3.606.3 Changes and Reporting Requirements

Colorado Works clients shall report information concerning income, household composition, and residency. The income reporting standard for an assistance unit is provided on the change report form and in noticing. Information on such changes may be reported to the county of residence by use of a change report form, the client’s redetermination packet, and/or by making the county aware of the change. Changes shall be reported by the tenth (10th) of the month following the month the change occurred. The county must act on all changes reported within ten (10) calendar days of the report by entering the change into the statewide automated system. By acting on changes, the county department shall determine eligibility. A. Negative and positive changes during the certification period 1. If the assistance unit will receive an increase in grant payments as indicated by the total net change of all changes in the month, the increase will affect the case the month following the date the change is reported and verified. 2. If the assistance unit will receive a decrease in grant payments, the grant payment amount will remain the same until redetermination when a new payment amount will be set for the upcoming certification period or the case discontinues. The only decreases that occur during the certification period are identified in section 3.606.3.C below. These changes take effect after timely noticing is applied. B. Limited reporting standard A recipient with an established certification period must report certain changes in household circumstances by the tenth (10th) day of the month following the month in which the change occurred. The client will be notified in writing of the changes they are required to report. The county worker must act on reported changes within ten (10) calendar days from the date the change is reported by entering the change into the statewide automated system. The following changes must be reported during the certification period: 1. When the income of the assistance unit exceeds the income reporting standard for that assistance unit. a. The reporting standard for earned income is a reflection of the amount of earned income the household could receive and still be eligible for Colorado Works after applicable disregards are applied (calculated by dividing the need standard for the household by .33). b. The reporting standard for unearned income is the need standard for the household, as identified in 3.606.1.F. 2. When the assistance unit receives earned or unearned income from a new source. 3. When a change to the number of people living in the home occurs. 4. When the assistance unit no longer resides at the address previously reported to the county department. C. Ongoing eligibility and the effect of negative and positive changes to the certification period The certification period does not guarantee ongoing eligibility. To remain eligible, the primary eligibility criteria must still be met, including remaining below the need standard. All changes are compared against the assistance unit size and grant amount. 1. A negative change may result in the reduction of payment or case closure before the end of the certification period. When a negative change occurs, the reduction of payment or closure shall take place after the appropriate noticing timeframe as identified in 3.609.1. A negative change shall include, but is not limited to: a. An increase in income in which the budgetary unit’s total countable income is over the need standard after applicable income disregards are applied. b. Income is received from a new source which results in the exclusion of a member of the assistance unit. c. A member leaves the household. 1) If the member leaving the home is the only dependent child on the case. 2) If a pregnancy ends. 3) When a government agency provides information that a dependent child is no longer in the household and the child’s new household is in need of services from another program (such as child support) with a different caretaker or parent. 4) When a member leaves the home and applies for assistance and/or someone is requesting assistance for that member during the original assistance unit’s certification period: a) A new assistance unit may apply for the member as he/she leaves the original assistance unit but the member shall not receive a portion of the new assistance unit’s basic cash assistance grant until benefits have been terminated for that member in the original assistance unit. b) The individual is considered to be a part of the original assistance and budgetary units during the noticing period. After the noticing period, the grant amount for the original assistance unit will be recalculated using the new household size and benefits will continue as long as eligibility continues for that assistance unit until the certification period ends. 5) When a member requests assistance to stop for him or herself, or a caretaker who remains a part of the original assistance unit requests that they stop receiving benefits for another member who has left the home. when a member of the assistance unit or budgetary unit leaves the home, the individual’s income shall be excluded beginning the first day of the month following the month the individual reported they left the home and the basic cash assistance grant adjusted accordingly. d. An eighteen-year-old who is the only dependent child graduates from high school or stops attending school. e. Death of a client. f. Imposing sanctions. g. Imposing actual intentional program violation (IPV) penalties. 2. A positive change results in a payment increase and shall be effective the month following the month the change is reported and verified. Payments shall be adjusted accordingly and provided to the recipient timely. A positive change shall include, but is not limited to: a. Termination of or decrease in income. b. Adding a member to the assistance unit. 1) The initial application for Colorado Works is sufficient to cover all members who join the assistance unit after initial application. Verification is still needed to establish eligibility for the member joining the assistance unit. 2) A new member(s) who is added to an existing assistance unit shall be added effective the first day of the following month that the assistance unit reported the change and provided any necessary verifications. a) If the new member has income, it will be considered income to the assistance unit in the month that the new member joined the household. The income shall be used to determine eligibility and payment according to the negative and positive change rules in section 3.606.34.a. b) If the new member is a newborn, the newborn shall be added effective the first day of the month of birth and documentation shall consist of the birth date and a Social Security Number (SSN) or an SSN application. No other documentation is required to add a baby to the assistance unit after the birth is reported unless there is questionable information regarding the relationship to a parent(s), citizenship, or qualified non- citizenship status. c) Adding a pregnancy. d. Providing individual level verification. e. A member who was previously ineligible becomes eligible. 3. Positive and negative changes may occur at the same time. All changes will be taken into consideration and the net result of the change will be compared to the client’s base eligibility determination. The comparison will be used to determine if there is a negative change, positive change, or complete ineligibility to the assistance unit’s basic cash assistance grant. D. At any time while receiving basic cash assistance, if there is questionable information regarding the circumstances of a household, the county worker can request verification of the questionable information. If the client fails to submit verification of the questionable information, grant payments may be discontinued.