STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER: MC #64

MANUAL: Alaska Temporary Assistance Program

DATE: December 2, 2019

Social Security announced a 1.6% COLACost of Living Allowance increase effective January 1, 2020. We have updated the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program (ATAP) income eligibility and shelter allowance standards to reflect the annual COLACost of Living Allowance adjustments in Social Security benefits. The new standards are effective beginning with the benefit month of January 2020. The Eligibility Information System (EIS) will automatically apply these new standards when determining eligibility and benefit amounts beginning January 2020.

Highlights of all the policy revisions are described below. If you have any questions, please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at dpapolicy@alaska.gov.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 701-1 A      WHAT IS THE 60-MONTH TIME LIMIT?

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 701-2      TRACKING AND RECORDING MONTHS OF ASSISTANCE

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 701-3      DETERMINING EXEMPTIONS AND ALLOWING EXTENSIONS TO THE 60-MONTH LIMIT

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 712-3      PARENTAL RELATIONSHIP

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 712-3 D      THE BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS AFFIDAVIT OF PATERNITY

• Changed CSSDChild Support Services Division mailing instructions of the "Affidavit of Paternity" to emailing instructions and provided applicable email address.
• Added the option to view BVSBureau of Vital Statistics fees online and provided a hyperlink to the fee schedule.

MS 713-5 B      NON-IMMIGRANTS

• Clarified that ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program considers DACADeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients as non-immigrants and named the USCISU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services documentation associated with this type of non-immigrant status.

MS 717      CHILD SUPPORT ASSIGNMENT AND COOPERATION

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.
• Changed CSSDChild Support Services Division communication method from a phone call to sending an email throughout this section, as the process has changed.

MS 720-2 B      WAIVED SEASONAL BENEFIT REDUCTION

• Changed waiver request method from having the regional manager contact the Director's Office to having the Work Services case manager email the Division of Policy and Program Development, in order to match state regulations.
• Revised terminology and wording throughout the subsection for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 720-3 B      COMPETENT MEDICAL TESTIMONY USING THE TA 10 FORM

• Clarified that a two-parent household is required to provide a completed TA 10Health Status Report Form when claiming incapacity.
• Added noted reminding caseworkers the TA 10Health Status Report Form form is allowable but not required for single parent households.

MS 720-3 C      THE INCAPACITY DECISION

• Added note to address when a work exemption due to incapacity should begin.
• Provided example explaining how to determine the effective date of the incapacity decision.
• Revised terminology and wording throughout the subsection for clarity and consistency with the manual.

MS 730-2      EXEMPTIONS FROM WORK ACTIVITIES

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the subsection for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 740-3 A      SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY

• Updated hyperlink from ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program MS 740-1 to WSPMWork Services Procedure Manual 1004-1.

MS 756-4 A      EARNED INCOME

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the subsection for clarity and consistency within the manual.

MS 757-7      MATURE ALASKANS SEEKING SKILLS TRAINING (MASST) PAYMENTS

• Added new subsection regarding "Mature Alaskans Seeking Skills Training (MASST) Payments."
• Renumbered section.

MS 757-8      2020 CENSUS INCOME

• Added new subsection regarding "2020 Census Income."
• Renumbered subsections.

MS 770-1      SSISupplemental Security Income CHILD CASES

• Added explanation as to why SSISupplemental Security Income income of children included in the ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program unit is counted differently than other income.

MS 770-3      MINOR PARENTS

• Revised terminology and wording throughout the section for clarity and consistency within the manual.
• Clarified that shelter expenses should be verified when questionable.

MS 780-1 G      RATABLE REDUCTION

• Updated the ratable reduction to reflect the 2020 Social Security COLACost of Living Allowance increase.

MS 780-2 C      SHELTER ALLOWANCE

• Changed presentation of percentage to align with the rest of the manual.

MS 780-3      CALCULATING THE PAYMENT AMOUNT

• Updated the standards to reflect the 2020 Social Security COLACost of Living Allowance increase, along with examples A, B, and C to reflect the updated need standards.

MS 780-19 G      HOMELESS SHELTER DEDUCTION

• Updated the homeless shelter deduction form $143 to $147 to align with SNAP policy.

MS 794      FAIR HEARINGS

• Removed information that can be found in the Administrative Procedures Manual.

ADDENDUM 2      PROGRAM STANDARDS

• Updated the monetary amount referenced when determining deemed income of the stepparents, to the current pregnant woman need standard.
• Updated the income eligibility standards and maximum shelter allowances for 2020.