MEMORANDUM

DATE:             March 25, 2003

TO:                  All Temporary Assistance Manual Holders

FROM:            Policy & Program Development Team

                         Ellie Fitzjarrald, Chief

SUBJECT:     Temporary Assistance Manual Change #8

This manual change, along with Food Stamp manual change #11, clarifies self-employment income policy.  It incorporates the changes in budgeting seasonal self-employment income that were implemented last summer as a result of some fishermen experiencing delays in receiving payment for their catch until the fishing season ends.

A number of clarifications in the estimating income policies are also included.  Many of these revisions were included in the Food Stamp and Medical Assistance manual changes issued in January.  You will notice we are aligning program policies and using common language across programs whenever possible.

Highlights of these policy revisions are summarized 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

Section 756-1, Estimating Income

• Adds a new section on estimating income in application months;

• Clarifies policy for estimating income when a recipient begins a new job;

• Combines the Irregular and Sporadic Income sections, and clarifies policy on when to count irregular income; and

• Revises policy on Estimating Partial Month’s Income.

Section 759-6 B, Earnings From Self-Employment

• Adds a new section on estimating self-employment income;

• Revises policy on budgeting self-employment income; incorporating the policy for budgeting seasonal self-employment income based on when the income is available to the family;

• Simplifies policy on annualizing seasonal self-employment income, and updates the 185% Poverty Income Guidelines effective April 1, 2003;

• Updates policy on processing reported changes in self-employment income; and

• Updates the table of policy differences between Temporary Assistance and Food Stamps.

FILING INSTRUCTIONS