MANUAL TRANSMITTAL
Arkansas Department of Human Services
Division of County Operations
Policy Directive Issuance Number: FSC 07-06
Food Stamp Certification Manual Issuance Date: 10-01-07
From: Joni Jones, Director Expiration Date: Until Superseded
Subj: Food Stamp Requirement to Work (RTW) Waivers - Annual Update
I.
RTW Waivers Effective July 1, 2007
Effective July 1, 2007, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has granted the State permission to waive the Food Stamp Program Requirement to Work (RTW) in the following counties:
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Van Buren County |
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These waivers are effective until further notice.
II. Waiver Application
The RTW waivers apply to individual recipients who actually live in an area covered by a waiver. This statement remains true no matter which county a household selects as its service county under the alternate service provisions in FSC 1301 – 1304. When a food stamp household actually lives in an area not covered by a waiver, the RTW will apply. However, if a food stamp household actually lives in an area covered by a waiver, the RTW will not apply. When a food stamp household physically moves into an area covered by an RTW waiver, household members will no longer be subject to the RTW.
Participation in the E&T Program is not related to waiver or non-waiver status.
If any county has an E&T Program operating, the county office workers must refer all food stamp participants who are subject to the RTW to the E&T Program regardless of whether:
A) the county has an RTW waiver or
B) a personal exemption has been granted to this individual.
See FSC 3621.1 for instructions on registering non-exempt ABAWDS.
Other participants who are subject to the work registration requirements but not the RTW may be referred if they volunteer.
III. Counties Where An RTW Waiver Is Being Continued
No special actions are required in these counties where the waiver is continued without interruption.
IV.
Counties Where An RTW Waiver Is Effective July 1, 2007
This year there are five counties and one city where an RTW waiver will be effective for the first time or after a break of one year.
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V. Counties Where An RTW Waiver No Longer Applies
Until July 1, 2007, an RTW waiver applied in the following
counties. Effective July 1, 2007,
this waiver has ended.
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These counties must resume applying RTW exemptions and submitting a monthly report of exemptions as explained in item VI below.
VI. Actions Required In Counties Where No RTW Waiver Applies
There is no RTW waiver in the following counties:
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These counties must apply RTW personal exemptions as explained below and must report these exemptions to the Food Stamp Section.
FNS
grants each state a certain number of RTW exemptions to be applied in areas not
covered by a RTW waiver. The State
of
In counties with no RTW waiver, whenever an application, semi-annual report or reported change is processed, the worker must determine if any household member would be subject to sanction because of the RTW. (See FSC 3500.) If so, that individual will be granted an exemption from the RTW requirement for a twelve-month period beginning with the month the exemption was granted. The decision to exempt an individual from the RTW and the month in which the exemption will end must be documented in the case record.
Exemptions will not be granted to:
Individuals who are the parents of a minor child,
Individuals who are disabled,
Individuals who are younger than age 18 or older than age 49,
Individuals who are exempt from the work registration requirements, or
Individuals who are otherwise in compliance with the RTW because they are working at least 20 hours per week or participating in a job training program as specified in FSC 3500.
Counties must track each food stamp recipient granted a personal exemption from the RTW so that we can maintain an accurate record of these exemptions. The county may track this information manually or by using a PC based system. Any system devised should track, at a minimum, the name and social security number (SSN) of the exempted individual and the date of the exemption.
At the first semi-annual report or recertification, whichever comes first, following the end of the 12-month exemption period, the worker will review the exempted individual’s RTW status. If the individual is still subject to the RTW but has not complied with the RTW, another exemption will be granted to that individual.
Each month, the county must submit to the Food Stamp Section, Central Office, a report of the total number of personal RTW exemptions granted during the month. (It is not necessary to submit the names and SSNs of exempted individuals.) The report should be submitted by the 10th of each month for the prior calendar month. The report may be mailed or faxed to the Manager of the Food Stamp Program. The slot number for the Food Stamp Section is S335. The fax number in the Food Stamp Section is (501) 682-1469. The Manager's e-mail address is Georgia.Gilkey@arkansas.gov.
Inquiries to: Larry Crutchfield, Food Stamp Section, (501) 682-8283
Larry.Crutchfield@arkansas.gov
Erica Scott, Food Stamp Section,
(501) 682-8286