This section identifies how CA eligibility and benefit amounts are determined.

Under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act, federal funds are available in block grants to states for the purpose of providing temporary CA to needy families with eligible dependent children.

Quick Access Menu:

● CA Payment Determination.

● CA Needy Family Test.

● CA Payment Standard Test.

● CA Earned Income Deductions.

● CA Payments Under 10 Dollars.

● CA Initial Month Special Rules.

● CA Approval Periods.

REVISION 07 (01/01/09 – 03/31/09)

(01/01/09 – 03/31/09)

All dependent children under the age of 18 are exempt from Jobs Program participation.

Dependent children that are age 18, and meet CA Student criteria are also exempt from Jobs Program participation.

NOTE For a child that is age 18 and does not meet CA Student criteria, see Age 18 – Not Referred .

Key AG in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

EXCEPTION A minor parent who is the head of household or the spouse(g) of the head of household is not exempt. Key RM in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

EXCEPTION

REVISION 14 (10/01/10 –12/31/10)

(10/01/10 –12/31/10)

A child that is age 18 and does not meet CA Student criteria is exempt from Jobs Program participation until the month after they turn age 18.

To exempt the child that is age 18 and does not meet CA Student criteria from the Jobs Program, complete the following:

● Key NR in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

● Authorize benefits and copy details through the month the child turns age 18.

● Key OU in the CA PT field on SEPA for the first day of the month following the month the child turns age 18, allowing for NOAA when applicable.

EXCEPTION A minor parent, age 18, who is the head of household or the spouse of the head of household, is not exempt. Key RM in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

EXCEPTION

REVISION 47 (01/01/19 - 12/31/19)

(01/01/19 - 12/31/19)

Grant Diversion budgetary units are exempt from Jobs work requirements.

Key GD in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW for participants who are in the Grant Diversion budgetary unit and have no other work program exemptions .

REVISION 51 (01/01/23 - 12/31/23)

Cubans or Haitians classified as Cuban or Haitian Entrants under Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education and Assistance Act of 1980 are considered qualified noncitizens. Cuban or Haitian Entrants with the approved parolee status are eligible to apply for employment authorization. However, this is not an automated process. To apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), the USCIS Application for Employment Authorization (I-765 Form) must be submitted. An EAD is required to be employment authorized.

Due to the backlog, receiving an EAD for Cuban or Haitian Entrants may take longer than expected.

Cuban or Haitian Entrants who do not have the EAD and are CA mandatory Jobs referrals are temporarily exempt from referring to the Jobs Program.

Key HC in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

NOTE The participant must inform FAA no later than the tenth calendar day(g) following the month they receive an EAD. Upon receiving the confirmation, FAA staff must update the HC CA Work Registration Exemption Code to RP, and the participant must comply with Jobs. See CA Jobs Mandatory Referrals .

REVISION 40 (02/01/16 – 03/31/16)

(02/01/16 – 03/31/16)

An enrolled tribal member who resides within the geographic area specified by a tribe as its Native Employment Work ( NEW ) Program area is exempt from Jobs participation. Key RT in the PAR/EXEM field on WORW.

REVISION 39 (12/01/15 –01/31/16)

(12/01/15 –01/31/16)

A participant who is working in unsubsidized employment(g) is exempt from Jobs Program Participation when all of the following apply:

● Working an average of 30 hours or more per week

● Paid at least minimum wage

● Employment lasts at least 30 days

REVISION 51 (01/01/23 - 12/31/23)

(01/01/23 - 12/31/23)

All new CA participants who are CA Jobs mandatory referrals are required to complete the Jobs Program Preliminary Orientation (JPPO) before CA approval.

Participants complete the JPPO compliance with an FAA worker using one of the following methods:

● Jobs Program Preliminary Orientation (JPPO) (FAA-1808A) Video

● Jobs Program Preliminary Orientation (JPPO) (FAA-1807A) Audio

● Jobs Program Preliminary Orientation (JPPO) (FAA-1806A) Script

The JPPO Compliance Video, Audio, or Script provides new CA participants information about the following:

● The Jobs Program

● Jobs Participation Requirements

● Jobs Work and Training Activities

● Jobs Supportive Services

The JPPO Compliance Video, Audio, or Script are located in the DES Document Center in English and Spanish.

