Every reinvestigation or change in circumstance requires appropriate action and recording. Types of interim contacts include:
*Refer to the General Information Manual for information regarding these types of interim contacts.
When a child is born or enters the home of a Temporary Assistance (TA) household, determine if the child is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit. If the child is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit, include his/her needs and income in the budget beginning with the month he/she enters the home. The date of application is the date the Family Support Division (FSD) is notified that the child is in the home. Any overpayment or retroactive payment is computed using the actual date the child entered the home, not the application date.
When an adult enters the home of a TA household, determine if the adult is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit. If the adult is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit, the date of application is the date the FSD is notified the adult is in the home. Any overpayment or retroactive payment is computed using the actual date the child entered the home, not the application date. Determine whether or not the individual meets an exemption or exclusion for work requirement. If the individual does not meet an exemption or exclusion, the individual will be referred to the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) program once the individual has been added to the case. Update the TA Work Requirement (COMPACT/FM8B) screen in FAMIS with the appropriate Work Requirement Indicator (Work Req Ind). Refer to FAMIS User Guide, TA Work Requirement Screen.
A signed application is not required to add a person to an active TA case. The add-a-person action may complete the annual review required on TA cases. Refer to section 0220.015.00 Temporary Assistance Reviews for more information. TA benefits for an eligible child or adult begins with the month of approval or the month in which the 30th day from the date they entered the home falls, whichever is sooner.
EXAMPLE: A 10-year-old child enters the home on August 15 and is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit. FSD is notified on October 15 the child is in the home. The date of application is October 15. FSD determines on October 24 that the child is eligible for TA and adding him results in an increase in the TA grant. The child is added to the TA case and SELWIBCA budgets are completed for September (the month the 30th day from date of entry into the home falls) and October to issue the increase in benefits.
EXAMPLE: A TA recipient has a baby on May 2 and notifies FSD on May 5. FSD determines the baby is a mandatory member of the eligibility unit and is eligible for TA on May 15. The baby is eligible for a cash grant starting in May, the month of approval.
When adding a child who receives child support to an active case, follow the same budget procedure as for applications. Determine the retroactive payment amount by following the same procedure as for an application.
EXAMPLE: An eligible payee and two eligible children receive a $292 Temporary Assistance payment. They have no earned or unearned income. On 5/6, the payee requests to add a 17 year old mandatory assistance group member (who has not received a cash grant in the last four months) who is a part-time student, works part-time, and returned home 5/3. The 17 year old's earned income is $100 gross per month and he/she receives child support of $10 per month. Determine eligibility on 5/16, adding the child to the case. Using 34.526 percent of need, perform the following.
NOTE: Notify the family of the month (the first month the increased grant is recommended on the regular payroll) the Temporary Assistance grant amount increases (due to excluding child support as the absent parent will pay the State). Inform the family to send any child support received in and after the month the grant increases (June in the above example) to DCSE.
When an unpaid payee requests to be added for cash, add the person if all eligibility requirements are met. When adding a payee, budget that person's needs and income in the same manner as in case applications.
Record the request date but an application is not needed. Obtain a reinvestigation form including the payee's income and circumstances. However, if the payee's income and resources were already included in determining case eligibility (i.e. sanctioned parent), a new reinvestigation form is not needed.
An eligible payee receives cash payment for the month of approval or in the month in which the 30th day from application falls, whichever is sooner. Issue retroactive payments, if eligibility exists, for the month in which the 30th day occurs and for any subsequent months for which the claimant would not receive payments under regular procedures. Prorate any payment made in the month of application from the date of application.
The income of a stepparent living with his/her spouse and Temporary Assistance stepchildren is deemed available from the date of marriage. If the stepparent's income, together with any other countable income, does not cause ineligibility, use the income to determine the grant amount. Use stepparent budgeting procedures. Use the reinvestigation form when a stepparent becomes a household member.
EXAMPLE: The parent remarries on 8/1 and informs the caseworker on 8/2. The stepparent has no children and is employed full time. Complete a reinvestigation form. Earnings are verified on 8/9. Complete a budget, using stepparent budgeting procedures, showing no need. Send advance notice proposing to close the case effective in September. No hearing is requested. Close the case for September after advance notice expires.
