Assessments which shall be completed include:

TEA Skills, Employability & Intake Assessment (Form DCO-1402)

The applicant will complete form DCO-1402 to determine the applicant’s skills, job readiness, screen for domestic violence and substance abuse. The worker will review and discuss the responses with the applicant. This may be done during the application interview. However, if it is determined that a referral should be made for possible substance abuse, the referral will not be made until the applicant has been approved for cash assistance. Refer to TEA 3100 for continuing assessments after approval.

Learning Disability Screening

During the initial interview, the worker will complete the Learning Needs Screening Tool to determine if a possible learning disability exists. The worker will explain the use of the screening tool to the applicant. If the total points from the responses total twelve or more, a referral will be made to Arkansas Rehabilitation Services (ARS) for further assessment. ARS will provide the outcome of the assessment to the county office. (Refer to TEA Policy Directive 99-8 for detailed procedures.)

TABE

All non-deferred/non-exempt applicants will be required to take the TABE unless:

one has been completed within the last six months; or

the individual will be referred to ARS for further learning disability assessment.

The TEA worker will explain to the applicant that failure to take the TABE without good cause may result in the non-compliance sanction being imposed.

If transportation, child care or other supportive services are unavailable to the applicant, he or she will not be required to take the TABE until after the application is approved.

Based on the information provided from the assessments, the worker and client will determine what should be included in the Employment Plan. The Employment Plan may also be developed during the application interview. (See TEA 2160, TEA 3100, TEA 3150.)

The Diversion Assistance payment will be the actual amount needed to resolve the crisis up to a maximum of three months of maximum grant payments for the household (e.g., h/h of 3 = $204 x 3 months = $612 maximum diversion payment). If the amount needed to resolve the problem is more than the maximum payment, it will be determined whether the maximum will alleviate the crisis in any way. If not, the payment will not be authorized.

EXAMPLE: Ms. Brown comes in to apply for TEA. She has 2 children. During the interview and review of the skills assessment, it is determined that she has found a job but because her car needs repair work, she can’t accept it. The cost to repair the car is $550 and she cannot afford to have it repaired. The grant amount Ms. Brown and her family could receive is $204. The maximum Diversion Assistance payment Ms. Brown could receive is $550 (the actual cost, which is less than three times her maximum monthly benefit level). If this Diversion payment is not repaid, it will count as three (3) months of the twenty-four month time limit. ($550/204 = 2.7 rounded up to 3 months)

If the cost to repair the car was $700, the maximum Diversion Assistance payment Ms. Brown could receive is $612 ($204 x 3). However, before authorizing this, it should be verified with the repair shop that they will accept this amount to make the repairs or that the car could be repaired sufficiently for that amount so that she could drive it.

The applicant may be required to furnish verification of the problem to be resolved by the Diversion Assistance and his or her employment situation. This decision is left to the discretion of county office staff.

Whether the applicant has received a Diversion Assistance payment in the past may be verified by inquiring to the TEPC (TEA Payment Count) screen.

Before Diversion Assistance is authorized, the Diversion Assistance Agreement, Form DCO-182, will be reviewed with the applicant and the appropriate signature(s) obtained. A copy of the agreement will be provided to the applicant and will serve as the approval notice.

To authorize payment, the following steps will be taken:

1. Complete form DCO-58, Relocation/Diversion Assistance/Medicaid Transportation, and have it keyed to the WAGR screen. For appropriate codes, refer to the DCO User’s Manual.
2. Complete form DHS-187, Billing & Routing sheet and route as instructed on the form.
3. Deny the TEA application using the denial code for Diversion Assistance approval.

The County Office will explain to the customer that the Diversion Assistance payment is being approved and that the check will be mailed on the following day.

To meet the Social Security enumeration requirement, each person included in the TEA unit must either:

1. Provide a Social Security number (SSN); or
2. Apply for an SSN if one has not been issued, or has been issued but is not known.

A person who does not meet the SSN enumeration requirement may not be included in the assistance unit.

During the application interview, the DCO-180 will be reviewed and if appropriate, related case records, to determine which persons already have an SSN and which persons do not. The procedure described below will be followed.

An application for an SSN will be made for each person who does not have an SSN and for each person for whom the client states an SSN has been issued but the number is not known. For such persons, the enumeration requirement is met when a complete SSN application is received by the Social Security Administration. Assistance may not be denied nor delayed pending receipt of the SSN.

A pseudo-SSN for the person will be obtained. Pseudo-SSN’s will be assigned according to the procedures outlined in the DHS Social Security Number Procedures Manual.

Through an agreement with the Social Security Administration, procedures have been established for DHS staff to submit SSN applications to SSA on behalf of individuals under 18 years of age and to refer adults and non-U.S. citizens to SSA to make the application in person. SSA will in turn verify to the county office that a complete SSN application has been received and provide the SSN to DHS when the number is assigned. These procedures are described in more detail below.

1. Individuals Under Age 18

An SS-5 and DCO-12, Enumeration Referral, will be completed for each person under age 18 who must apply for an SSN. The SS-5 must be signed by the person applying for the SSN or by his parent or guardian. Note: If the client presents verification that an SSN application has already been made, this will be noted in the appropriate box on the SS-5. Identifying information must be substantiated by evidence establishing the correct date of birth or age, identity, and U.S. citizenship. The county office will gather this evidence and submit it to SSA with the SS-5.

