0275.030.00  SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT (CORE)

Subsidized employment in the private sector involves employment by a private, for-profit employer. Subsidized employment in the public sector involves employment by a governmental or other public entity.  For both the private and public sector employment:

• Subsidized employment is funded with federal, state or other public funds.  The MWA service provider uses this funding to pay the Temporary Assistance (TA) recipient’s wages.
• Wages cannot be less than applicable federal or state minimum wage, whichever is higher.
• Assignment is limited to six months per enrollment with up to a six month extension if additional skills need to be learned.  This is determined on a case-by-case basis with permission from the Family Support Division (FSD) Central Office Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) staff.

This is a core activity for TA recipients, but can also be used to meet non-core work activity requirements.

TA recipients in this activity are supervised in the same manner as all other individuals employed by the worksite.

Subsidized Employment includes the following activities:

• Paid assessments to determine if recipient is able to obtain a specific employment opportunity including employer-required tests paid by the employer such as:
  • typing,
  • a physical,
  • psychological exam,
  • aptitude,
  • personality, and
  • drug.
• Subsidized private and public sector employment.
• Supportive services (when the TA recipient is paid for these hours) including:
  • mental health and substance abuse treatment,
  • job search, and
  • training as part of the subsidized employment.
• Paid Federal work study.
• Paid supported work for individuals with disabilities in an integrated setting.  In many instances, the individual is case managed by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR), a partner agency in Missouri.

0275.030.05 Documentation Required

The MWA Assessment Verification form is used to document paid assessments, unless it is documented through wage stubs or on the MWA Attendance Log.

The MWA Attendance Log is used to document:

• Subsidized private and public sector employment;
• paid federal work study;
• paid assessments not documented on the MWA Assessment Verification form; and
• paid supportive services.

Paid supported work for individuals with disabilities in an integrated setting are documented through the MWA Attendance Log, other hard-copy evidence, or verbal verification with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor based on information from the supervisor at the work site.

In cases where the recipient has not worked long enough or the employer has not provided written documentation, the case manager records the work participation hour information on the MWA Employment Verification form.  The assessment pay and supportive services pay are likely recorded with the “regular” pay on the pay stub and should be transparent. A countable hour is equal to a paid hour being assessed or an hour of supportive services received.

0275.030.10 Projection of Hours

Subsidized employment activities, with the exception of assessment, allow projection of hours for up to six months in the future based on at least one week’s worth of documentation of hours.  Refer to Section 0270.000.00 Hours of Participation for further information.