A case established as a stepparent case becomes an unemployed parent case if the stepparent loses his employment and the parent and stepparent have an in-common child. In this event the case becomes a two parent case based on need.
When such cases become eligible as two parent cases, add the stepparent and in-common child for cash. Because these persons are mandatory inclusions in the assistance group, the payee must apply to add them to the case and cooperate in establishing their eligibility for assistance. Close the case if unable to establish eligibility. Obtain an application and the income and circumstances of the family, including the stepparent and in-common child(ren). Continue to budget the stepparent's income although it is now budgeted for the entire group. Include the child's (whose eligibility is based on two parent) needs and income. Continue to budget the other assistance group members as an active case.
EXAMPLE: The household consists of Mrs. S, her child, Mr. S, and Mr. and Mrs. S's child. Mrs. S and her child receive cash assistance. The in-common child receives Medicaid for Children Not Deprived of Parental Support. Mr. S's income is included in the cash case as stepparent income. On 5/10, Mr. S loses his job and the family's eligibility under unemployed parent assistance is explored. Add Mr. S and the in-common child on 5/25.
Prepare the budget for May including the unemployed parent's, in-common child's, and other assistance group members' needs and income for May. Budget the unemployed parent's income as a parent rather than stepparent. If no need exists on this budget, the unemployed parent and in-common child are not eligible for cash for May. If a deficit exists but is lower than the grant the family already received in May, the unemployed parent and in-common child are eligible for cash and MC+ in May but do not receive any additional cash benefit. If a deficit higher than the grant the family received in May exists, the unemployed parent and in-common child are eligible in May and will receive a retroactive payment for the difference in the grants prorated from either the date of application or the date following the 30-day period of unemployment, whichever is later. Complete the budget for June including the entire assistance group's needs and income for June.
NOTE: Only budget the terminated income in the month of application. Thereafter, project income.
A case established as a two parent case becomes a stepparent case if a parent gains employment, which causes financial need to no longer exist, and the parents have in-common children as well as children of only one parent. In some cases, the in-common child remains eligible for MC+ only. Review and update MAF/MC+.
When such cases lose eligibility as an unemployed parent case, remove the step-parent and in-common child from cash effective the month following the month in which such ineligibility occurs. To determine cash eligibility, first determine eligibility including the stepparent's projected income (budget as a stepparent rather than an unemployed parent). If eligible, continue to budget the stepparent's income (as a stepparent rather than an unemployed parent) to determine the grant in the month following Temporary Assistance ineligibility.
EXAMPLE: The household consists of Mrs. R, her child, Mr. R, and Mr. and Mrs. R's child. The family receives Temporary Assistance benefits. On 9/10, Mr. R gets a job causing ineligibility for Temporary Assistance benefits. Remove Mr. R from cash to affect the October check. Remove the in-common child from cash and evaluate for MAF/MC+. Evaluate Mrs. R and her child for cash eligibility as a stepparent case.
To determine Mrs. R and her child's eligibility for cash, determine eligibility including the projected stepparent income. If eligible, prepare the budget to determine grant amount for October including Mrs. R and her child's needs and income for October and Mr. R's stepparent income for October.
When a household member becomes ineligible for any reason, and other children continue to be eligible, the family is not entitled to payment for these members after the month in which such ineligibility occurs.
When REMOVING ANY HOUSEHOLD MEMBER, remove the individual's needs and income.
EXAMPLE: A child becomes ineligible in July. Determine grant amount for August without considering the needs or any income of the child and considering the needs and income of the assistance group for August.
If a parent is being sanctioned, and therefore his/her needs are excluded but income and resources are still included, remove the parent's needs and continue to budget income.
EXAMPLE: Mrs. X, a mandatory case management participant, is sanctioned for refusing to participate with case management without good cause. Send advance notice and prepare to remove Mrs. X. The first check affected is for June. Therefore, determine June's grant without including Mrs. X's needs and including Mrs. X's projected June income.
Send advance notice to the family when an eligible child. If the child is a full-time student in high school or the equivalent level of vocational/technical training AND is expected to complete the schooling/training they will remain eligible until age 19.
