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West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Chapter 18

West Virginia Income Maintenance Manual Page 174 Chapter 18 WV WORKS Activities/Requirements

The Case Manager must explain that EAP payments count against the 60-month time limit for receiving TANF and explain the effect of the EAP on other benefits the family may receive. The family may decide at any time during the transitional benefit period that they no longer wish to receive the EAP payment and may not receive support service payments instead. Once the EAP is discontinued, no additional EAP may be issued unless the individual is found eligible for a new transitional benefit period. While receiving EAP, the employed parent must be placed in an employment activity in addition to the EAP. The other parent in a two-parent household must be enrolled in the EAP and may be enrolled in any other activity they are participating in. All support service payments for the transitional benefit services period must be entered in the eligibility system by the last workday in the month following transitional benefit services closure. Payment may be made in the month after transitional benefit services closure for expenses from the final month of transitional benefit eligibility. Payment may not be made for any expenses from the month following transitional benefit closure. Once the participant has chosen the EAP benefit and has signed the DFA-WVW-15, the Case Manager must update the eligibility system to lock in the transitional benefit period. If the participant reports a reduction of hours or a job loss and no longer meets the requirements of Section 18.22.1, then the Case Manager must adjust the months of eligibility in the eligibility system to end the EAP benefit. The Case Manager enters the last month of EAP eligibility, taking adverse action deadlines into consideration. 18.22.4.A Projecting Hours of Participation in the EAP The hours of participation for participants in the EAP may be projected for up to six months. The number of hours projected are based on the 30 days of pay stubs or signed wage statements from the employer. These hours may be used to project the participant’s hours for up to the six- month limit, unless the Case Manager becomes aware of a change or the participant reports a EXCEPTION: When a participant’s hours are reduced by the employer to below what is required for EAP, the participant may receive support services for the remainder of his original transitional benefit period only when the following conditions are met: • He remains over income for WV WORKS benefits; and • His hours were reduced through no fault of his own. NOTE: This program is not available to participants who will reach their 60- month time limit within the transitional benefit period of eligibility.