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(Revised 11/1/07 ML #3115)
All existing TANF eligibility requirements apply to Transition Assistance cases except for the following:
A family may not receive Transition Assistance and a “regular” TANF and/or Kinship Care benefit in the same month.
A Diversion Assistance case failing for excess income is not eligible for Transition Assistance.
Only recipients become eligible for Transition Assistance. Transition Assistance is not applicable in a TANF application month.
The time limited percentage earned income disregard does not increment during a Transition Assistance month.
There is no case closure/reapplication requirement when transitioning from “regular” TANF to Transition Assistance or from Transition Assistance to “regular” TANF.
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Example: |
A family received “regular” TANF for benefit months of July and August. A monthly report is submitted in August for the benefit month of September along with verified income from July. When determining eligibility for September, the income causes the household to fail TANF due to excess income. The excess income failure is due to earned income, not due to the receipt of an extra check. The household is eligible for Transition Assistance.
A monthly report is submitted in September for the benefit month of October, along with verified income from August, which has decreased significantly. When determining eligibility for October, the decreased income allows the household to pass “regular” TANF. The household is eligible for “regular” TANF. |
Allowable income deductions addressed under Section 400-17-55-45, “Allowable Expenses for Each Portion of TANF Benefit,” are not applicable to Transition Assistance.
non-household member deductions for stepparent and minor parent budgeting;
health insurance premium deductions for stepparent and minor parent budgeting;
the enrollment fee and the premium amount paid for Workers with Disabilities Program;
paid court-ordered child support for caretakers, stepparent, and minor parent budgeting;
paid court-ordered alimony support for caretakers, stepparent, and minor parent budgeting; and
child or adult dependent care related to paid employment or paid employment and education/training.
The disqualification penalty, applied to a voluntary job quit or voluntary refusal of an offer of employment or training for employment, is limited to ineligibility of the individual for the benefit month in which the job quit/refusal occurred.
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Example: |
A family received Transition Assistance for October and November. In November, the household submits the monthly report for December, reporting the PI quit a job on October 22nd without good cause. Transition Assistance is reworked for October to impose a job quit penalty. The job quit penalty applicable to Transition Assistance is limited to ineligibility of the individual for the benefit month in which the job quit occurred. Since Transition Assistance does not provide a benefit based on the Standard of Need calculation, the PI’s needs cannot be removed for budgeting purposes when reworking the month of the job quit. Instead, the special allowance for job retention must be deleted, resulting in a $200.00 overpayment. When determining eligibility for December, income received the month of the job quit is used for budgeting purposes. Due to the loss of income disregards from the job quit penalty applied to the TANF budgeting computation, the case fails “regular” TANF for excess income. The household is not eligible for Transition Assistance. The TANF case is closed November 30th. |
Outstanding overpayments will not be recouped from a Transition Assistance benefit. TANF policy does not allow recoupment from special allowances.
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Example: |
A family received TANF for October and November. The household has an outstanding TANF overpayment that is recouped from the TANF benefit monthly. In November, the household submits the monthly report for December, reporting increased earnings. When determining eligibility for December, the household fails TANF due to excess income. It’s determined the household is eligible for Transition Assistance. Even though there is an outstanding overpayment with a recoupment plan established, there will be no recoupment from the Transition Assistance benefit. |
A Transition Assistance benefit will not be pro-rated.
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Example: |
A family received Transition Assistance for benefit months of October and November. On November 10th, the household submits the monthly report for benefit month of December, reporting two deprived children moved into the household on October 5th. The two children are added to the case effective October 5th with a late report date of November 10th. The paid Transition Assistance benefit month of October is reworked. The automated computer system defaults the TANF Request Date for the two children to October 5th. With the addition of the two deprived children to the benefit month, the household’s standard of need increases and the case no longer fails for excess income. Because of the late reporting penalty, the participations of the two deprived children added to the case are set to ‘OU’ when reworking October. Since the Transition Assistance benefit was previously paid for October, the case must be reauthorized as Transition Assistance.
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Note: Child Care expenses incurred in October for the two children who returned home may be paid under the Child Care Payment system as a TANF payment at 100%, if all applicable CCAP requirements are met (i.e. there is a child care application and a provider who meets CCAP requirements).
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When reworking the paid benefit month of November with the two children, the automated computer system recalculates the entire household’s eligibility start date to the late report date of November 10th on the Household Composition Summary window. It appears the household’s benefit will be pro-rated based on the late report date. However, a Transition Assistance benefit cannot be pro-rated. Since the Transition Assistance benefit was previously paid for November, the case will be reauthorized as Transition Assistance.
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Note: The automated computer system will allow workers to create special allowances for these children in November and will allow authorization of the special allowances as a supplement. Based on the household’s eligibility start date displayed on Household Composition Summary window, it appears the household’s supplemental benefit will be pro-rated based on the late report date. However, the special allowances created as a Transition Assistance supplement will not be pro-rated. |
