed to process the application, the caseworker will contact the applicant to get this information.
705-3 D. HOW TO CONDUCT AN INTERVIEW
Interviews can be conducted face-to-face, by phone or, in rare circumstances when a face-to-face or phone interview is not possible, by correspondence.
The caseworker may require a face-to-face interview if they determine it is appropriate to the situation unless attending in person is a hardship to the household. A face-to-face interview must be provided when requested by the household.
705-3 E. SCHEDULING INTERVIEWS
Interviews must be scheduled for applicants who cannot be interviewed on the day they submit an application. The interview must be scheduled timely to ensure eligible families have an opportunity to participate within 30 days after the application is filed. If an interview is held for other programs, but the Temporary Assistance interview must be scheduled later, the applicant must be clearly informed of the need to participate in another interview. The office must document the applicant was informed of their interview date and time by:
Writing a case note indicating the applicant was informed of their interview date and time over the phone. The case note must include the date and time the applicant was given for the interview; or
Writing a case note indicating the applicant was informed of their interview date and time in writing via a printout from Appointment Plus or the “What do I need to bring to my interview?” sheet in the GEN 50B. The case note must include the date and time the appointment was given for the interview; or
Sending an EIS notice informing the applicant of their interview date and time.
Applicants may have anyone they choose to be with them at the interview. During the interview, applicants must be informed of their rights and responsibilities and basic program procedures.
When the applicant fails to participate in a scheduled interview and does not reschedule, the application is denied. If the family contacts the office within 30 days of the application filing date, the office must schedule an interview. If the family is determined eligible, the original application is used and benefits start based on the date the application was filed.
Note:
If an application is registered on EIS as an Alaska Temporary Assistance request for service (RA), EIS will automatically deny the application. The denial action is done on or after the 30th day from the date the application was filed, depending on when the weekly denial job is run. The household is notified via the system-generated notice X010, Failure to Participate in ATAP Interview.
705-3 F. CHANGES REPORTED DURING THE INTERVIEW
Applicant families must report all expected changes affecting their eligibility or benefits during the interview.
Changes reported after the interview, but before a case decision is made, will be considered in the initial eligibility determination.
When the family reports a new family member before a case decision is made, the new member is considered part of the family. The benefit start date is used to determine the benefits for the family, including the new member.
The individual must be in the home at least one day of the month to be included in that month. However, when the family reports prior to the eligibility determination that a person moved out, that person is not considered part of the family for any month.
Example:
A family applies May 27. During the interview on June 5, the individual reports her spouse moved in on May 30. The spouse is considered part of the family and the family's benefit start date is May 27. If the spouse moved in on June 3, the spouse is included in the family effective June 1.
Example:
A family applies on July 28th and is interviewed August 9th. During the interview, the individual reports that her husband moved out on August 4th and is not expected to return. The husband is not considered part of the family for either July or August, and verification of his income and resources are not needed. Income and resources available to the family must still be considered.
705-3 G. DO ANY DISQUALIFICATIONS OR PENALTIES APPLY?
A penalty or disqualification may have been imposed on the family during a prior period of assistance under Alaska Temporary Assistance or another state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ( TANF ) program or a Native Family Assistance Program ( NFAP ). The caseworker must determine if this penalty or disqualification should continue.
If an adult in the assistance unit has a penalty imposed for not complying with the Family Self-Sufficiency Plan ( FSSP ), participation in work or self-sufficiency activities, or cooperating with CSSD from a previous period on Alaska Temporary Assistance, the penalty must be evaluated to determine if it is still appropriate. See MS 723 for policy on penalties.
Note:
These types of non-compliance penalties do not carry over to Alaska Temporary Assistance from another state’s TANF program or a NFAP .
If a job quit disqualification has been imposed under Alaska Temporary Assistance, the length of the disqualification period must be reviewed to determine if the benefit start date for the application should be adjusted. If the end of the disqualification period is within 30 days of the application date, the benefit start date is the date following the end of the disqualification period. See MS 722 for policy on job quit disqualifications.
Note:
A job quit disqualification imposed by another state’s TANF program or a NFAP does not carry over to Alaska Temporary Assistance. However, that does not prevent a disqualification from being imposed under Alaska Temporary Assistance if a job quit occurred within 60 days of the application, even if the individual was receiving benefits under a TANF or NFAP program at the time and/or a job disqualification was imposed by the other program.
If an IPV disqualification imposed by Alaska Temporary Assistance or another state’s TANF program or a NFAP is still in effect, the remainder of the disqualification period must be served under Alaska Temporary Assistance. If the IPV disqualification was suspended for Alaska Temporary Assistance due to another penalty or disqualification or because the case was closed, the number of months remaining to be served must be determined. See MS 793 for policy on IPV disqualifications.
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