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B. The Department shall specify the groups of individuals, based on reasonable classifications, that will be included in the Program, and all the conditions of eligibility that must be met by the individuals in the groups. The groups selected for inclusion in the State Plan and the eligibility conditions imposed must not exclude individuals or groups on an arbitrary or unreasonable basis, and must not result in inequitable treatment of individuals or groups. C. Eligibility conditions must be applied on a consistent and equitable basis throughout the State. D. Eligibility conditions or Department procedures or methods must not prevent an individual from applying and obtaining a determination of eligibility or ineligibility. E. Methods of determining eligibility must be consistent with the objective of assisting all eligible persons to qualify. HISTORY: Added by State Register Volume 19, Issue No. 5, eff May 26, 1995. Amended by State Register Volume 21, Issue No. 6, Part 2, eff June 27, 1997. 114–1110. Definitions. A. ‘‘Department’’ means the South Carolina Department of Social Services. B. ‘‘Program’’ means Family Independence Program. C. ‘‘Benefit or assistance’’ means the monetary award paid by check, electronic benefits transfer or direct deposit to the Family Independence benefit group. D. ‘‘FI’’ means Family Independence Program. E. ‘‘Applicant’’ means a person who has directly, or through his authorized representative, or where incompetent or incapacitated, through someone acting responsibly for him, made application for Family Independence (FI) benefits at the County Department of Social Services (CDSS) and whose application has not been denied by appropriate CDSS action. F. ‘‘Application’’ is the action by which an individual indicates in writing on a form prescribed by the Department his desire to receive assistance. The relative with whom a child is living or will live ordinarily makes application for the child. An application is distinguished from an inquiry, which is simply a request for information about eligibility requirements for FI. G. ‘‘Authorized Representative’’ means someone who is acting for another individual with his knowledge and consent and who has knowledge of the other individual’s circumstances. H. ‘‘Benefit Group’’ means all of the persons whose needs must be included in the computation of the FI benefit. I. ‘‘Date of Application’’ means the date on which an application that includes the applicant’s name, address and signature or authorized representative’s signature is filed at the CDSS. J. ‘‘Protective Payment’’ means the FI benefit is paid to a third party, who assumes responsibility for spending the benefit for the welfare of the family. K. ‘‘Vendor Payment’’ means a payment made to a third party by a non-benefit group member on behalf of the benefit group. L. ‘‘Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant State Plan’’ means the docu- ment submitted to the Regional Office of the Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services setting forth the program for needy families developed by the Depart- ment under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act (the TANF Block Grant). Submission and updating of the State Plan is required for receipt of federal funds. M. ‘‘Job Club’’ means a group or individual job readiness training session where participants learn job finding and job retention skills. N. ‘‘Individualized Self-Sufficiency Plan’’ means the document signed by each adult FI recipient stating the actions the recipient will take to become employed and the time frames for those actions. It also states the services the Department will provide and coordinate to assist the recipient to become employed. O. ‘‘Redetermination’’ is a review of factors affecting eligibility and payment amount. P. ‘‘State Office’’ means the central office of the South Carolina Department of Social Services. Q. ‘‘Regional Office’’ means an office having oversight of a group of local departmental offices.