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(Revised 1/1/04 ML #2897)
(N.D.A.C. 75-02-01.2-75)
The social contract is a signed agreement between the county social service office and the TANF household that documents the goals and tasks identified in the assessment, and the time lines for the completion of those tasks. The social contract is negotiated between the TANF eligibility worker and the household. Each household is required to have a social contract developed and signed by the end of the fourth benefit month as a condition of continued eligibility. The household and the county social service office agree to follow through on the commitments included in the social contract.
The social contract must:
Address immediate health and safety needs that are mutually identified by the household and TANF eligibility worker;
Specify the responsibilities of the household and the TANF eligibility worker;
Establish realistic goals, reflective of the household’s capabilities and the resources available to assist in meeting goals;
Clearly identify tasks required for continued participation;
Establish specific time frames for the accomplishment of tasks; and
Provide a means to evaluate progress towards meeting identified goals and tasks.
The social contract is a dynamic document that changes as situations change. It must be reviewed and updated with the household on at least an annual basis, but may be reviewed and updated more frequently.
The social contract must be completed and signed by the end of the fourth benefit month, after a re-assessment or when adding new referrals. The primary individual, the additional parent in the household, if applicable, and the TANF eligibility worker must sign the social contract. The additional parent may be a natural parent, a stepparent, minor parents, or an SSI parent. If the additional parent is included in the assessment and has agreed to referrals as a result of the assessment, the individual must sign the social contract.
The social contract must contain specific goals, the tasks necessary to accomplish these goals, the time lines for completion, and the responsibilities of the household and the county social service office to complete the goals. Once a social contract is completed, the household has ten days or until the end of the month, whichever is earliest, to review and sign the social contract.
When the household does not complete the assessment and sign the social contract by the end of the fourth benefit month, eligibility is terminated. On the tenth of the monthly of the fourth benefit month, a notice is sent to the household advising that the fifth month’s benefits will not be authorized unless a social contract is signed. If the household takes no corrective action, there will be no eligibility the fifth month.
If the household reapplies for TANF within a one-year period from their previous TANF application date, they will not be issued a benefit until they complete an assessment and sign a social contract. In cases where a household requests TANF more than a year after the original TANF application date and an assessment was not completed, the new application is treated as a new application and the household has until the end of the fourth benefit month to complete the assessment and sign a social contract.
In situations where TANF has been closed for less than four months (consecutive), there has not been a significant change in household circumstances, and assessment/social contract was completed before case closure, the eligibility workers has the following options:
Complete a Full/Interactive Assessment and a new social contract;
Obtain a copy of the JOBS coordinator’s assessment along with the Re-assessment Alternative and a social contract; or
Complete the Re-assessment document along with the Re-assessment Alternative and a social contract.
Since the application is considered a new application in this situation, the requirement to complete a social contract within four-benefit months applies.
If a TANF case is closed and reverted to open, the existing assessment/social contract remains valid. A worker has the option of reassessing the household using the Interactive Assessment or Re-assessment Alternative but is not required.
If there a change in household circumstances (new member added to the household, change of primary individual, someone leaves the household, change of address, etc.) a worker may chose to reassess using the Full/Interactive Assessment or the Re-assessment document along with the Re-assessment Alternative but is not required to complete a new assessment.
Transferred Cases
If a case transfers and there is a valid assessment/social contract, the worker has the option to reassess upon receiving the case using the Full/Interactive Assessment or the Re-assessment document along with the Re-assessment Alternative but worker’s are not required to complete another assessment. A referral for the new JOBS provider is required. If the case is closed and the household reapplies within four months of case closure, the worker will have the option of using the Full/Interactive Assessment or the Re-assessment document along with the re-assessment alternative but must complete social contract.
If an open case is transferred to another county and an assessment/social contract has not been completed, the individual has four benefit months from the date of the approved TANF application to complete a Full/Interactive Assessment and sign a social contract.
In transferred cases where the worker cannot complete the assessment/social contract within the time frames allowed, the receiving county has the option of extending for one additional month with the good cause reason of “Not Enough Time” (see the good cause section for further information).
