– Failing to comply with the E&T Program has been removed as a reason
for disqualifying a household member. The information about failing or
refusing to cooperate with a Workfare Program requirement as a member of
another household has been changed. Now only the household member who
fails or refuses to comply with the Workfare Program requirement is
disqualified.
– Disqualification for failure to comply with the RTW will be handled in the
same manner as a failure to comply with the SSN requirement.
FSC 1623.3 – This section has been removed. The
instructions for disqualifying a household member due to a Workfare
non-compliance have been added to FSC
1623.2.
– Policy references were added to this section. Participation in an E&T
Program was removed as work registration requirement and a brief explanation
of the voluntary E&T Program was added.
– The employment status in item 8 has been changed from "on a full time
basis" to "on at least a half-time basis." In item 9, "a
training program" has been added to the list of schools.
– The explanation of work registration exemptions for household members who
are aged 16 or 17 has been rewritten. A statement has been added to clarify
that household members aged 16 or 17 may meet other work registration
exemptions.
– Instructions for issuing an advance notice of adverse action and
shortening the household’s certification period have been removed and
replaced with instructions for issuing a request for clarification.
– Due to the implementation of ANSWER, an explanation of the work
registration codes have been removed from this section. However, the
instructions for prioritizing the work registration reasons remain.
– In item 1, participating in an E&T Program has been removed from the
list of things a work registrant must do to show compliance. (Participation in
an E&T Program is now voluntary.)
– Refusal to participate in an E&T Program has been removed from the
list of work registration violations. (Participation in an E&T Program is
now voluntary.)
– The conditions under which a voluntary quit must be verified have changed.
(Verification is required only when a household’s statements about a
voluntary quit are questionable.)
– The sanction penalties have changed. No matter which violation, a sanction
may be ended whenever the disqualified member complies. When a sanction is
imposed, the household’s food stamp benefit amount may not increase.
– Additional information about applying good cause has been added. For
voluntary quits, good cause will only be established if the individual who
quit the job accepts employment of at least 30 hours per week. Additional
voluntary quit "good cause" reasons have been added.
– This section of policy will also apply to voluntary reduction in work
hours. The time frame for "looking back" to see if a voluntary quit
occurred has been changed from 60 days prior to the date of application to 30
days prior to the date of application. The procedures for applying a sanction
due to a voluntary reduction in work hours have been added to this section. A
statement has been added to clarify when a government employee who is on
strike is considered to have quit his or her job. An individual must have been
working at least 30 hours per week (formerly 20 hours per week) before
voluntary quit sanctions will apply.
– Sanctions must now be applied when a recipient of TEA cash assistance
fails or refuses to comply with a TEA work requirement and is otherwise
subject to the Food Stamp Program work registration requirements.
– A time frame has been established for sending an advance notice of adverse
actions to households with a member who failed or refused to comply with a
work registration requirement.
– Failure or refusal to register for an E&T Program has been removed
from the chart that illustrates what an individual must do to avoid or end a
disqualification. Also, now an individual may participate in any E&T
component to be in compliance with the RTW.
– Instructions for handling the income and resources of a disabled member
have been removed from this policy and a reference to FSC 1622.2 has added to
the policy.
– This section now provides an explanation of the voluntary E&T Program
operating in selected counties for individuals who are subject to the RTW.
This program is operated by the Department of Workforce Education.
– This section now provides instructions for referring individuals who are
subject to the RTW to the E&T Program in Mississippi, St. Francis and
Union counties.
– Additional information has been added to this section to clarify program
funding methods and allowable costs. Also a statement has been added to
clarify that Workfare sponsors must not release information about program
participants.
– A statement was added to clarify that any work registrant or any household
member exempt from the work registration requirements solely due to receipt of
TEA cash assistance or unemployment benefits may be referred to the Workfare
Program.
– A statement has been added to clarify that a Workfare sponsor must
maintain files that record activity by Workfare participant. Also, information
has been added to clarify how long Workfare Program records must be maintained
by the sponsor.
– The section has been rewritten because the procedures for imposing a
sanction due to a Workfare Program non-compliance have changed. Now, only the
individual who failed or refused to comply with a Workfare Program requirement
will be sanctioned.
FSC 3761
– FSC 3760 and
3761 were combined. FSC 3761 was deleted.
– This is a new section. It provides information about disqualifying members
of TEA households who fail to comply with a TEA Work Requirement and who are
exempt form the Food Stamp Program work registration requirements only due to
the receipt of TEA benefits.
Inquiries to: Betty
Helmbeck, Food Stamp Section, 501
682-8284
