1012          REFUSED CASH

Each family has a 60-month lifetime limit of ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program benefits. A month for which the family refuses cash benefit does not count as a month of assistance for purposes of the 60-month limit. Encourage families to use every one of these months to their best advantage and only when they most need them. If they are eligible for a small benefit, but have enough income to meet their current needs, it makes sense for many families to choose to refuse cash to preserve months for the future, when they may not have as much income.