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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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Chapter 14 TANF Participation Rates

The work participation requirements are designed to meet the needs of participants, assist participants in achieving self-sufficiency and to meet the federal work participation rate. In some respects, the TANF work program requirements are different from the federal TANF requirements regarding work participation rate calculations.

Work participation requirements are the hours of participation required to positively impact the participation rate. The requirements are not necessarily the same hourly requirement outlined on the IEP. Participation rates are calculated for each report month. The current participation rate is 50% of the TANF denominator of WEIs. If the State fails to meet either minimum work participation rate for a fiscal year, it is subject to a severe financial penalty. (See Chapter 15)

14.1 Federal Participation Rate Requirements A participation rate is a ratio. The federal work participation rate represents who is participating in work activities out of all those expected to participate.

To count toward the numerator of the monthly participation rate, a TANF recipient must be in an allowable activity for at least a minimum average number of hours per week: A. 20 hours per week for single parents with children under 6 B. 30 hours per week for all other families 1. Families Included in the All-Family Participation Rate TANF families which include at least one adult member that is a WEI is included in the All Family participation rate with the following exceptions: If the only adult in the BG is an only parent of a child under one and the parent did not meet the hourly participation requirement, the family may be excluded in the participation rate calculation even though he/she is expected to participate 20 hours per week. There is a 12-month lifetime limit on this exception. After the participant has used this 12-month lifetime limit, he/she will then be included in the All-Family Participation Rate. At any time this parent has another child under one, he/she will always be coded “PW” on the CHIP EMPR screen, and will be expected to participate Chapter 14