FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

A. To receive Adult Financial program assistance, the client shall meet all financial requirements in addition to all other program eligibility requirements. The client shall: 1. Have countable resources below the resource limit as outlined in Section 3.520.72; and, 2. Have income below the income limit, as outlined in Section 3.520.78; and, 3. Make reasonable attempts to pursue all available potential income and resources at the client's disposal. B. The AND-SO client shall apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If the client has work hours during his or her lifetime, the client shall also apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). The client shall report any denial for SSI benefits. The client shall appeal all negative decisions regarding their SSI eligibility. Failure to appeal all negative decisions within thirty (30) calendar days of such decision, unless additional time is given for good cause, shall result in denial or discontinuation of and grant payments. If the client is approved for SSI and SSDI benefits at the same time and is given the choice between the two (2) benefit options, he or she must contact the county department to determine if any interim assistance he or she received from the county is required to be repaid. If repayment is required, the client shall be advised that he or she must accept the SSI benefits and that if he or she voluntarily withdraws his or her SSI application, withdrawal would violate the Authorization for Reimbursement of Interim Assistance, as outlined in Section 3.545. For OAP, the client shall apply for and accept Social Security and/or SSI benefits if determined eligible, as follows: 1. Clients sixty (60) years of age and older who report a disability may be eligible for SSI or SSDI. 2. Clients sixty (60) years of age and older may be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits. 3. Clients sixty-two (62) years of age and older may be eligible for early Social Security retirement benefits; otherwise the client shall provide documentation from the SSA that he or she is ineligible due to insufficient work hours. 4. Clients sixty-five (65) years of age and older may be eligible for SSI benefits when the client's income from any source is less than the SSI benefit standard, as defined in Section 3.510, plus $20.00. C. For all Adult Financial programs other than AND-SO, clients referred to the SSA to apply for any SSA related benefit shall be required to provide verification of application for such benefits within eleven (11) calendar days of his or her application for SSA benefits. For AND-SO, clients referred to the SSA to apply for any SSA related benefit shall be required to provide verification of application for such benefits within sixty (60) calendar days from the initial interview date with the county department. The client will have up to sixty days of conditional approval from the date of the initial interview with the county department for AND-SO. Subsequent applications for AND-SO submitted by the client shall not be approved prior to receipt of proof of application for SSA benefits. Subsequent applications for AND- SO require verification of application for SSA benefits within thirty (30) calendar days. D. For OAP, if the client has or is eligible to obtain a SSN they shall apply for SSI, unless the client is a non-citizen or qualified non-citizen that does not qualify to receive a SSN. A client with a SSN and shall timely schedule and complete any and all scheduled interviews with the SSA, and in the event of a denial by SSA, the OAP client shall continue to appeal all negative decisions from the SSA until a final resolution is reached and no further right to appeal exists. However, the requirement to continue to appeal all negative decisions may be excused if any of the following apply: 1. The client's and the client's spouse's gross income exceeds the maximum allowed for SSI for an individual or a couple; or, 2. The client's and the client's spouse's total resources exceed that allowed for SSI for an individual or a couple; or, 3. The client is not disabled as defined in Section 3.541; or, 4. As otherwise directed by the SSA; or, 5. Good cause exists as defined in Section 3.510. E. Clients newly approved for SSI benefits who have been charged an in-kind support and maintenance (ISM) deduction by the SSA shall apply to SSA to remove the ISM as soon as the client begins paying his or her fair share for shelter costs. The county department shall deduct an identical ISM amount for Adult Financial programs until the SSA ISM is removed. F. The client shall apply for and accept TANF/Colorado Works when he or she might be eligible, as follows: 1. An Adult Financial program client with a dependent child is required to apply for and accept, if eligible, TANF/Colorado Works financial benefits. a. A grandparent or any other specified caretaker who is not a parent is not required to be a member of the TANF/Colorado Works case when they are not requesting assistance for himself or herself. b. A TANF/Colorado Works client is not required to apply for an extension to be potentially eligible for Adult Financial program grant payments. c. The TANF/Colorado Works funds received for the support of a child are not used in determining the specified caretaker's eligibility for Adult Financial program grant payments. 2. The client shall be ineligible for Adult Financial program grant payments if his or her TANF/Colorado Works case was denied or discontinued: a. Due to a sanction, demonstrable evidence, or disqualification; or, b. Because the client withdrew from the program prior to exhausting all benefits. c. After becoming ineligible due to the reasons outlined in Section 3.520.71.f.2, above, the ineligibility period shall continue until the sanction, demonstrable evidence, or disqualification is removed; or until the client is found otherwise ineligible for TANF/Colorado Works benefits. G. The client or legal fiduciary shall take reasonable steps to apply for and accept any other income for which the client is eligible. Clients referred to pursue other income shall be required to provide verification of application for or pursuit of such income. Grant payments shall not be approved prior to receipt of proof of application or pursuit of other income, unless it is demonstrated that good cause exists. 1. If the client or legal fiduciary refuses or fails to make a reasonable effort to secure potential income, such income shall be considered as if available to the client, and timely notice shall be given regarding a proposed action to deny, reduce, or terminate assistance. 2. If the client or legal fiduciary secures the potential income prior to the effective action date identified in the notice, the proposed action to deny, reduce, or terminate assistance shall be withdrawn by the county, and the case shall be updated. Grant payments may still be denied, reduced, or discontinued due to a change in income. H. The client or legal fiduciary shall take reasonable steps to obtain and accept any other potential resources for which the client is eligible. Clients referred to pursue other resources shall be required to provide verification of the pursuit of such resource. Grant payments shall not be approved prior to verification of the attempt to sell, liquidate, or legally acquire a resource, unless the client demonstrates that good cause exists. 1. If the client or legal fiduciary refuses or fails to make a reasonable effort to secure potential resource(s), such resource(s) shall be considered as if available to the client, and timely notice shall be given regarding a proposed action to deny, reduce, or terminate assistance. 2. If the client or legal fiduciary secures the potential resource(s) prior to the effective action date identified in the notice, the proposed action to deny, reduce, or terminate assistance shall be withdrawn by the county, and the case shall be updated. Grant payments may still be denied, reduced, or discontinued due to a change in resource(s).