780-16        SUSPENDING PAYMENTS

Suspension of payment is used stop payments for temporary periods of time instead of closing cases and then reopening them when payment is to be resumed. Suspension is different from closure because the client does not have to reapply for assistance to be reinstated. In the Temporary Assistance program, a case can be suspended instead of closed only if the family is expected to be ineligible for a single month and PPJPrudent Person Judgement indicates that the family will again be eligible in the following month.

A suspension can last for only one month. If the anticipation is incorrect and ineligibility persists for a second month, the case must be closed. However, a case may be suspended twice in consecutive months for two separate and different situations.

780-16 A.      WHEN TO APPLY THE SUSPENSION

If an applying family is temporarily ineligible, process the application as follows:

1. If the first application is the month in which the temporary ineligibility occurs, the family is denied assistance for the first month and opened effective the first of the following month.
2. If the second application month is the month in which the temporary ineligibility occurs, the case is opened for the first month and suspended for the second month if prudent judgement indicates the family will be eligible in the third month. If eligibility for the third month cannot reasonably be determined, the case may be closed instead of suspended.

An ongoing case is suspended when there is good reason to believe the case will be ineligible for one month only and no other significant changes in other eligibility factors will occur.

780-16 B.      SUSPENSE MONTH DOES NOT COUNT TOWARD TIME LIMIT OR EARNED INCOME DEDUCTION

A month of suspension does not count as a month of TATemporary Assistance receipt for purposes of the 60-month limit, nor does it count as a month of earnings for purposes of allowing earned income deductions.

780-16 C.      SUSPENSION CAUSED BY DEEMED INCOME

All of the above also applies when temporary ineligibility is caused by a temporary or periodic increase in income received by a stepparent, the parent of a minor parent, or Form I-864 alien sponsors and signatories. See ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program MS 770-8.