The compliance requirement is met when the script titled “Jobs Program Preliminary Orientation (JPPO)” is read to the participant in English or their spoken language. To contact a translator directly, see Language Line Solutions . For more information on translation services, see A Translator is Needed under the Right To Request Translation Services. For participants requesting accommodations due to a visual impairment, large print version of the script is also available in the Document Center. For the hearing impaired, the script can be printed and provided to the participant.

The JPPO requirement does not apply to the following:

● Two Parent Employment Program (TPEP)

● Hopi Family assistance Program (HFAP)

● Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) Life Enhancement and Resource Network (LEARN)

NOTE The Tribal TANF Programs have their own preapproval compliance requirement .

● Grant Diversion participants

● Participants that meet a CA Jobs Exemption

See JPPO FAA Procedures for instructions on completing the JPPO Pre-Compliance.

REVISION 51 (01/01/23 – 12/31/23)

(01/01/23 – 12/31/23)

All of the following are required to participate in the Jobs Program unless exempt:

● All CA participants

● CA participants disqualified due to being a fleeing felon

● CA participants disqualified due to a felony drug conviction

(See CA Jobs mandatory referrals , JPPO FAA Requirements , and CA Jobs exemptions )

To locate the closest Jobs office to the participant, see Jobs Program Contact Information .

NOTE The contact information on the TANF Jobs website is for participant use only. FAA staff should not contact Jobs using any of those communication methods.

Dependent care expenses are payments for the care of a child or incapacitated adult.

Quick Access Menu:

● NA Dependent Care

● CA Dependent Care

Dependent care expenses billed for the care of any of the following are allowable:

● A dependent child under the age of 18.

● An incapacitated adult when the cost is not a medical expense. (See NA Medical Expenses for a list of medical expenses.)

The dependent care expense is only allowable when it is necessary to complete one of the following:

● Seek, accept, or continue employment

● Participate in NA Employment & Training activities

● Attend training or pursue education to prepare for employment

NOTE Attendance in the following is also considered preparation for employment:

● High school

● GED classes

The following are allowable NA dependent care expenses:

● A registration fee that the budgetary unit is required to pay.

NOTE When the registration fee is a one-time fee, the fee is an allowable expense in the month in which it is billed. When the registration fee is a recurring fee, prorate the fee over the period of time it is intended to cover.

● Activity or meal fees that are mandatory and separate from the dependent care expense.

● Fees for care not provided due to illness or vacation but billed by the provider.

● Mandatory fees are billed for shuttle services from the provider to school.

● Alternative types of care are provided, which include any of the following:

After-school care

Special needs care

At-risk youth programs

Informal care arrangements

Adult day care or day services

● Co-payments that the budgetary unit is required to pay, even when waived by the provider.

The following are not allowed as NA dependent care expenses:

● Any portion of an expense that has been allowed as an educational expense. (See Educational Income for a list of educational expenses.)

● Costs paid to a facility or provider to pay for the education of a dependent child.

NOTE FAA contacts the facility or provider to determine whether the fees charged are for dependent care or for the education of a dependent child.

● Costs for care paid by any of the following:

Another participant in the case.

Reimbursements, including reimbursements made by Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program Career Advancement Network (SNAP CAN), Jobs, or Transitional Childcare (TCC).

Vendor Payments.

● Costs for care provided out of the home when one parent of the dependent child is in the home and meets all of the following:

Not working.

Not actively looking for work.

Meets an NA work requirement exemption and is not a work registrant. (See NA Work Requirements for more information.)

Physically capable of caring for the dependent.

● Costs paid in the form of an in-kind benefit, such as food, gas, room.

● Costs paid by a third party.

This subject includes information about how having an NA disqualified participant in the budgetary unit affects NA benefit determination and eligibility.

Special consideration is given to budgetary units(g) with a disqualified participant.

Disqualified participants are not included when determining the budgetary unit size or when assigning a benefit level.

Disqualified participants are included when determining the correct utility allowance amount for the budgetary unit.

Depending on the disqualification reason, the income and expenses of disqualified participants are counted in full or prorated to the remaining eligible participants in the budgetary unit.

