137.56 Authorization

The CAO will issue Diversion benefits to eligible budget groups by EBT. If the applicant does not have an EBT account, the CAO will explain the EBT process and issue an EBT card.

The Diversion benefit is issued as a Non-Continuous Eligibility (NCE) benefit and has the same begin and end date.

A Medical Assistance ( MA ) eligibility determination should not be delayed or medical coverage disrupted. Diversion can be opened without closing an MA budget.

SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS

When authorizing supplemental benefits, the CAO will set the goal to cover the applicant family’s financial gap efficiently and timely. If possible, the CAO, first, will authorize supplemental benefits, including MA and SNAP benefits, depending on the applicant’s choices and eligibility. This way, the CAO will know the family’s remaining needs that a Diversion payment must cover.

AUTHORIZATION MONTH

A UTHORIZATION IN MONTH OF APPLICATION

If an applicant family is eligible for Diversion in the month of application, the CAO uses the date of the application as both begin date and end date of the NCE, whether the Diversion payment covers one, two, or three months.

EXAMPLE: On December 13, Ms. Masters and child apply for Diversion to cover December and January needs until Ms Masters’ small daycare opens February 5. The CAO authorizes a Diversion payment as an NCE with begin and end dates of December 13 (application date).

AUTHORIZATION IN MONTH FOLLOWING APPLICATION MONTH

A budget group may not be eligible for Diversion in the application month if the family does not meet eligibility requirements for TANF or already has received TANF benefits during that month. If a budget group does not qualify for Diversion in the application month but does qualify the following month, the CAO will make the following month the first month of the Diversion period.

REMINDER : If the budget group is eligible for Diversion during the month following the application month, the CAO uses the first day of the second month as both the begin and end date of the NCE, whether the grant is for one, two, or three months. Current procedures to issue future NCEs apply. The CAO needs to consider deadline dates to process the NCE.

EXAMPLE: On June 3, a family applies for Diversion for self and child to cover June and July needs. The parent’s June income, including three weeks of pay from the last job, exceeds the TANF income limit. The family is eligible for Diversion in July. The CAO authorizes Diversion as an NCE with a begin and end date of July 1 (first day of the month following the application month).

P ROGRAM STATUS CODES

The Diversion period, which accompany categories C and U, are posted on the Eligibility Result Summary screen by the system upon diversion eligibility determination. See Section 137.561 .

NOTE: It is important that both the CAO and the applicant accurately determine the Diversion period before data entry. A Diversion recipient submitting verification of additional need after authorization cannot extend the Diversion period -- or receive another Diversion payment until 12 months from the NCE begin date. However, if the CAO, in error, enters an incorrect Diversion period, the CAO must submit a Service Now ticket for authorization of additional month(s) of Diversion.

EXAMPLE : APPLICANT REQUESTS EXTRA DIVERSION MONTH

Ms. Tanner and two children receive a Diversion payment to cover February and March needs until an April job start. The CAO authorizes a two-month Diversion payment as an NCE with a begin and end date of February 13, the date of application. The CAO worker selects TANF Diversion 2 Month (T2) from the Special Category drop-down in the Cash panel of the Case Non-Financial │Program Request Questions screen. A week after authorization, Ms. Tanner tells the CAO the job will not start until May and asks for another month of Diversion. The CAO cannot extend Diversion. Ms. Tanner cannot receive a Diversion payment again until February 13 of next year.

EXAMPLE: CAO SELECTS INCORRECT DIVERSION SPECIAL CATEGORY

In the example above, the Tanners request a Diversion payment for the maximum three months. In error, the CAO worker selects the incorrect TANF Diversion 1 Month special category instead of the TANF Diversion 3 Month selection. Because the CAO error resulted in a smaller, incorrect Diversion payment, the CAO must submit a Service Now ticket to authorize the additional two months of Diversion for a maximum three-month Diversion benefit and any of the approved Reason Codes.

NOTE: If the family’s need is greater than a three-month FSA, but the family verifies the balance of the needed funding is available from another source, the CAO can authorize a three-month maximum Diversion payment.

CASE COMMENTS

Both in the case comments and on the Diversion Agreement Form ( PA 1793 ), the CAO notes that the applicant chose Diversion to meet the family’s short-term financial needs. For quality-control purposes, the CAO includes in the case comments all relevant information supporting the decision to authorize Diversion.

Suggested C ase Comment e ntries include the following:

D etails of the screening interview

R eason for applying;

S tatement that applicant family is eligible for TANF and Diversion, including information supporting Diversion eligibility determination.

N otation of CAO explanation of and applicant signature on Diversion Agreement Form.

N otation of other forms.

E xplanation of supplemental benefits the family chooses.

P ending verification checklist items; and

A ny other pertinent information related to the specific applicant.

REAPPLICATION

The purpose of Diversion is to solve a budget group's short-term financial crisis. Diversion is not designed to use yearly to pay ongoing or recurrent expenses. A budget group receiving a Diversion payment must wait a full 12 months to receive Diversion again. The next 12-month period begins with the date of the NCE of the previous Diversion payment – no matter if the Diversion period is one, two, or three months .

EXAMPLE: Ms. Banks and child receive a Diversion payment for May and June. The begin and end date of the NCE is May 4 (the date of the application). Ms. Banks will not be eligible for another Diversion payment until May 4 of next year.

EXAMPLE: In the above example, on May 4, Ms. Banks applies for Diversion but is not eligible until June. The CAO authorizes a one-month Diversion payment for June – an NCE with a begin and end date of June 1 (the first day of the month following the month of application). Ms. Banks will not be eligible for another Diversion payment until June 1 st of next year.