section-x WORK FIRST FAMILY ASSISTANCE QUARTERLY REPORT

The purpose of the Work First Family Assistance Report, DSS-8127, (Quarterly Report/QR) is to ensure correct benefit issuance and compliance with certain provisions of the Mutual Responsibility Agreement. Certain households are required to complete this report and submit it quarterly to continue to receive cash assistance. A. Selection Criteria 1. The following households are required to complete a Work First Family Assistance Report, DSS-8127, to continue to receive cash assistance. a. Child Only cases with earned and unearned income. If the only household income is Social Security, which is relatively stable, the household will not receive a Work First Family Assistance Report. b. Families that contain a minor parent or a child 16 years old or older. 2. When a household is newly approved for Cash Assistance, the DSS-8127 is automatically generated and mailed to the household at the end of their second benefit month. If the household's cash assistance application is approved after the system selection date, the DSS-8127 will auto-generate for the next reporting cycle. 3. A Work First Family Assistance Report is then sent to the household once every three months. The household must return 38 their completed report by the deadline indicated on the quarterly report. The household remains responsible for reporting changes within 10 calendar days of the date the household knows of the change. The case manager must inform all households required to submit a Work First Family Assistance Report that they have a right to receive help with completing the report. The case manager should ask families if they need help, document the response and the type of help requested, offered and/or provided, if any, in the case record. The Household also has the option to complete a telephone interview and provide a telephonic signature. Case managers must document the telephonic signature in the income support case details. The adult case head must speak directly with a case manager to complete a telephonic signature. The case manager will summarize the information to which the household attests and allows a verbal signature. The documentation must be included in a case note in NC FAST to demonstrate that the client has signed the form. Document “Telephone Signature” in the Income Support Application Case Details Notes. The documentation in NC FAST should include the client’s name, date, time telephone interview and the client’s response to indicating agreement to this verbal attestation of signature over the phone. The household must be mailed a copy of the telephonically signed forms and the case manager must document this in the case notes Please see Work First Policy Section 104 on telephone interviews and telephonic signatures. If there is a household member that has as a disability that makes it difficult to read, comprehend, or complete the Work First Family Assistance Report timely, the household has a right to receive help from the agency in doing so as a reasonable accommodation. To receive a reasonable accommodation, an individual does not need to be receiving or be eligible for SSI or other disability benefits. Reasonable accommodations also apply to individuals who are caring for a household member with a disability. The case manager should ask families if they need such help, document the response and the type of accommodation requested, offered and/or provided, if any, in the case record. B. Returned Work First Family Assistance Reports The case manager must determine whether the Work First Family Assistance Report is complete. The report is complete when and all information needed to determine eligibility is recorded and it is signed by 39 the participant or a telephonic signature has been accepted. In two- parent cases, one or both parents may sign the report. 1. Complete Work First Family Assistance Report a. Date stamp the Work First Family Assistance Report. b. Maintain the envelope if the report is received after the deadline, and the envelope is postmarked prior to the return deadline. If the report is received digitally, the email communication must be uploaded to NC FAST. c. Review the report for changes and compliance with the Mutual Responsibility Agreement. If there are no changes, the report must be maintained in the case record by uploading to NC FAST. d. If there are changes, take appropriate case action. Notify other internal program areas, if applicable, of the change via the Income Maintenance Transmittal form, DSS-8194, or other agency approved method. For additional guidance see Fast Help Job Aid: Processing Completed Quarterly Reports for additional guidance. 2. Incomplete Work First Family Assistance Report a. Date stamp the Report and maintain the postmarked envelope for the case record. b. Document the receipt of the Work First Family Assistance Report in the case notes. c. Upload the documentation into NC FAST. d. Circle the incomplete items in red on the DSS-8127 and attach a Notice of Incomplete Work First Family Assistance Report Form, DSS-8137 e. Review the case record to determine whether the household indicated a need for help in completing and returning the report, and if so, whether this help was provided. If such help is needed and it was not provided, the case manager should provide the help. f. If the record contains no indication that the household sought help with completing and submitting the report, or such help was already provided, return the Work First Family Assistance Report along with the DSS-8137 to the household no later than the required deadline. 40 g. The household must have 10 calendar days to return the incomplete report prior to the NC FAST termination date for failure to comply with the reporting requirement. For additional guidance see Fast Help Job Aid: Processing Incomplete Quarterly Reports C. Failure to Return the Work First Family Assistance (WFFA) Report 1. If the Work First Family Assistance Report is not received by the first deadline, review the case record to determine whether the household indicated a need for help completing and/or returning the report, and if so, whether this help was provided. If such help is needed and it was not provided, the case manager must provide the help. 2. If the case record contains no indication that the household sought help with completing and/or submitting the report, or if such help was already provided, no action is necessary. A second Work First Family Assistance Report is system generated along with a Notice of Failure to Return Work First Family Assistance Report and a return envelope stamped "Work First Family Assistance." If the Work First Family Assistance Report is not returned by the second deadline or is received incomplete, the case manager should review the case record to determine whether the household indicated a need for help in completing and returning the report, and if help was provided. If there is no documentation of a request for assistance with completing and submitting the report or assistance was provided, the household will receive a system generated notice of termination for failure to comply with the reporting requirement.