11.2.2 Recording Participation Hours and Calculating Monthly Payment Reductions

In order to ensure a participant’s W-2 Wisconsin Works payment is accurate, the FEP Financial and Employment Planner must record all participation data in the W-2 Participation Calendar in WWP Wisconsin Work Programs .

When entering participation hours, the FEP must enter:

Hours participated based on the scheduled hours of each activity. Hours participated must be documented for each day and activity separately, and do not include make-up hours or hours where good cause was granted.

Hours participated that are scheduled on one day but are made up during a different day within the same week. (See 6.3.3 )

The participant's reason for nonparticipation, if provided, and whether good cause is granted. If good cause is granted, the number of hours approved for each activity are entered on each day separately. (See 11.3.3 ).

EXAMPLE 1 : Michelle is scheduled for Work Experience on Monday from 10 am to 12 pm but is unable to go. She calls her FEP and explains her situation. The FEP determines, using the good cause criteria, that her reason for missing the scheduled activity meets the good cause policy. The FEP enters 0 hours participated for WE on Monday. WWP calculates 2 hours of nonparticipation. The FEP then enters 2 hours of Good Cause.

EXAMPLE 2 : Tamara is scheduled for a one-hour ESL class on Tuesday evening but is unable to attend. Instead, she attends the same class later in the week on Thursday. For Tuesday, the FEP enters 0 hours participated for ESL and 1 hour of make-up hours with Thursday's date.

11.2.2.1 Calculating Monthly W-2 Payments with Payment Reductions

Monthly W-2 payments that include a payment reduction must be calculated using the following rules:

Payment reductions for missed hours are deducted from the payment for the participation period during which hours were missed.

In order to affect the next payment, the final date that participation data can be entered into WWP Wisconsin Work Programs is the date the W-2 Pulldown payment cycle is scheduled. If there are changes to participation data after W-2 Pulldown, WWP will calculate to determine if an auxiliary payment or overpayment is necessary.

A payment reduction cannot be imposed on a participant for failing to complete a formal assessment (e.g., educational needs assessment such as TABE, or a career assessment).

A payment reduction is not imposed for nonparticipation in any activities that are scheduled on a date that a formal assessment activity is open on the Employability Plan or the Formal Assessment Pending status is open. A payment reduction cannot be imposed until: The formal assessment has been completed; The assessment activity has been ended on the EP Employability Plan ; and The FEP, in consultation with the participant, has made the necessary adjustments to the participant’s EP.

Payment reductions are specific to a W-2 Group and, therefore, do not follow a participant.

Even if a participant moves out of the W-2 Group, any payment reduction for missed hours or penalties associated with that individual during the current participation period are deducted from the next W-2 payment issued to that W-2 Group.

Recovery of overpayments continues to follow an individual from W-2 Group to W-2 Group.

For additional information on entering nonparticipation, see W-2 Manual Appendix – TANF Work Participation Requirements .