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will be eligible for RCA payments for an eight month period beginning the month of the initial application for benefits in the local office. The policy unit will submit a money payment request to Budgets and Accounting in State Office for processing and mailing of the RCA payment. State Operations will notify the applicant household of the approval or denial of the request by regular mail. Each refugee age 18 or over will have his/her application processed as an individual unless he/she is the parent of minor children. One application will be processed for parents and minor children. A minor child who was born to a refugee family after entry into the United States can be included in the refugee assistance group of the parent although the child is actually a citizen of the United States. RCA payments are determined the same as TANF benefit levels regarding grant maximums based on household size. NOTE: If it is determined that a refugee has an urgent need for cash assistance, the application for cash assistance should be processed as quickly as possible and the initial payment issued to the refugee on an emergency basis. Reporting Changes Refugee households are certified as Change Reporting households. Each refugee household is responsible for reporting changes to the county office only at application/reevaluation interviews. These changes should be forwarded to the Policy Unit as needed.

The following changes must be reported within 10 days of the date the change becomes known to the household:

• Residence and resulting shelter costs; • Legal child support obligation • Change of more than $100 in the amount of unearned income; • Change of more than $100 in monthly earned income from the amount used to calculate the household’s benefit amount; • Change in the source of income (example: change in employment), it if results in a change in income. • Change in liquid resources, such as cash, stocks, bonds, or bank accounts that meets or exceeds the household’s limit.

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TANF households must report when it becomes clear that a child will be out of the home for more than 30 days, and when the head of household moves out of state. Both changes must be reported within 5 days.