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North Carolina

33 which he/she may be eligible;  The agency is unable to locate the applicant;  The applicant refuses or fails to apply for a required family member;  The applicant refuses or fails to sign a MRA/Outcome Plan (either Core Requirements or Plan of Action/Outcome Plan, if required);  The applicant fails, without good cause, to keep an appointment and has not contacted the agency concerning his application;  Ineligibility has been verified including situations in which the applicant’s statement results in ineligibility;

For any action or verification of information required of applicants, county departments will not deny an application without giving the applicant a written request for the action or verification, specifying a deadline that allows at least 12 calendar days in which to meet the requirement. The county must provide appropriate accommodations to assist applicants with limited language proficiency or disability in obtaining needed documentation.

Counties will not deny applications for the above reasons if good cause exists. Good cause is defined as:

 A significant family crisis or change including, but not limited to, the death of a spouse, parent, or child;  Illness of the caretaker or child, including participation in substance abuse treatment or attendance at a medical appointment;  Civil leave, including jury duty, or a required court appearance;  Lack of child care for parent and/or a minor parent in school, training, or other work activity; or  Any other reason determined by the county director or his or her designee.

An application for Work First is valid for a 45-day period. If the application is denied before the 45th day, eligibility for Work First Cash Assistance can be established at any time within the 45- day period without requiring a new interview, assessment or Workbook. This is dependent on the county worker having all information and documentation required to make the eligibility determination with the 45-day period.

Eligibility Reviews

Frequent contact with Work First families is critical in ensuring their success at moving to employment. Counties are strongly encouraged to review a family’s progress on the terms of the MRA Plan of Action/Outcome Plan at least every three months. Families that do not participate in or allow the county to complete the periodic review will lose their Work First payment for at least one month. The family may reapply for Work First but eligibility can begin no earlier than the first of the month following the month of ineligibility. A face-to-face interview must be conducted and eligibility re-determined at a minimum every 12 months.

The Work First worker must provide or arrange for appropriate accommodations for families with limited English proficiency or with disabilities in order to ensure that reviews are conducted as scheduled.