710-4           NATIVE  FAMILY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AND ELIGIBILITY FOR ALASKA TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE

A family who is eligible for assistance from a Native Family Assistance Program ( NFAP Native Family Assistance Program ) is not eligible for assistance from the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program.

• If an Alaska Temporary Assistance applicant lives within the service area of a Native Family Assistance Program and is eligible to be served by that program, the application will be forwarded to the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program office.

• If a family becomes ineligible for Alaska Temporary Assistance because they move into an area served by a Native Family Assistance Program, or because an individual who is eligible to be served by the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program moves into the home, the case will be closed with timely notice of adverse action.

• If an application is forwarded or a case closed because of eligibility for services from the Native Family Assistance Program, and the family subsequently provides proof of ineligibility for those services, the application for Alaska Temporary Assistance will be reevaluated back to the date of original application or the case will be reinstated back to the date of closure.

See Administrative Procedures MS 116 for more information on application processing and case transfers when a family is eligible for a Native Family Assistance Program.

710-4 A.     SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

A family who is eligible to be served by a Native Family Assistance Program may request to be served by the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program, when the family demonstrates ”special circumstances” exist.  ”Special circumstances” exist when the caretaker relative has chosen not to claim tribal affiliation, and has not previously received tribal services.  

All requests for assistance based on special circumstances and associated documentation supporting the request must be sent to the Policy and Program Development Team for review and consideration.

The Native Family Assistance Programs have great flexibility under federal and state law to establish the eligibility requirements for their programs. Special circumstances do not exist if the family is ineligible for assistance or will receive a reduced benefit under a Native Family Assistance Program because the eligibility requirements of that program differ from the Alaska Temporary Assistance eligibility requirements.

Example:

A Native family is penalized under a Native Family Assistance Program because of non-compliance with their Family Self-Sufficiency Plan. The Native Family Assistance Program requires an adult family member to participate in parent-teacher conferences. Alaska Temporary Assistance has no similar provision. Although the family could receive a higher benefit payment if they were to be served by the State’s program, they are still part of the Native Family Assistance Program’s service population, and must be served by that program. The family’s failure to comply with the FSSP Family Self-Sufficiency Plan requirement does not constitute a special circumstance.

710-4 B.     TRANSFER TO ALASKA TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE

Families served by Native Family Assistance Programs may become eligible for Alaska Temporary Assistance benefits when the family moves out of the area served by the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program , or when the individual who is eligible for services from the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program leaves the home.  When this occurs, the family must apply for Alaska Temporary Assistance.  This application is treated as if the family has moved from another state’s TANF Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (Federal) program.  The NFAP Native Family Assistance Program case must be closed before the family can qualify for Alaska Temporary Assistance.  

Following is a list of policy implications when a family becomes eligible for Alaska Temporary Assistance after receiving benefits from a Native Family Assistance Program (see the manual section for each topic for more information):

• Family self-sufficiency plans do not transfer between Alaska Temporary Assistance and the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program .

• Diversion payments issued by an NFAP Native Family Assistance Program are disregarded for Alaska Temporary Assistance purposes, unless the Diversion income is received in the month of application.  Diversion payments received in that month will count as income for Alaska Temporary Assistance, and will not be prorated over the period the diversion payment was intended to cover.

• Work activity, FSSP Family Self-Sufficiency Plan and child support penalties imposed by Alaska Temporary Assistance or an NFAP Native Family Assistance Program do not transfer between organizations.

• Intentional program violations or fraud disqualifications imposed by either an NFAP Native Family Assistance Program or Alaska Temporary Assistance continue through the disqualification period set by the program, regardless of which program is serving the family.

• Job refusal or job quit disqualifications do not transfer between Alaska Temporary Assistance and the NFAP Native Family Assistance Program , but a disqualification may still be imposed if the job quit or refusal occurs within 60 days of application for Alaska Temporary Assistance.

• Countable months of assistance received from an NFAP Native Family Assistance Program also count as months of assistance for the Alaska Temporary Assistance 60-month time limit.