Kansas Economic and Employment Services Manual

1100 Program Descriptions and Purpose, General Information, and Administration and Supervision

1110 Program Descriptions

1111 Cash Assistance and Employment Services

1. Successful Families Program - The Successful Families Program provides three types of assistance funded by the federal TANF Block Grant authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA):
    

2. 1. 1. Cash Assistance - known as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), including the Work Incentive payment and the Grandparents as Caregivers (GPCG) program.

         
         
         1. Cash – Monthly TANF benefit. Monies from the TANF benefit are to be utilized for shelter, utilities, school and other expenses to meet the basic living needs of TANF recipients.
            
            
         2. Work Incentive Payment - This payment is designed for those cases where ineligibility for TANF exists due to excess income when earned income is involved. This payment will assist clients in maintaining employment and can be issued for five consecutive months beginning the first month of ineligibility following a benefit eligible month. This payment is a TANF benefit, and will be counted in the 24-month time limit. The benefit is per household, not per individual. There is no limit to the number of times a household can qualify for the five month Work Incentive payment. If TANF eligibility is regained during one of the five months of the Work Incentive payment, the Work Incentive counter is reset to month one and the case is eligible for an additional five months of the Work Incentive payment. The Work Incentive payment is not available when TANF ineligibility is due to the income of a family member who is not in the cash assistance plan (Coded FRE).
            
            
         3. Grandparents as Caregivers (GPCG) - Formerly known as the TANF relative caregivers program, it is a cash assistance program. The GPCG program is funded by the TANF Block Grant. It gives financial assistance to grandparents or other qualifying relatives raising children, if certain eligibility requirements are met including income and resource guidelines. Income and resource guidelines only apply to the child(ren). Grandparents or other qualifying relatives do not have to provide verification of their own income or resources.
            
            The following rules differentiate GPCG from the TANF program:
            
            
            1. a request for cash is not an automatic request for medical assistance;
               
               
            2. there is no time limit to receive benefits;
               
               
            3. GPCG may be reviewed every two years;
               
               
            4. and there are no work related requirements.
         
         

         NOTE:  TANF eligibility rules are to be applied to the Work Incentive and  Grandparents as Caregivers programs unless specifically  excluded in KEESM.

         
         

      2. TANF Employment Services - designed to strengthen families and remove barriers to employment;
          

      3. TANF Employment Support Services - for work, as well as training and education.
          

3. Refer to 2000 and 3000 for more specific information on TANF and Employment Services available in the Successful Families Program.

1112 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to promote the general welfare and to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's population by raising the levels of nutrition among low-income households by supplementing food budgets and providing nutrition education.  The Program was formerly called the Food Assistance Program until the Program was reauthorized by Public Law 110-246, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008. The Food Stamp Act of 1977 is now called the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008.

In Kansas, the program is called the Food Assistance Program.  Benefits of the Food Assistance Program are 100% federally funded.

1113 Reserved

1114 Child Care (CC) - The primary goals of the Child Care program are to promote family economic self-sufficiency and to help children succeed in school and in life through affordable, high-quality early care and education and after school programs.

A quality initiative using Head Start and Early Head Start sites began in State Fiscal Year 1999. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers are determined eligible by the Early Head Start/Head Start agencies for full-day, full year services. Child care subsidy is only utilized in certain circumstances. See 10021.1 (8). Coordination will be necessary between the local DCF offices and the EHS/HS agencies. See 1728.

The Child Care Program pools funding from the following funding streams: State funds, Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Federal funds, Social Services Block Grant Transfer funds, TANF Transfer funds into CCDF and direct TANF spending.

1115 Reserved

1116 Reserved

1117 Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) - The LIEAP program is 100% federally funded and provides a supplemental payment to eligible low income households for the purpose of assisting them in meeting their heating and/or cooling energy costs. The type and amount of assistance will vary from year to year according to the amount of federal funding which supports the program.

1118 Lump Sum Non-Recurrent Diversion Payment - The $1,000.00 Lump Sum Non-Recurrent Diversion Payment is available to first time adult TANF applicants. It is designed to help TANF eligible adults with dependent children when there is a crisis or emergency hardship that would endanger their ability to remain employed or to accept an offer of employment. The Diversion Payment is an option for families applying for TANF benefits to meet immediate short term needs. To be eligible:

• No household members can have received TANF benefits as an adult or emancipated minor in Kansas or any other state,
  
  
• Adults in the family cannot be receiving SSI or be ineligible non-citizens.
  
  
• The family may not have received a diversion payment in the past.
  
  
• At least one adult in the household must have employment or have a valid offer of employment.
  
  
• The family TANF benefit for a one year period cannot be less than $1,000.00. A working family who qualifies for $82.00 or less a month in TANF benefits would not be eligible.
  
  
• The family must have a documented crisis or emergency that will jeopardize existing employment (including established self–employment) or prevent the family from accepting a valid offer of employment.

Applicants who accept the Diversion Payment option will remain ineligible for TANF benefits for one calendar year following the receipt of the lump sum payment. Adult recipients of the Diversion payment and the Mandatory Filing Units ( MFU) they are associated with will have their Life-Time Limit for TANF benefits reduced by six months in the state of Kansas.

The Diversion payment program will be based on need. All needs must be documented. Examples of emergency hardships or crisis would include but are not limited to car repairs, clothing for employment, tools for employment, moving expenses to relocate for employment, eviction notices, utility shut-off notices, or hardships created when mothers go on unpaid maternity leave. The family must provide proof of need and the $1000.00 payment must meet the entire need. For example, if the family owed back rent of $2000.00, they would not qualify for the diversion payment.

Upon opting for the one-time diversion payment all adults and any MFU they are associated with would become ineligible for TANF benefits for the period of one year. All adults in the MFU are required to sign a disclaimer attesting to the fact they have been informed of, understand and accept the conditions of the Diversion Payment as explained in the disclaimer.