Factors of Eligibility 400-19-150-10

(Revised 8/1/11 ML #3272)

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Eligibility for Transition Assistance may be established if:

1. The household was eligible under TANF for the month immediately preceding the month in which the family became ineligible; and
2. The household became ineligible for TANF benefits due to earned income; and

Note: The excess earned income failure cannot be due to the receipt of an extra check from a recurring source

3. All other TANF eligibility requirements are met.  

A household with countable earned and unearned income may be eligible for Transition Assistance if the household would have remained TANF eligible based on the countable unearned income only (gross amount minus allowable expenses).

 

Effective with the Benefit Month of August 2011, once a TANF case is found eligible for Transition Assistance, the case will remain eligible for the entire 6 consecutive month period, unless:

 

Transition Assistance cannot be approved or, once approved and ongoing, the case must be closed if the individual whose earned income caused the failure is:  

1. An individual sanctioned due to non-compliance with JOBS (DI);
2. A minor parent who is not the head-of-household (IN);
3. An alien who is ineligible to receive assistance due to their immigration status (DA);
4. An individual in receipt of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits (SS);
5. An individual who loses their earned income disregards due to unreported income.
6. A caretaker relative in a child-only case (DA, DD, DF, SS, or OU for reasons other than PAP).

 

A household that includes an individual whose financial needs are not included in the benefit due to the Pay after Performance requirements may be eligible for Transition Assistance.  

Note: The TANF Eligibility Worker must contact TANF policy to have the Meets Work Participation indicator set to ‘Yes’ for the individual for the future month.  

 

Prior to authorizing eligibility for Transition Assistance, the TANF Eligibility Worker should consider the following factors:   

1. Whether the child support income exceeds the sum of Special Items of Need potentially available under Transition Assistance;
2. Whether the recipient incurs child care expenses;
3. Whether the recipient is in favor of meeting the continued TANF eligibility requirements applicable to Transition Assistance (e.g. monthly reporting, child support assignment, JOBS program participation and lifetime limit).

 

When a Transition Assistance household fails or refuses to comply with TANF eligibility requirements, the Transition Assistance case must be closed. Upon reapplication for assistance, the household cannot resume eligibility under Transition Assistance. Eligibility for the household must be determined under “regular” TANF or Diversion Assistance.

 

The portion of the Transition Assistance benefit determined Unreimbursed Public Assistance (UPA) is the amount paid for job retention and any transportation allowance paid during a month the individual was not employed.

 

When a Transition Assistance benefit is paid, the case cannot be switched from Transition Assistance to “regular” TANF or vice versa, when reworking the paid benefit month.   

 

SFN 323, “JOBS Status Change” (or other means acceptable to the Employment Contractor) must be provided to the JOBS Employment Contractor whenever there is a change in eligibility from “regular” TANF to Transition Assistance or from Transition Assistance to “regular” TANF.