MEMORANDUM

DATE: September 1, 2005

TO: All Temporary Assistance Manual Holders

FROM: Policy and Program Development Team, Ellie Fitzjarrald, Chief

SUBJECT: Alaska Temporary Assistance Manual Change #15

In our continuing effort to simplify and align policy across programs where possible, we are pleased to introduce a new Application Process chapter. To the extent that we can, we are presenting policy in the same format and language in the Food Stamp, Adult Public Assistance, Alaska Temporary Assistance, and Family Medicaid program manuals.

This manual change also incorporates clarifications to the estimating income policy as a result of discussions during the 2005 Learning Summits and revises the Diversion policy to provide additional guidance in response to questions from staff. It clarifies and adds to the manual policy regarding adoption and guardianship subsidies, time allowed for applicants to obtain verification, possible documentation for paternal relationships, benefit start dates after a 30 day job quit disqualification, and imposition of IPVIntentional Program Violation disqualifications when a case is closed. Highlights of these policy revisions are described below.

If you have any questions, please contact any member of the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3347 or email us at dpapolicy@health.state.ak.us.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 700-5, Incomplete Verification

• Clarifies that additional months of assistance may be allowed when applicants are unable to provide verification due to reasons beyond their control.

MS 705, Application Process

• Reorganizes the sections in the chapter and aligns policy with other programs where possible.
• Incorporates policy relating to fee agent applications and applications from remote areas.
• Adds policy for accepting Native Family Assistance Program (NFAP) application forms and interviews.
• Clarifies that the GEN 72, Eligibility Review Form, may be used as an initial application form only if received in the month following the end of the review period.
• Clarifies that an application can still be used when denied for failure to provide verification or attend an interview, if, within 30 days of the application date, the application provides the necessary information or reschedules the interview.
• Clarifies that changes in household members reported before the application processed are considered in the determination.
• Adds guidance for evaluating whether non-compliance penalties and disqualifications for a job quit or an IPVIntentional Program Violation, if imposed in a previous period on assistance, should be continued.
• Adds clarification that when a job quit disqualification will end within 30 days of the application date, the benefit start date is the date following the end of the disqualification period.

MS 711-4, Who May No Be Included in the Assistance Unit

• Adds a note that children for whom subsidized adoption or guardianship payments are made may be included in the assistance unit.

MS 712-3, Parental Relationship

• Clarifies that hospital certificates cannot be used to verify paternity, but may be used for other purposes.
• Lists other possible documentation that can be used to establish paternity when birth certificates are not available.

MS 722-6, Beginning a Job Quit/Refusal of Work Disqualification

• Adds clarification that when an applicant's job quit disqualification will end within 30 days of the application date, the benefit start date is the date following the end of the disqualification period.

MS 756-1, Determining the Family's Monthly Income

• Revises the chapter to incorporate policy clarifications and examples for estimating a full month's income when the income is new or has changed.
• Adds an example for a partial month's income due to a change that occurs during the month.

MS 757-22, Subsidized Adoption Payments

• Adds policy on exempting adoption subsidy payments. These payments are intended to cover expenses due to the special needs of an adopted child.

MS 758-7, Guardianship Payments

• Adds policy for treatment of guardianship payments. These payments are counted as unearned income to the family if the child for whom the payments are made is included in the assistance unit.

MS 770-4, Diversion

• Provides additional guidance for criteria that must be met to qualify for Diversion.
• Adds lifetime limit on the number of times that a family can receive Diversion. Beginning July 1, 2002, families may only qualify for diversion four times.
• Clarifies that policy for determining monthly income in MS 756 applies to determining eligibility for Diversion and the calculation of the maximum Diversion payment.
• Clarifies that penalties imposed on the family from a prior period on assistance may cause a reduction in the maximum amount of Diversion that the family may receive.
• Clarifies that supplemental payments may be made for specific unexpected needs if the family still meets the criteria for Diversion and has not received the full Diversion amount for which they qualify.
• Clarifies that Diversion payments from another state's TANFTemporary Assistance to Needy Families program or a Native Family Assistance Program do not count towards the family's lifetime limit on Diversion from Alaska Temporary Assistance.

MS 793, Fraud

• Updates section to reflect requirements in state regulation that an IPVIntentional Program Violation disqualification to be postponed or suspended if the disqualified individual is not eligible for assistance for another reason.

Addendum 1, Exempt Alaska Native Villages

• Updates the list to change the status of Brevig Mission as the result of a labor market survey done this spring. This community is again exempt from the 60-month time limit effective March 2005.

Addendum 2, Program Standards

• Updates the shelter standards effective October 1, 2005.