Income and expenses are counted in full for a participant disqualified for any of the following reasons:

● A conviction for any of the following:

Trading NA benefits for controlled substances

Trading controlled substances for NA benefits

Trafficking NA benefits

Making fraudulent statements concerning identity or residence in order to receive multiple NA benefits

● Felony drug conviction

● Fleeing felon

● Intentional program violation (IPV)

● NA work requirement disqualification

● Nonqualified noncitizen participants with any of the following statuses:

Diplomats

Students

Tourists

Undocumented noncitizens

Visitors

Income and some expenses are prorated to the remaining eligible participants in the budgetary unit when a participant is disqualified for any of the following reasons: (See Example 1 )

● Noncompliance with the Social Security number (SSN) requirements

● Nonqualified noncitizen participants with any of the following current statuses:

Asylees

Battered Noncitizens

Deportation Withheld

Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) who are subject to and not meeting the five-year residency requirement

Parolees

Refugees

Special agricultural workers admitted for temporary residence

Victims of Severe Trafficking

Prorating the income distributes an even portion of the disqualified participant’s income to the participants who are eligible and receiving benefits in the budgetary unit.

The types of expenses that are subject to proration include all of the following:

● Shelter

● Dependent care

● Child support

NOTE Utility expenses are not prorated.

This section identifies how Categorical Eligibility works and how it helps participants get more benefits.

NA categorically eligible budgetary units have certain considerations regarding the amount of countable resources owned and available to the budgetary unit when determining eligibility.

NA Categorical Eligibility (Basic or Expanded) does not exist when a participant is disqualified. (See Disqualified Participants )

Special Basic Categorical (SBC) and Special Expanded Categorical (SEC) exist when a special household meets Basic or Expanded Categorical Eligibility requirements. For information on special households, see Elderly or Have a Disability - NA Special Considerations .

For policy regarding NA categorical eligibility, see all of the following:

● Basic Categorical Eligibility (BCE)

● Expanded Categorical Eligibility (ECE)

● Categorical Eligibility Benefit Calculation

● Categorically Eligible Budgetary Units No Pay Status

Child support expenses are payments made by a participant in the NA budgetary unit to a person outside the home.

The following payments are allowable child support expenses:

● Court-ordered child support or cash medical support payments made by a participant to an agency (such as the Division of Child Support Services (DCSS)) or to the court.

NOTE When the participant pays less than the monthly court-ordered amount, only the amount paid is allowable. The allowable child or cash medical support expense cannot exceed the monthly court order unless the excess amount is due to DCSS adding arrearages to the court order.

● Recurring arrearage amounts that are being paid for additional child or cash medical support arrearages added to the court order by DCSS.

NOTE Recurring legally owed child or cash medical support arrearages are allowable only when the expense has been verified as paid.

Nonrecurring lump sum child or cash medical support expenses are allowable in the month the expense is paid. When the nonrecurring lump sum payment is more than the court order, only the court-ordered amount is allowed unless the expense includes recurring child or cash medical support arrearages or clearinghouse fees.

The participant may pay their legally owed child support or cash medical support payment to a third party in place of the cash payment in accordance with the court order. When this occurs, the payment is allowable as a child support expense for NA. Third party payments include the following:

● Mortgage payments

● Insurance payments

● Car payments

● Medical insurance and bills

The deduction amount is the lesser of the following:

● The court-ordered amount

● The verified amount actually paid

NOTE The deduction amount may be reduced when it includes payment that is not allowable. Payment of spousal maintenance (also known as alimony) is not an allowable expense.

This section identifies how NA eligibility and benefit amounts are determined.

See all of the following for policy regarding NA eligibility and benefit determination:

● NA Eligibility Determination

● NA Categorical Eligibility

● Disqualified NA Participants Effect on the NA Benefit Amount

● NA Approval Periods

● NA Transitional Benefit Assistance (TBA)

The NA medical expenses are an allowable deduction for participants who are elderly or have a disability.

Medical expenses are allowable as a deduction for NA budgetary units(g) with participants who are elderly or have a disability. (For additional information regarding who are considered elderly or a participant with a disability, see Budgetary Units with Special Circumstances .) The medical expenses must belong to and be billed to the participant who is elderly or has a disability.

