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TANF Transmittal 66

901.2 TANF MANUAL 7/19 Page 2b

G. An individual who is needed on a substantially continuous basis to care for a family member living in the household. The family member must have a verified disability. The family member must have “caretaking needs” that will prevent the individual from participating in work activities. Caretaking needs that prevent the individual from participating in work activities include the need for attendance, supervision and home care, and other needs related to the family member’s disability. When the family member who requires care is also a member of the AU, the EW must complete the Disability – Details screen for the disabled individual. The EW must also answer “Yes” to the question, “Is the individual taking care of the disabled individual in the household?” on the caregiver’s Client Demographics screen.

A medical professional must complete a Statement of Required Presence of Caregiver form (032- 032-03-0020) to verify the family member’s condition, and the need for the individual to be available on a substantially continuous basis. The date the form was completed will be used in conjunction with the anticipated duration of the need for the caregiver’s presence to determine when the exemption will end. For example, if the individual provides a form on November 1, which states the medical professional completed the form on October 1 and the expected duration of the need for a caregiver is 60 days, the exemption would be allowed until November 30 (60 days after October 1). If a new form was not provided by November 30, the caregiver would be referred to the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (VIEW) program.

It is the responsibility of the EW to request a new Statement of Required Presence of Caregiver form immediately following the anticipated end of the need for the caretaker. If the duration indicated on the form is for more than 12 months, or is identified as permanent, a new form must be obtained every 12 months. Exception: if the disabled individual who requires a caregiver is an SSI or SSDI recipient and the medical professional does not provide a specific duration of less than one year for the anticipated need for a caregiver, the form will be completed annually and the exemption allowed for one year. Note: For the caretaker acting as a caregiver for a disabled member living in the household, a task and reminder to obtain a new medical form must be set 30 days prior to the end of the anticipated duration as noted on the medical form or every 12 months, whichever occurs first.

If the documentation does not result in exemption from VIEW, the documentation must be forwarded to the ESW. If the disabled family member is out of the home for substantial parts of the day, for example, to attend school, then the caretaking individual does not meet the requirement for this exemption.