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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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Chapter 15 TANF Work Activities

TANF Reauthorization regulations clearly define the 12 acceptable work activities allowed that are considered in the TANF participation rate. Of the 12 activities, nine are considered Core work activities or components. Core Components are allowable TANF activities that may completely satisfy the TANF participation requirement. At least 20 hours per week of participation must come from Core Components. Vocational Education and Job Readiness are two Core Components that have restrictions on the amount of time each can be counted as TANF participation. Participation in all activities must be supervised and verified to count in the TANF participation rate. Listed below are the components identified by TANF as Core Components:

15.1 Employment (EMPL) 1. Unsubsidized Employment Unsubsidized employment includes all paid employment in which no government funds are used to directly subsidize the individual’s salary. Full-time employment is employment of 30 hours per week or greater. A participant employed at least 30 hours per week and earning at least minimum wage is not required to participate in any other TANF assignment, but the participant must respond to all correspondence from the Case Manager and keep all scheduled appointments for redeterminations.

2. Part-Time Employment Part-time employment is employment of at least 10 hours, but less than 30 hours per week. This includes “in-kind” or “barter income” in exchange for property or services. A participant working part-time must be assigned to a concurrent program activity in order to meet the 20 or 30 hour participation requirement. NOTE: College work study is part time employment although the income may be excluded from the budget.

3. Self-employment If a participant becomes self-employed, the participant must provide documentation to show he/she is legitimately engaged in self-employment. The information could include, but is not limited to the following information: the kind of business, location, hours of operation, source of funding, prospective customer base, earnings, business license, if applicable, and lease or agreement if space is rented. Chapter 15