2240 Time-Limited Assistance

2240 Time-Limited Assistance - The family group shall not be eligible for TANF if:

the family group contains at least one adult member who has received TANF for 24 calendar months beginning on and after October 1, 1996 or

the family group has received TANF for any 24 calendar months beginning on and after October 1, 2000, while at least one adult member residing with the family group was disqualified for being an ineligible legal non-citizen, an illegal non-citizen, a fugitive felon, a drug felon (on or after July 1, 2013), in non-compliance with suspicion-based drug policy, or convicted of fraud, or

the family group has received TANF for a combined total of 24 calendar months under a combination of (1) and (2) above. EXCEPTIONS: Months of cash assistance received by an adult while living on an Indian reservation or in an Alaskan Native Village with a population of at least 1,000 people and where at least 50 percent of the adults were unemployed do not count toward the 24-month time limit. Cases receiving the Work Incentive payment are allowed to receive all five months of the $50 payment, if they continue to meet all other TANF eligibility criteria. This includes months exceeding the TANF time limit. Once eligibility for the $50 Work Incentive payment ends, the case is to be closed if no other hardship exists. Cases where a hardship extension has been granted, allowing receipt of TANF until the 36-month limit is reached. In situations where all adults are receiving SSI.

(See the TANF 24-Month Limit Questions in the Appendix , Item #E-4).

2241 Counting Cash Assistance Received From Other States Toward the 24-Month Time Limit -The 24-month time limit is a lifetime limit and includes TANF cash assistance paid by other states or tribes. Information regarding cash assistance received from other states may be obtained from client statements or other means. Reasonable efforts to verify such assistance are to be made. The guidelines below are to be followed in determining what assistance from other states to apply to the 24-month time limit:

Any recipient who receives a diversion payment is limited to 18 months of TANF cash assistance in a lifetime, unless such recipient shall meet a hardship criteria as defined by the secretary. Additionally, diversion agreements signed in another state or tribe are applicable in Kansas and will be considered in determining eligibility in Kansas or amount of assistance in Kansas. Refer to KEESM 1118 for more specific information on Lump Sum Non-Recurrent Diversion payment.

Monthly cash assistance payments received and counted toward the 24-month time limit in another state or tribe shall also be applied to the time limit in Kansas.

Monthly cash assistance payments received but not applied toward the 24-month time limit in another state shall or tribe not be applied to the time limit in Kansas. A family applying for TANF cash assistance in Kansas who has already received 24-months of cash assistance in another state(s) or tribes shall not be eligible in Kansas.

2242 Agency Protocol Prior to Terminating TANF Cash Case Due to the Time Limit - In order to assure barriers have been identified and addressed, the following protocol will be completed for clients participating in the Work Programs by 12 months of TANF assistance:

Inventory of strengths and barriers completed utilizing the Self-Assessment form. See Appendix #E-6.

Sexual harassment, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking screening completed with referral for follow-up services when indicated.

SASSI screening completed by a Solutions Recovery Care Coordination (SRCC) counselor when possible with referral to RADAC for follow-up evaluation and treatment when indicated by a positive screening score.

Documentation that each adult was offered individualized employment services where available.

For those adults who have attempted to work but have not been able to keep a job, there should be documentation of placement in a supervised work experience site or a job tryout where the client can be closely monitored. It should also be documented that initially unforeseen barriers were addressed as part of the on-going assessment process (including but not limited to vocational assessment, psychological evaluation, U.A.s, learning disability screens, etc...).

If the client reports they have a long term or permanent disability preventing them from sustaining employment a medical evaluation must be provided by the client to document their claim. The case manager will advise the client that all medical evaluations will be subject to a second opinion. The client shall be required to provide additional documentation such as a vocational assessment and/or psychological evaluation if necessary. Pursuit of Federal disability benefits will be the responsibility of the client. The hardship extension will be reviewed at 6 months, at which time the client may be required to provide additional medical documentation.

All LEP (Limited English Proficiency) issues must be addressed. Appropriate services must be available to assist the LEP clients in gaining self-sufficiency.

Contact made with CSS to determine if all efforts have been made to establish a child support order.

An IST or cross-agency team is to be convened at least once prior to the TANF time limit. The team could include all professionals with knowledge of the case, such as ES Program Administrator or designee, the contracted employment services providers, CSS collection officer, PPS social worker, Rehabilitation Services counselor, as well as others involved in the case. All results must be evaluated, documented and signed by all parties. Local offices are to establish the cross-agency teams as appropriate for each case.

Families will be placed in the hardship category after receiving 12 months of assistance if the adult family members meet the criteria established in KEESM 2243 .

Families must be notified at application and every review of case closure at 24 months, or if meeting a hardship criteria, at 36 months.

All TANF cases are to close once 36 months of assistance have been received with the exception of the work incentive payment.