Page 11

10

Pennsylvania elects to define temporary absence as one that does not exceed 180 consecutive days.

A caretaker relative of a minor child who fails to notify the CAO of the minor child’s absence by the end of the five-day period, that begins with the date it becomes clear to the specified relative that the child will be absent for more than 180 consecutive days, is ineligible for TANF for a period of 30 days.

Personal Responsibility - The Agreement of Mutual Responsibility Pennsylvania exercises the TANF option to establish an individual responsibility plan, known as the Agreement of Mutual Responsibility (AMR). The AMR is a plan of action that the TANF recipient and the caseworker develop together. The purpose of the AMR is to direct the person’s efforts toward self-sufficiency by identifying reasonable short- term and long-term goals and determining what activities the person will complete to achieve those goals. The plan addresses how the recipient will overcome identified barriers and lists participation activities and hours of required participation as well as supportive services provided by the Department. The following individuals are required to sign the AMR:  Each adult applicant and recipient required to sign the Application for Benefits.

 An 18-year-old full-time high school student is required to sign an AMR at renewal when they sign the PA 600 or PA 600R. This may be at the next renewal after their 18th birthday or earlier if the student stops pursuing education leading to a high school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).

 Pregnant teens or minor parents who sign the Application for Benefits on their own behalf. The AMR stresses the temporary nature of cash assistance and focuses on the steps the recipient must take to establish a path toward self-sufficiency. The AMR also specifies the penalties for failure to comply and the actions to be taken by the Department to support the efforts of the recipient. An individual who refuses to complete or sign the AMR without good cause is ineligible for TANF cash assistance and removed from the cash grant. The person remains ineligible for cash benefits until they complete and sign an AMR. The entire family is ineligible if the individual had previously received 60 months of TANF cash assistance which is considered Extended TANF. NOTE: The explanation of the Extended TANF program can be found in Section B “Special Provisions” of this document.