790-1          CHANGE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Families are required to report certain changes in circumstances that may affect their eligibility or payment amount:

1. A change in residence or mailing address. If a family moves they must verify their new shelter costs in order to have the new costs included in the eligible determination and benefit calculation.
2. When a related person moves into or out of the home.
3. When the family gets a vehicle.
4. When cash on hand and in bank accounts totals more than $2,000.
5. A change in the source of unearned income or a change in the total amount of unearned income of more than $50.
6. Changes in employment, including starting or stopping a job, a change in the rate of pay, or a change from part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time employment.
7. A change in the legal obligation to pay child support or a change in the amount of child support the family is expected to pay.

Families can report changes on a change report form, by telephone, letter, or in person.

790-1 A.      TEN-DAY REPORTING REQUIREMENT

Families are required to report changes within 10 days of when the parent or caretaker relative knows of the change.

• Changes reported within 10 days from the day the change actually occurred are considered timely.
• Caseworkers will use the date the change occurred when applying the 10-10-10 rule on changes that are reported late or not reported at all.

790-1 B.      FIVE-DAY REPORTING REQUIREMENT

Caretaker relatives must report a dependent child's absence from the home within 5 days of the date they know the child will be absent for more than a full calendar month.

1. CHILD'S ABSENCE IS NOT REPORTED TIMELY

When a caretaker relative fails, without good cause, to report the known extended absence of a dependent child from the home within the required five-day time frame, and it appears the failure to report has caused an overpayment, the caseworker must refer the case to the Fraud Control Unit.

2. GOOD CAUSE FOR NOT REPORTING A CHILD'S ABSENCE

If the caretaker relative has good cause for not reporting the known extended absence of a dependent child from the home, there is no need to refer the case to the Fraud Control Unit. Good cause for failure to report exists only when the caretaker relative cannot fulfill the reporting requirement due to circumstances beyond his or her control. Examples of good cause include:

• Physical or mental illness or incapacity;
• Illiteracy;
• Failure of the mail delivery system, if this circumstance can be documented;
• Other extenuating circumstances, as determined by the agency, that prevented the caretaker relative from meeting the reporting requirement.