STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL                                        09-30-11
REHABILITATION SERVICES                                              
Integrated Services Delivery
Docking State Office Building
Room 581 - West
Topeka, Kansas 66612

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

A brief overview of the major changes is described below. Other clarifications and technical corrections are also included and described in the next section. Additional technical corrections not mentioned here are being incorporated in KEESM as needed.

Food Assistance - This revision implements a change in the treatment of income for non-citizen household members who are unable or unwilling to provide documentation of their immigrant status. Unable includes persons in the country illegally and unwilling includes persons who fail to comply with a request for immigrant documentation. If the non-citizen falls into either of these categories, their income and resources will be counted in full (SEPA code DF), instead of counting resources in full and only a pro rata share of their income to the remaining household members.

Successful Families – Children, ages 7 through 18, must be enrolled and attending school for families to remain eligible for TAF assistance.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. Food Assistance
   
   
1. Changes
   
   
   1. Non-Citizens Unable or Unwilling to Provide Immigrant Documentation – A new item is being added to 2143, Qualified Non-Citizen Status for Food Assistance. This new item, 2143.4, provides that persons unable to provide documentation include those in the country illegally, and persons unwilling to provide immigrant documentation include those that fail to respond to a request for information regarding immigrant status or documentation. This section is needed as these persons are now to be considered excluded household members (SEPA code DF) and their income will be counted in full. This change is an option allowed in the Federal Regulations and is being adopted to insure that households with illegal non-citizens are not advantaged over a similarly situated citizen household. A cross reference to 4212.3 is included. Additional information will be provided in the Implementation Memo.
      
      Note: Persons who are in the country legally and have provided immigrant documentation but who do NOT meet any of the criteria of 2143 (example student VISA) will continue to be considered disqualified and have their income prorated with a SEPA code of DI. Additional information will be provided in the Implementation Memo.
      
   
   
2. Clarifications
   
   

   None

2. Successful Families
   
   
1. Changes
   
   
   1. Child in Family – KEESM 2210 is being revised to include a new requirement that all school age children be enrolled and attending school, or are registered with the State of Kansas as home schooled, in order for the family to be eligible for assistance. Additional information will be provided in the Implementation Memo.
      
      Notice A800, School Enrollment Verification, has been created to obtain verification. The same document is also available as KEESM form ES-4103.
      
      
2. Clarifications
   
   
   1. Use of Cash Assistance Benefits – Clarification is being provided regarding how consumers are to use cash assistance benefits.
      
      KEESM 1111 is being updated to indicate that TAF assistance is to be used on shelter, utilities, school and basic household expenses for the TAF family.
      
      KEESM 1511.1 provides clarification that TAF assistance may not be used to purchase alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets.
      
      Information will be added to the ES-3100 and the ES-3100r. In addition, the back of the Notices of Action has been modified to add statements in English and Spanish to that effect.

FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

Successful Families

ES-4103, School Enrollment Verification

APPENDIX (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.

All Programs

X-5, Back of Notices of Action: The back of the system notices is being revised due to TAF changes on what can be purchased with TAF benefits and some requirements from USDA. When printing locally, be sure to use the new back page.

MISCELLANEOUS FORMS (Explanation provided if not mentioned previously in this summary.)

EFFECTIVE DATE

The policies in this revision are effective October 1, 2011.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF

The changes in this revision will require effort by field staff to implement. The changes in policy will increase the complexity of the decision making process for eligibility purposes. Depending on the specific policy change, staff will be required to make changes to current cases within the next 60 days.

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

COORDINATION EFFORTS

Within EES, the material in this letter and manual revision has been coordinated with staff in Economic and Employment Support, the EES Program Administrators, the Implementation Planning Team, and the Training Advisory Team.

Sincerely,
Kathe Decker, Director
Economic and Employment Support
KD:am