Page 80

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS TANF MANUAL CHAPTER 200 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE TO NEEDY FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN 12/22 203.1

203.1 EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE – Emergency Assistance (EA) may be provided to needy families with children who are eligible for TANF or are receiving TANF (including recipients whose TANF case is currently suspended due to a VIEW sanction), when the family is facing eviction or has experienced a natural disaster or a fire that results in unmet needs for maintaining the household or the home itself, as long as income eligibility is met. Natural disasters may include, but are not limited to, a tornado, hurricane, flood, or any disaster as declared by the Governor. The EW should note that the applicant does not simply declare an event a disaster.

The worker must explain the Emergency Assistance program to all TANF applicants at the time of application and discuss the appropriateness of EA to the applicant’s situation. The application for Emergency Assistance must be made no later than 30 days from the date the disaster or fire occurred. If the applicant has been hospitalized during the 30-day period following the disaster or fire, the application for emergency assistance must be made within 60 days from the date the disaster or fire occurred.

Guidance in Section 401.1 regarding the time standard for processing applications also applies to EA. However, EA must be approved as soon as administratively possible, but no later than five working days after receipt of the final verification that substantiates eligibility. Note: Current TANF recipients that request EA are not required to provide additional verifications unless a change is reported during the verification process.

For Emergency Assistance applications, the Do You Have a Disability? must be completed for applicants who are not currently a TANF recipient or are not requesting TANF. The case record must contain the Rights and Responsibilities form or be otherwise documented to show that the applicant was provided with oral and written information about his rights and responsibilities and that he acknowledged receipt of the information. The Notice of Personal Responsibility for the TANF Program (032-03-0750), the Notice of Cooperation and Good Cause (032-03-0036), and the Notice of Intentional Program Violations and Penalties (032-03- 0646) forms are not required for an emergency assistance application.

Conditions of Eligibility/Categorical Eligibility:

When the family has experienced a natural disaster, fire or is facing eviction the timeframes listed above, and all of the following conditions exist, EA must be granted immediately: A. The family includes at least one child who is under eighteen years or if 18, but not yet 19, is enrolled and attending a secondary school or vocational/technical school of secondary equivalency and is meeting the enrollment and attendance requirements as determined by the local school board (201.2)

B. The child is a resident of Virginia, as defined in Section 201.6.

C. The child, and all members of his family for whom assistance is provided must be a citizen of the United States or, if an alien, meet requirements, specified in Section 201.7. A child may be eligible for or receive TANF or Emergency Assistance even when other members of the family are ineligible.

D. The child is living with a relative in a place of residence maintained by the relative as his own home. (See Section 201.5

TANF Transmittal 76