Excused Absences

Individuals engaged in unpaid work activities, including community service, may get participation credit for excused absences. An individual may get excused absence credit for up to 80 hours in the preceding 12-month period, but no more than 16 hours per month. This does not include the 10 countable holidays.

Individuals can be excused from participation for:

Medical appointments for the individual or dependents;

CAO appointments;

WIC appointments;

Legal appointments;

School appointments including school events;

Counseling appointments;

Housing appointments;

Obtaining child care;

Obtaining birth certificates;

Obtaining documents needed for eligibility for DHS programs;

Obtaining transportation; and

Other appointments as deemed necessary by the Department or its contractor in order to keep the individual in the program.

NOTE: To count an excused absence as actual hours of participation, the individual must have been scheduled to participate in a countable work activity for the period of the absence.