Acceptable types of evidence will normally be the same used to establish Age and Relationship for TEA. However, there are some differences in what may be accepted for TEA and SSA purposes. It should also be noted that original copies of documents must be submitted with the SS-5. Staff should refer to the SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS), Welfare Enumeration, for instructions regarding the proper completion of the SS-5 and acceptable types of evidence. 

It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the county office the documents needed to submit the SS-5. However, if the applicant is having difficulty or is unable to obtain the required documents, the county office should assist. As soon as the necessary documents are provided, the county office will submit the completed SS-5 with the original documents attached and Form DCO-12 to the local Social Security Administration district office. If the client does not wish to relinquish the original documents needed to submit the SS-5, then he will be referred to the local SSA office to make the SSN application in person. The procedures described in Section 2 below will be followed for referring such persons.

Prior to submitting the SS-5 and DCO-12, or to referring the person to the SSA office to apply in person, the pseudo-SSN, preceded by the state BENDEX code (040), must be entered in the appropriate spaces on the SS-5 and DCO-12. Entry of the pseudo-SSN on the SS-5 and DCO-12, as well as on the DCO-56 if the application is certified, is essential for proper feedback of the SSN from the Social Security Administration through the enumeration system.

A photocopy of the SS-5 and DCO-12 should be retained in the county office. In addition to serving as a referral form to SSA, the DCO-12 serves as verification that SSA received the complete SSN application. Assistance for persons who must apply for an SSN should not be authorized until the DCO-12 is received from SSA showing that a complete SSN application has been received. SSA will return the documents to the county office with the DCO-12. The photocopy of the SS-5 and DCO-12 may be destroyed at that time. The completed DCO-12 will be filed in the case record. It will be the responsibility of the county office to return all appropriate documents to the client.

If the DCO-12 is returned by SSA indicating the application was not complete and that additional evidence is required, the county office will obtain the additional evidence and re-submit the entire SSN application and DCO-12. If the additional evidence must be obtained from the applicant, a DCO-1 will be sent requesting the information within ten days and advising that if it is not, the application will be processed without this person’s needs included in the unit.

If an SS-5 has already been submitted to SSA in another program (Food Stamps or Medicaid), do not submit another SS-5. The pseudo-SSN already assigned to the person will be obtained and entered on the DCO-56 if the TEA application is certified.

2. Individuals Age 18 or Older or Non-U.S. Citizens

An SS-5 and a DCO-12 with the identifying information and pseudo-SSN completed will be issued to each individual age 18 or older and each non-U.S. citizen who must apply for an SSN. (See #3 below regarding non-U.S. citizens and completion of the DCO-12.) It will be the responsibility of the applicant to take the forms along with the necessary evidence documents to the local SSA district office to apply for an SSN in person.

3. Non-U.S. Citizens Not Authorized to Work in the U.S.

SSA will not assign an SSN or provide a replacement card to an alien who does not have authorization of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) to work in the United States unless the alien has a valid nonwork reason for needing an SSN. Meeting the SSN requirement in order to receive public assistance benefits is a valid non-work reason. However, before SSA will assign an SSN to these individuals, the county office must first determine that the individual meets all the eligibility requirements for assistance except for an SSN. When completing the DCO-12, the county will check on the form that the non-work alien meets all eligibility requirements except for the SSN.

It will be explained to the applicant documents may be acceptable to SSA but will not forward any evidence to SSA for the applicant unless SSA specifically requests such evidence. A photocopy of the SS-5 and DCO-12 should be retained in the county office until the completed DCO-12 is returned by SSA.

If the DCO-12 is returned by SSA showing that a complete SSN application has not been received, a DCO-1 will be sent to the applicant advising that he must submit a complete SSN application to SSA within ten days or the TEA application will be processed without the person’s needs included in the unit. If SSA indicates that additional evidence is needed, the DCO-1 will also advise the applicant as to what additional information is needed by SSA.

In the above situations, SSA will provide the SSN to DHS through the enumeration system when the number is assigned. Based on the person’s pseudo-SSN, all systems records (ACES, Food Stamps, Etc.) for the person will automatically be updated to reflect the SSN. It will not be necessary for the client to provide the Social Security card. Once the SSN appears on an DCO-56 turnaround form or on the person’s ACES record (WAFM), the DCO-12 may be destroyed.

Pending receipt of the DCO-12, processing of the TEA application will continue in the usual manner (i.e. verify and determine other factors of eligibility). Since the enumeration requirement is an individual eligibility requirement, assistance for the otherwise eligible children and adult(s) may be authorized, in the event there is a delay in completing the SSN application or in receiving the DCO-12 from SSA.

EXAMPLE: Ms. Smith applies for TEA for herself and three children. She and two of the children already have SSN’s. The third child was born out of state and Ms. Smith is having difficulty in obtaining his birth certificate or any other acceptable evidence of age, etc. Since the other two children have SSN’s and are otherwise eligible, the application may be approved, excluding the third child who does not yet meet the SSN enumeration requirement. Once acceptable evidence is obtained and a DCO-12 is received which shows that the SS-5 was accepted by SSA as complete, then that child will be added to the case. (Note: A new application is not required to add the child in this situation.)

Unless good cause for refusal to cooperate has been claimed or has been determined to exist, the TEA casehead must provide information necessary for the completion of Form DCO-115. OCSE Referral Information. The DCO-115 information must be completed on each parent who is absent from the home and on the putative father when both parents are living in the home with the child and legal paternity has not been established.

If the casehead refuses to provide the necessary information to complete form DCO-115, the application will be approved with the 25% reduction for non-cooperation with the child support enforcement requirements.