STATE OF ALASKA
Department of Health
Division of Public Assistance
TRANSMITTAL NUMBER: MC #82
MANUAL: Alaska Temporary Assistance Program
DATE: December 1, 2025
Social Security announced a 2.8% COLACost of Living Allowance increase effective January 1, 2026. 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 2026. The Eligibility Information System (EIS) will automatically apply these new standards when determining eligibility and benefit amounts beginning January 2026.
Highlights of all the policy revisions are described below. If you have any questions, please contact the Policy & Program Development Team at hss.dpa.policy@alaska.gov.
OVERVIEW OF CHANGES
MS 700-4 VERIFICATION AND DOCUMENTATION
- Revised example for clarity.
- Updated subsection C to clarify that employment verification received from a Work Service case manager is acceptable for use in an ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program budget.
MS 701-5 COMPLIANCE WITH THE FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENCY PLAN WHILE ON EXTENSION
- Clarified that the Work Service case manager is responsible for making extension determinations.
MS 705-4 VERIFICATION
- Replaced all instances of Winstar to ACSESS (Alaska Child Support Enforcement Services System) due to CSEDChild Support Enforcement Division database change.
MS 711-1 THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE UNIT
- Revised to indicate that ineligible aliens should not be referred to Case Management.
MS 712-1 DEFINITION OF A CARETAKER RELATIVE
- Replaced all instances of Winstar to ACSESS (Alaska Child Support Enforcement Services System) due to CSEDChild Support Enforcement Division database change.
MS 712-3 PARENTAL RELATIONSHIP
- Replaced all instances of Winstar to ACSESS (Alaska Child Support Enforcement Services System) due to CSEDChild Support Enforcement Division database change.
MS 713-5 NON-QUALIFIED ALIENS
- Revised to indicate that ineligible aliens should not be referred to Case Management.
MS 722-4 GOOD CAUSE FOR JOB REFUSAL OR JOB QUIT
- Clarified circumstances in which a disqualification would not be imposed.
- Revised to clarify that a penalty or job quit disqualification should be imposed if no good cause or exemption is found.
MS 722-9 CODING JOB REFUSAL OR JOB QUIT IN EIS
- Updated section to include steps to take after imposing a penalty or job quit disqualification.
MS 723 PENALTIES
- Revised to clarify penalty types and added who requests them.
MS 723-1 GOOD CAUSE
- Clarified that good cause may be allowed for a job quit disqualification.
MS 730-2 EXEMPTIONS FROM WORK ACTIVITIES
- Clarified that work exemptions may be allowed for a job quit disqualification.
MS 754-9 LAND, STOCK, AND PAYMENTS MADE TO NATIVE AMERICANS
- Due to a new bill HR42, added note: All ANCSAAlaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporation distributions, including distributions from ANCSAAlaska Native Claims Settlement Act Settlement trusts, received from July 7, 2025 - July 6, 2030, are excluded as income in the month of receipt and as a resource, if retained, for aged 65, blind, or disabled individuals.
MS 756-1 DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY AND BENEFIT LEVEL
- Updated subsection G to clarify that employment verification received from a Work Service case manager is acceptable for use in an ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program budget.
MS 757-8 2020 CENSUS INCOME
- Removed "2020" from the title of this subsection for clarity as all income earned from temporary work at the US Census Bureau, regardless of the year, is exempt.
MS 758-5 PAYMENTS TO NATIVE AMERICANS
- Due to a new bill HR42, added note: All ANCSAAlaska Native Claims Settlement Act corporation distributions, including distributions from ANCSAAlaska Native Claims Settlement Act Settlement trusts, received from July 7, 2025 - July 6, 2030, are excluded as income in the month of receipt and as a resource, if retained, for aged 65, blind, or disabled individuals.
MS 759-6 INCOME FROM SELF-EMPLOYMENT
- Removed depreciation as a non-allowable self-employment expense to align with IRSInternal Revenue Service rules.
MS 770-5 INELIGIBLE ALIENS
- Revised to indicate that ineligible aliens should not be referred to Case Management.
- Clarified that an ineligible alien child is not included in the assistance unit, and their resources and income are excluded.
- Added note with EISEligibility Information System coding for ineligible parent/caretakers and children.
MS 780-1 DEFINITIONS
- Updated subsection G the ratable reduction to reflect the 2026 Social Security COLACost of Living Allowance increase.
MS 780-3 CALCULATING PAYMENT AMOUNT
- Updated the standards to reflect the 2026 Social Security COLACost of Living Allowance increase, along with examples A, B, and C to reflect the updated need standards.
MS 780-19 SHELTER ALLOWANCE
- Revised to indicate that only aged, blind, and/or disabled individuals receiving Heating Assistance benefits are automatically eligible for the Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) as of 11/1/25 due to HR 1.
MS 790-5 VERIFICATION OF CHANGES
- Added note to subsection A to that employment verification received from a Work Service case manager is acceptable for use in an ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program budget.
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 2026.