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with the County Director to resolve any issues identified. The Regional Director must also sign and date each county’s report, compile the county reports, scan as one document and email the file to Program Support Unit at dfo.programsupport@mdhs.ms.gov. The subject of the email must identify the content, e.g., 1N TANF 20% Exemption Report-March 2015. State Level Reviews The state office 20% exemption reports (TA120A, TA120B, TA120C and TA121B) provide data for each county and region as well as statewide data. The designated personnel within the

Program Support Unit will select a sample from each region and complete case reviews. Staff will work with each Regional Director to resolve any issues identified. The Program Support Unit will maintain signed copies of the reports in an administrative file which will be available to monitors and auditors. EXCLUSIONS FROM TANF TIME LIMITS TANF cases with no adult in the budget (true child only cases coded ANI) are the only cases exempt from the federal time limits. The 60-month time limit counter will increment for all other cases (exempt, nonexempt and ANI cases for which the adult is disqualified). The State may exempt no more than 20% of the state’s countable cases from the TANF 60-month time limit. The work exemptions for victims of domestic violence (JV) and caretakers of a child younger than 12 months (JJ) are limited to a lifetime maximum of 12 months. Refer to Exempt Individuals located in Chapter 8 for additional and more detailed information. RESPONSIBILITIES OF ELIGIBILITY WORKER AND CASE MANAGER It is the responsibility of the case worker who initially interviews the TANF applicant to fully explain the TANF time limits. The worker must clearly explain that TANF cash assistance is limited to a lifetime maximum of 60 months and the 60 months will be reduced to 24 months for nonexempt individuals who do not comply with TANF work requirements. The worker must also discuss personal responsibility and the importance of planning and preparing the family for self-sufficiency. When a change occurs that affects a recipient’s exemption status, the worker handling the change is responsible for explaining any ramifications the change may have on the TANF time limits, providing assistance and encouragement to the family that promotes good choices. All staff should encourage TANF recipients to maximize their TANF time limits by terminating TANF cash assistance when the family’s situation improves, and by not claiming a work exemption (JJ or JV) longer than absolutely necessary. This will allow the family to receive TANF cash assistance in the future, if otherwise eligible. MAVERICS TIME LIMIT COUNTERS Four (4) separate MAVERICS time limit counters are used to track the number of months used by the individual. The four counters track the 60 and 24-month time limits and the two 12-month Volume III | Chapter 3 3061 MISSISSIPPI [ NON - FINANCIAL CRITERIA: TIME LIMITS] Revised 09 - 01 - 17