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given for the period beginning the month after the agency received information about the exemption, and ending the date the sanction was lifted. The noncompliant individual is disqualified from the unit for the following periods of time: Violation Period for Removal of Needs 1st 1 month or until compliance, whichever is later 2nd 3 months or until compliance, whichever is later 3rd and subsequent violations 6 months or until compliance, whichever is later Compliance is evidenced by the applicant/recipient engaging in the required activity. Applicant/recipients must meet the weekly participation requirement for one week to be considered in compliance. If a sanction ends because the applicant/recipient complies with the program requirements, the applicant/recipient shall not receive TANF benefits for the remainder of the month in which the individual began complying with program requirements. Provided the minimum sanction period has expired, s/he shall begin receiving benefits (that is, will be included in the unit) in the following month and shall receive benefits in subsequent months as long as the applicant/recipient remains in compliance. If an applicant/recipient is found to be exempt from initial job readiness and job search requirements, s/he shall not be sanctioned for failure to comply. If an applicant/recipient failed to comply with work requirements during a prior period of benefit receipt, that sanction "counts" when determining whether a future act of noncompliance constitutes a 1st, 2nd or 3rd sanction ( i.e., a subsequent act of noncompliance). If a TANF case under sanction is closed for any reason and the group subsequently reapplies, the previous sanction will not be applied at re-application. If the applicant group is otherwise determined eligible to receive benefits, they will be approved and no sanction will be applied. However, if the group subsequently fails to comply without good cause, it will be sanctioned again. Since the sanction periods increase for subsequent acts of noncompliance with work requirements, this new noncompliance will result in the imposition of a longer penalty, unless the sanctioned person has already reached the highest level of sanction which is 6 months or until compliance, whichever is later. Example Ms. Sayer and her two children receive TANF. In January, Ms. Sayer is disqualified for failing to comply with work requirements. This was her first sanction. In June, the Sayer's case is closed. If Ms. Sayer reapplies and is eligible, she will not be disqualified unless she fails to comply with a requirement subsequent to her new application being filed. Suppose she is found eligible in October and in November she fails to comply with work requirements. Ms. Sayer would again be disqualified and the minimum sanction period would be three months.