If the 18 year old remains eligible under this requirement, he/she continues to receive a cash grant up to and including the month he/she reaches 19 or the month he/she completes school, whichever occurs first. Send advance notice to remove this child from the cash grant.
If a child reaching age 18 who does not meet cash requirements is the last eligible child in the home, advance notice also includes removing the payee from cash.
Carefully screen disabled Temporary Assistance parents and children to determine if they additionally qualify for blind or disability benefits in the SSI program. (See SSI disability desktop guide).
At initial application and subsequent contacts, discuss the individual's need to apply for SSA/SSI benefits. Use SSA's TOLL FREE NUMBER (1-800-772-1213).
Explain benefits at each referral and inform the individual. Explain that these benefits may affect the individual's eligibility for Temporary Assistance, but that active family members may continue to receive cash assistance.
Eligible individual's receiving SSI or SP may not receive Temporary Assistance. If an eligible participant meets eligibility requirements for both programs, he/she may ELECT to receive either Temporary Assistance benefits or SSI or SP benefits. Discontinue Temporary Assistance benefits to an SSI or SP recipient. Do NOT discontinue the Temporary Assistance benefit until the first SSI or SP benefit is received. In most cases, it is not advantageous for an SSI or SP eligible person to opt to receive Temporary Assistance rather than SSI or SP. The family usually receives higher benefits if the individual retains SSI or SP.
A child meeting eligibility requirements for both the Temporary Assistance and SSI programs may elect to receive either Temporary Assistance cash or SSI benefits. Do not discontinue the Temporary Assistance cash grant until the first SSI check is received. If the SSI child is the only otherwise eligible cash Temporary Assistance child, the eligible payee and/or second parent may be eligible for cash.
If a person is removed from an Temporary Assistance grant because of SSI or SP receipt, they may elect to stop the SSI or SP benefit and resume Temporary Assistance at any time. They must continue to be eligible for Temporary Assistance. In such cases, the claimant must furnish verification that the SSI payment has been discontinued.
If a Temporary Assistance eligible payee or second parent elects to receive SSI or SP benefits, exclude their expenses and income in the Temporary Assistance assistance group and exclude his/her resources in determining Temporary Assistance eligibility for other household members.
Refer to Sections 0205.005.05 Resources and 0210.005.05 for treating resources and income when a parent or child in an Temporary Assistance household receives SSI or SP.
When an Temporary Assistance person is approved for SSI, that person is eligible for SSI retroactively to the month of application. However, SSA subtracts any Temporary Assistance payment received by that person during this period of time from the retroactive SSI payment.
Determine the SSI recipient's portion of the Temporary Assistance grant by taking the lesser of the following two figures.
When an Temporary Assistance participant applies for SSI, SSA staff use the incremental share as an alleged portion of the Temporary Assistance grant. Using a Missouri need standard table, SSA determines the incremental share. The participant must tell SSA if he/she is included in a Temporary Assistance grant. FSD staff will assist in providing necessary verification.
If the SSI application is later approved, the SSA office contacts FSD to verify Temporary Assistance payment amounts and number of individuals included in the payment for all months of concurrent SSI and Temporary Assistance eligibility. SSA also requests the last month the SSI person is included in the Temporary Assistance payment. This contact informs FSD of the individual's approval for SSI benefits.
Once SSA receives the Temporary Assistance payment information, SSA determines whether to use the incremental amount or the pro rata share when determining the amount of the SSI retroactive payment.
Policy references removed per memo above.
The Targeted Jobs Tax Credit program provides a tax deduction for any employer hiring persons from a targeted group, including Temporary Assistance. This elective tax credit can be applied to wage costs incurred by an employer. The credit is limited to 40 percent of first year wages up to $6,000 or a maximum credit of $2,400.
To qualify an employer for the tax credit, the Temporary Assistance participants must receive Temporary Assistance financial assistance during the 90-day period immediately preceding the date the individual is hired by the employer. In addition, the employer must request in writing that DES certify the tax credit PRIOR to the individual beginning work.
DES is responsible for certifying for employers those individuals who qualify the employer for the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit. To do this, DES contacts FSD to determine the individual's dates of receipt of Temporary Assistance assistance. Cooperate with DES and provide this information upon request.