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Page 51 of 116 § 10:90-17.3 EEI participation

the applicant family's assistance unit size or other countable income has occurred as of the date of the WFNJ application. If the participant states that changes have occurred, the EEI entity shall contact the WFNJ agency to ascertain the impact of such changes on the applicant family's WFNJ eligibility for cash assistance. If it is determined, by the WFNJ agency, that the changes reported by the EEI entity indicate that the applicant family may remain eligible for the WFNJ cash assistance, the EEI agency shall refer the participant back to the WFNJ agency for a final determination of eligibility for WFNJ cash assistance. If, however, the participant expresses that no changes have occurred since the date of the WFNJ application and the applicant family withdraws the WFNJ application, the participant's family shall be eligible to receive the following under the EEI, as appropriate: i. A one-time lump sum payment to cover expenses necessary to avoid loss of housing or for other employment-related expenses necessary to enable the employed individual to continue to engage in his or her employment such as, but not limited to, transportation, uniforms, car maintenance, tools, supplies, licenses and testing fees. This one-time lump sum payment shall be provided to the family by the EEI entity based on specific need and shall not exceed the one-time lump sum payment ceiling for the participant's family size as designated in the EEI Payment Schedule at (d) below; and ii. Up to two years of child care in accordance with the WFNJ child care services provisions at N.J.A.C. 10:90-5.2. (d) The EEI Payment Schedule below identifies the activity support and one-time lump sum payment ceilings for EEI. These ceiling amounts are based on the WFNJ assistance unit size; therefore, the ceiling amounts shall remain constant even if more than one adult of the WFNJ applicant family is participating in EEI. The activity support payment and the one-time lump sum payment issued by the EEI entity shall not count toward the 60 month lifetime limit for receipt of WFNJ cash assistance. 1. The activity support payment ceiling represents the maximum amount an EEI family would be eligible to receive up front during the EEI participation period to cover any expenses necessary to allow participation in the job search/placement activity. 2. The one-time lump sum payment ceiling represents the lump sum amount an EEI family would be eligible to receive, when full-time employment is secured during the EEI participation period, to cover expenses necessary to avoid housing loss or for other employment related expenses to enable the employed individual(s) to continue to engage in his or her employment. The EEI entity shall explain to the participant that the one-time lump sum payment is being issued in lieu of public cash assistance. i. If a family reactivates the WFNJ/TANF application within a 60 day period from the date of the original WFNJ/TANF application in accordance with the provisions for reactivation at (f) below, the lump sum payment issued to the family shall be prorated for a two month period and applied as unearned income when determining the family's WFNJ/TANF financial eligibility and calculating the WFNJ grant amount. EEI PAYMENT SCHEDULE Number in WFNJ Activity Support One-time Lump Sum