135.631 Reviewing Continued Eligibility

An individual’s continued eligibility for an ongoing SPAL should be reviewed monthly or more frequently if costs are likely to change, also at each renewal, whenever a change in employment or training is reported by the participant or the training provider, and when the AMR is revised.

The term ongoing refers to an ongoing need to support the same activity – not automatic eligibility for continuing SPALS. Before issuing a subsequent SPAL to support the same activity, the CAO must ensure that the activity and the need for the SPAL continue. To review the participant’s eligibility for an ongoing special allowance for supportive services, the CAO must determine if the participant is still engaged in the education or training activity or employment. A SPAL is issued in advance to support participation in an approved E&T activity. Prior month’s E&T attendance is not a factor in determining ongoing eligibility for a transportation SPAL. As long as the participant is engaging in an approved activity, a SPAL can be issued in advance to meet the need.

The CAO will inform the individual in a continuing E&T activity that ongoing SPALs must be requested timely to ensure that the SPAL can be issued in advance of the need and therefore does not disrupt the individual’s education or training activity or employment. The CAO will inform the individual of the date each month that the request for the ongoing SPAL should be requested with consideration of processing time , to ensure continued issuance of the SPAL.

The CAO will continue to make advance payments to support the ongoing need for supportive services as they are requested by the participant with consideration of the date of request. To the extent possible the CAO should work with their E&T community providers to develop a system for SPAL requests between agencies. E&T contractors may now submit SPAL requests for participants through CWDS. SPAL requests will be processed by the CAO regardless of the submission method.

Ongoing SPALs can only be authorized for a one month period and must b e reviewed before each r eauthorization to ensure that :

The individual remains eligible.

The individual is participating in an approved, allowable activity.

For ongoing allowances, like mileage or bus passes, the CAO will complete the SPAL Verification Form initially and then review these points with the individual periodically or when circumstances change (like a change in activity, or if the client moves). A subsequent SPAL Verification Form is not required unless circumstances have changed.

135.64 Ineligibility for Special Allowances

Ineligibility for SPALs exists when:

The SPAL Verification Form is not returned to the CAO for the initial SPAL type request; or

The SPAL Verification Form indicates that the requested item or service is not needed/required; or

NOTE: A SPAL should not be denied if a SPAL Verification Form is already on file for the same type and reason that indicates the item/service is needed/required.

The participant has not signed the AMR or EDP; or

The participant has not agreed to participate or is not actively participating in an approved activity; or

The verification required to issue the SPAL is not obtained; or

The participant has exhausted their annual or lifetime limit; or

The item requested is not an allowable SPAL; or

The individual is ineligible for any other reason.

Then the CAO will:

Deny the request within required timeframes. See Section 135.65 .

Send a notice informing the individual of the denial.

Narrate why the request was denied, the timeframes, and that a notice was sent.