Page 49

1000.13 TANF MANUAL 7/21 Page 41

b. Participants will receive the enhanced earned income disregard only after they have entered the VIEW program and signed the Agreement of Personal Responsibility.

c. A participant who obtains employment while in the VIEW program will receive the VIEW enhanced earned income disregard the month following the month of employment.

d. Eligible TANF recipients (in ongoing TANF cases) who are employed prior to referral to VIEW should be treated as a priority referral and served as soon as possible so that they may begin to receive the enhanced disregard or be evaluated for eligibility for a VIEW Transitional Payment. The TANF recipient should be seen and the initial VIEW assessment completed prior to monthly VaCMS cut-off whenever possible to avoid potential issues with TANF Benefit Adjustment and the opening of the VTP.

D. SUBSIDIZED EMPLOYMENT - FULL EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (FEP)

Subsidized employment is employment in which government funds are used to directly subsidize the participant's wages. Subsidized employment is designed to provide training while the participant works on the job.

The Full Employment Program is a work activity in which a participant is placed in a public or private sector job and is paid an hourly wage for the work done. The Department of Social Services will pay the employer a predetermined, fixed stipend based on tiers and the number of hours a participant works per month. TANF benefits will be paid to the participant during the time the employer is receiving a stipend except when the participant has not worked his scheduled hours for reasons beyond his control.

Tiers:

Tier I: Participant works 20 hours or more per week– employer will receive $500 Tier II: Participant works 30 hours or more per week – employer will receive $750 Tier III: Participant works 40 hours or more per week – employer will receive $1000

1. The goal of FEP - The overarching goal of this work activity is for the employer to retain the participant at the completion of the training period. The placement should provide the participant the opportunity to gain work experience, develop job skills and enhance work place social skills. To increase the likelihood that the participant will be hired on a permanent basis for the job and to promote further FEP placements with the employer, the worker should make every effort necessary to insure that the participant’s skills, abilities, and interests are a good match for the job description for the placement.

2. FEP Placements - VIEW participants who have been unsuccessful in obtaining unsubsidized employment by the first assessment following the initial job search activity will be screened for placement with a FEP employer. Participants who are referred to VIEW and have accrued months on the current 24-month VIEW participation may be immediately placed in FEP. VIEW participants in a FEP placement are required, at a minimum, to work a monthly average of at least 20 hours a week. VIEW participants in a FEP placement of 20 hours a week must also be assigned to 15 hours in another work activity. Each assignment to FEP will be for a period of six months.

Transmittal 71