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APPLICATION AND DETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY TANF MANUAL CHAPTER 400

INITIAL DETERMINATION 6/09 401.2

401.2 INITIAL DETERMINATION/REDETERMINATION OF ELIGIBILITY -

Methods for initial determination and redetermination of eligibility shall be consistent with the objectives of the program and shall respect the rights of individuals under the U. S. Constitution, the Social Security Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and all other relevant provisions of the State and federal law.

A. The Intake Interview

Each determination of eligibility will include a personal interview with the applicant/recipient, or the caretaker-relative of the needy children. The number of interviews will depend on the individual situation. The interviews are scheduled with the least possible delay on the basis of joint planning by the client.

If the interview is not conducted at the local agency the agency may conduct a phone interview, home visit, meet elsewhere, or interview an authorized representative. The agency must waive the face-to-face interview on a case-by-case basis depending on individual circumstances that include, but are not limited to, disability, illness, care of a household member, hardship due to residency in a rural area, prolonged severe weather, work or training hours during normal agency office hours, situations where residents of shelters for battered women and children would be endangered if they were to leave the shelter, or transportation difficulties. In addition, phone interviews may be conducted at the discretion of the local agency.

The setting that is chosen for each interview is that which provides for the integrity of the application process and is most satisfactory for the applicant/recipient and the agency.

If the applicant formerly applied for or received assistance, the EW should familiarize himself with the content of the record before the interview, in order to plan for a helpful and appropriate interview.

The purposes of the interview are:

(1) To make certain that information provided is complete and accurately represents what the applicant wants to say about his circumstances.

(2) To ensure that the request for assistance includes the parent(s) and all minor siblings (both natural and adoptive) living in the home with the dependent child(ren) for whom assistance is requested.

(3) To determine what information provided needs further substantiation and what, if any, additional information or substantiating evidence is needed to establish eligibility.

TANF Transmittal 41