A $35 disregard is applied to the budgetary unit’s combined medical expenses, regardless of the number of elderly or participants with a disability that are included in the case. When eligible, the budgetary unit receives one of the following medical expense deductions:

● The Standard Medical Deduction (SMD). The SMD net amount is $145 ($180 minus the $35 disregard equals $145).

● The actual amount, minus the $35 disregard when expenses are more than the $145 SMD amount.

Any of the following NA participants are eligible for a medical expense deduction when the budgetary unit’s combined out-of-pocket medical expense is greater than $35:

● Elderly participants or participants with a disability. (See Elderly or Have a Disability - NA Special Considerations for specific requirements)

● Deceased participants when all of the following requirements are met:

The deceased participant would have been eligible for the deduction in the month the expense was billed.

The remaining budgetary unit participants are legally responsible for the bill.

● Participants who are eligible for and receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). When the participant begins receiving SSI, allow excess medical expenses incurred from the later of the following:

The date of the NA application.

The date when SSI eligibility begins.

FAA verifies the out-of-pocket medical expenses before allowing one of the following deductions:

● At least $35.01 when using the SMD.

● All expenses when the expenses exceed $180 per month.

The higher medical expense deduction is allowed for the benefit of the budgetary unit.

The NA budgetary unit is allowed a utility allowance based on the budgetary unit's obligation to pay utility expenses.

The utility expenses, which are billed separate from or itemized with rent or mortgage payments on a regular basis are used to determine the allowable utility allowance for the NA budgetary unit. A utility allowance amount is used to allow a standard amount in place of the actual utility expenses. The utility allowance is also used to calculate the shelter deduction.

The amount of the utility allowance is determined by all of the following:

● An obligation to pay allowable utility expenses

● Verified allowable utility expenses

● The size of the NA budgetary unit

NOTE Participants who are disqualified are included when determining the size of the NA budgetary unit. However, household members not receiving benefits are not included when determining the size of the budgetary unit.

Budgetary units billed separately for utility expenses are allowed one of the following utility allowances:

● Standard Utility Allowance (SUA)

The budgetary unit is eligible for SUA when any of the following conditions are met:

● Obligated to pay a heating or cooling expense separately from rent or mortgage on a regular basis. (See Example 1 )

NOTE The budgetary unit may use the utility for only heating or for only cooling. See Standard Utility Allowance Expenses for the type of expenses that are considered heating or cooling sources.

● Receive Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or Power AZ payments and the budgetary unit has a participant who is elderly or has a disability. (See Example 2 )

NOTE The payment must be $20 or more annually and be received in the application month or any of the 12 months before the application month.

● The heating or cooling expenses exceed the Energy Assistance payments. (See Example 3 )

● Arizona Simplified Nutrition Assistance Program (AZSNAP) participants who pay at least one allowable utility expense other than telephone. (See AZSNAP for more information about the program.)

● Limited Utility Allowance (LUA)

The budgetary unit is eligible for LUA when obligated to pay at least two non-heating or non-cooling utility expenses. (See Example 4 )

NOTE When determining eligibility for LUA, a telephone expense can be used as one of the two non-heating or non-cooling expenses

● Telephone Utility Allowance (TUA)

The budgetary unit is eligible for TUA when they are obligated to pay only a telephone expense.

NOTE When utility expenses are claimed for more than one residence in the same month, only one utility allowance is allowed.

(See Utility Allowance Current Amount for the current utility allowance amount)

Shelter expenses are expenses incurred to provide shelter to the budgetary unit. The expenses are used to determine benefit amounts and identify whether the budgetary unit’s expenses exceed their income.

For NA, a shelter expense may result in a shelter expense deduction.

For CA, shelter expenses may affect the CA Payment Standard. For more information about the A1 and A2 payment standards, see CA Payment Standard .

The Two Parent Employment Program (TPEP) is a pay-for-performance program. It serves two-parent budgetary units in which the primary wage earning parent (PWE) is unemployed or underemployed. TPEP services are time limited and are available state wide. To locate the closest Jobs office to the participant, see TPEP/Jobs Program Contact Information. Once the TPEP participants comply, the Jobs case manager releases the benefits.