340:10-2-8 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Work support services

(a) Scope. Adult and Family Services (AFS) eligibility staff provides or arranges payments and services for the participant to ensure successful completion of the participant's employability plan to become self-supporting. (1) Payments are authorized for items or services directly related to employment as an outcome. (2) When support services are available and part of the employability plan, the participant's failure to cooperate in obtaining the support services constitutes a failure to participate in the TANF Work program. (3) Items and services covered by the participant's medical card are not paid for by the support service fund. (4) The only support services available to an applicant are the participant allowance and work activity payment. (5) Payments are not authorized for reimbursement of expenses already paid by client or others. (b) Flexible funds. The intent of flexible funds is to provide a participant with the necessary support services to accomplish his or her employment goals. Refer to Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) Appendix H-4, Flexible Accounts, for the list of flexible fund services. (1) Flexible funds are not available to the applicant. (2) To be eligible for flexible funds, the participant must: (A) otherwise be ready to participate in a required work activity for the minimum number of hours; (B) have a guaranteed offer of employment; or (C) be employed. (3) Payments for the services through flexible funds are not an automatic entitlement to the participant. (4) Designated staff or the career development specialist has final authority to determine authorizations. (5) Staff does not approve onetime payments for specific services already paid by the participant or others. (6) Ongoing maintenance payments are not allowed. (7) The client's relatives are not eligible for payment. Refer to Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:10-9-1 for degree of relationship. (c) Other support services. (1) Work activity payments. Work activity payments are to purchase specific items, such as a tank of gas, clothing, or personal items, when needed to participate in assigned work activities. Refer to OKDHS Appendix H-4-C, Support Service Payments, for the maximum amount that may be approved. (2) Participant allowances. Daily cash allowances are for participants in assigned scheduled, structured, and supervised work activities based on the number of activity hours. Refer to OKDHS Appendix H-4-C for the maximum payment amounts. (A) Staff does not include lunch hours and travel time as actual attendance hours. (B) For persons in Job Search, staff does include travel time between job interviews and job applications as actual attendance hours. (C) The participant makes appropriate daily entries on Form 08TW013E, Time and Progress Report, to document actual attendance hours and submits it by the time frame shown on the form. (D) OKDHS does not pay TANF Work participant allowances for part-time or full-time employment or on-the-job training. (3) Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations (OSBI) background checks. OSBI background checks may be requested for a participant who is placed in job skills training that requires an OSBI background check as a prerequisite for employment. The job skills training may include vocational training, hands-on work experience, or public or private sector work experience. (4) Child care. Staff makes child care arrangements for each child in the home younger than 13 years of age or younger than 19 years of age when the child is mentally or physically incapable of self-care or under court supervision, per OAC 340:40-7-3. Eligibility staff includes the child care plan on Form 08TW002E, TANF Work/Personal Responsibility Agreement. When the person begins active participation in TANF Work activities, eligibility staff and client complete a child care application based on the TANF Work plan, per OAC 340:40-3-1 and 340:40-7-8. (5) Transportation contracts. Transportation contracts are to provide transportation for TANF recipients who have no means of transportation to access required TANF Work training activities. To initiate a transportation contract, designated staff contacts AFS TANF program staff. (6) Disability Advocacy Program (DAP). DAP is available to assist a TANF Work participant or a child(ren) receiving a TANF benefit, who has an application for disability pending with the Social Security Administration (SSA) or who OKDHS determines has a potentially meritorious claim for such benefits. (A) Eligibility staff makes a referral to the OKDHS-contracted law firm to assist the recipient(s) with the: (i) application; (ii) reconsideration; (iii) Administrative Law Judge hearing; and (iv) review by the SSA Appeals Council. (B) The evaluation of merit determines if the appropriate SSA test for disability would be met if evidence was available to prove all conditions claimed by the TANF recipient. When the evaluation of merit determines there is: (i) sufficient evidence, the law firm represents the TANF recipient. (I) Statewide representation consists of assisting the recipient with the application through an unfavorable SSA Appeals Council decision. (II) In counties in which representation by a lawyer or experienced non-lawyer advocate is not available without advance payment, the contracted law firm assists with the pending application for disability through an unfavorable decision by the SSA Appeals Council; or (ii) insufficient evidence to prove conditions claimed by the TANF recipient, no further services are provided by DAP. Representation by the law firm ceases at any time the law firm determines there is insufficient evidence to support the TANF recipient's claim for disability benefits. (7) Achievement bonuses. TANF recipients participating in TANF Work are eligible for bonuses related to achievement of certain goals when funding is available. TANF recipients may receive one bonus payment per achievement. (A) Achievements are completion of a: (i) high school diploma; or (ii) high school equivalency certificate. (B) Refer to OKDHS Appendix H-4-C for bonus payment amounts.