MEMORANDUM

DATE:          September 20, 2004

TO:                All Temporary Assistance Manual Holders

FROM:          Policy & Program Development Team

                       Ellie Fitzjarrald, Chief

SUBJECT:  Temporary Assistance Manual Change #12

This manual change includes two new shelter allowance policies that align with the Food Stamp program.  

• It incorporates the change implemented August 1 that allows families with shared utility costs to receive the full utility standard.  

• As a result of an error finding reviewed by the Quality Assessment Review Committee ( QARC ), we determined that utility and heating costs charged by a landlord are allowable shelter costs and should be included in the shelter allowance.  This policy change is effective immediately.

• In making these changes to the manual, we took the opportunity to rewrite and reorganize the entire shelter allowance section.  The Temporary Assistance and Food Stamp programs have many common shelter policies and they are now presented in the same way in both manuals.

The manual change clarifies the development of unemployment insurance income requirement for new applicants.  It also makes a number of other updates. Several chapters that are now covered by the Work Services Handbook are being removed from the manual. The list of exempt Alaska Native villages is updated to reflect the change in status of two communities.  The shelter standards effective October 1 are also provided.

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

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

Section 755-4, Time Period Allowed for Application for Benefit Programs

Clarifies that the processing of an application may be delayed while the applicant is given 10 days to apply for unemployment insurance benefits.

Section 780-1, Definitions

Updates information in the definitions for ”shelter allowance” and ”shelter costs.”

Section 780-19, Shelter Costs

• Adds policies that allow families with shared utility costs to receive the full utility standard and families who are charged by a landlord for heating and utility costs to receive the appropriate utility standard.  

• Aligns Temporary Assistance and Food Stamp shelter policies where we can, using the same words for the same policies.  Please note that some policies are not the same because of the different objectives of the programs.  The Food Stamp program deducts the expenses from income, Temporary Assistance allows them as part of the benefit payment.

Addendum 1, Exempt Alaska Native Villages

• Updates the list of exempt Alaska Native villages to change the status of Metlakatla and Ouzinkie as the result of a labor market survey done this spring.  The update reverses the change in their status that occurred in May 2003 and makes them once again exempt from the 60-month time limit.

Addendum 2, Program Standards

• Adds maximum payment standards to the Income and Payment Standards tables.  Utility Standards have also been moved to Addendum 2 and are updated effective October 1, 2004.

FILING INSTRUCTIONS