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TANF POLICY MANUAL

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Chapter 16 Verification, Monitoring and Supervision

16.1 Verification, Monitoring and Documentation 1. Work Verification Plan In response to the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the HHS interim final TANF regulations issued June 29, 2006, new rules were established for TANF policy on work activities. As part of the interim TANF regulations, states are now responsible for providing the federal government with a "Work Verification Plan" -- a document containing status verification and updates on recipient participation in work activities. On February 5, 2008, we received the Final TANF Regulation. The final version made several changes to the rules contained in the interim version. The information contained in this chapter of the manual reflects verification requirements according to SC’s Work Verification Plan. Failure to adhere to the Work Verification Plan will negatively impact the TANF participation rate and the amount of federal funds received by the State.

2. Supervision, Verification and Documentation Supervision, verification and documentation are key elements in meeting TANF participation requirements. The Case Manager (CM) must monitor the client’s participation to verify and document all activities of the Work Eligible Individual (WEI) and family members. This includes, but is not limited to, follow-up on referrals and updates to the Family Plan. This continuous evaluation process will allow the CM to provide valuable counseling, guidance and support to recipients. The CM is responsible for the verification and documentation in the case record to support the electronic documentation in PATS. All work program activities must be verified and documented appropriately in the case file and in the PATS system in order to count in the participation rate.

3. Employment Plan Compliance Monitoring of compliance with the Employment Plan begins when a recipient is referred to a component and begins participating. Time frames for components completion are established at the time the Employment Plan is developed. The CM will monitor the participant's attendance and progress in the assigned component, and ensure that the time frame established is reasonable. Chapter 16