STATE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL                                        04-16-10
REHABILITATION SERVICES                                                
Integrated Services Delivery
Docking State Office Building
Room 681 - 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.

All Programs – This revision implements changes regarding Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants. A law was passed in December 2009 that now treats these special immigrants to the same extent and for the same time periods as refugees. With this revision, Policy Memo 08-06-01 is being obsoleted.

Child Care – Wording is being added/changed to indicate that on-site visits to enrolled child care providers may be made in response to non-compliance with SRS policies and procedures. Previous wording in KEESM said that staff would make on-site visits in response to non-compliance, but that is not always possible.

Food Assistance and TAF– This revision implements changes intended to speed up processing of applications and changes by loosening verification requirements. For TAF and food assistance, verification of dependent care expenses are no longer mandatory. The customer’s statement shall be accepted unless questionable. If the expense is questionable, verification can be required from the customer before the expense can be allowed. For food assistance, the same also applies to the verification of shelter costs. The customer’s statement regarding shelter costs shall be accepted and budgeted, unless the expenses are questionable. If questionable, verification shall be requested and if not provided, then existing rules apply when verification is not provided. In addition, for food assistance, the claim of separate household status from others residing in the home shall be accepted, unless questionable. If questionable, completion of the FP-1013 or V030 can be requested.

With this change, we are also now mandating the checking of BARI and BASI at the time of application, review and IR processing. Most staff statewide are already doing these checks at application and review, and we are adding it at the time of IR processing as well as a corrective action measure.

For food assistance, several technical corrections are also being included.

Successful Families – This revision provides changes and clarifications of budgeting current and arrearage child support payments, including the month of application processing. These changes are necessary due to the DRA requirements implemented by Child Support Enforcement in October 2009.

Clarification is given regarding proration of TAF benefits when a customer cooperates after a sanction and within 45 days of the date of the application, if the application is received in the month following the effective date of closure. In these situations, benefits are not prorated.

DESCRIPTION, PURPOSE, AND DETAILS OF POLICY CHANGE

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Eligible Non-Citizens – A change is being made to 2142.1 and 2143.1 regarding Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants. Effective with a law passed December 19, 2009, Iraqi and Afghani special immigrants are eligible for cash, medical, child care and food assistance benefits to the same extent and for the same time periods as refugees. A new Appendix item, A-13 is being included to provide the verification documents that will confirm Iraqi or Afghani special immigrant status. With this change, Policy Memo 08-06-01 is being obsoleted.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Civil Rights Complaints – A technical correction is being made to Section 1630 and subsections. The name of the Central Office Section has been changed from Civil Rights/EEO Section to Office of Human Resources, EEO Section.
         
         
      2. Whereabouts of Recipient Unknown – A clarification is being included in section 9124 regarding allowing 10 days for the customer to advise the agency of his/her whereabouts or the case will be closed.
         
         
      3. Responsibility to Supply Information – KEESM 1212.2 is being corrected to reflect the same policy as 1321.6 regarding the date information is considered received when delivered via drop box or mail slot during non-business hours.
         
         
2. Child Care
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. SRS Staff Responsibilities Related to Providers (Excluding In-Home) – Wording has been moved from 10035, item 4.c. to item 2 to indicate that on site visits to child care providers may be made in response to non-compliance regarding SRS policies and procedures. Wording has also been changed in section 10036.3, item 3 to indicate that contact will be made with providers in response to non-compliance, with on- site visits encouraged.
         
         
      2. Child Care Plan Authorization - Sleep Time for Children – Wording is being modified in Policy Memo 04-03-02 to coincide with current policy of determining a weekly schedule and using the child care worksheet to determine total plan hours.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      

      None

3. Food Assistance and TAF
   

1. Changes
   
   
   1. Mandatory Verification – Mandatory verifications are being modified with this revision.
      
      For Food Assistance and TAF, dependent care expenses need only to be verified if questionable. For food assistance, shelter expenses are no longer a mandatory verification item and need only be verified if questionable. The customers statement as to the amount of the expense will be accepted unless questionable. 1322.2 and 1322.3 have been modified accordingly. In addition, corresponding changes have been made to Appendix item T-10. This change should help to speed up processing of applications, reviews and case changes.
      
      In addition, for food assistance, a claim of separate household status shall be verified only if questionable. If not questionable, the statement of the customer shall be accepted. The FP-1013 or V030 only need to be completed if the claim of separate household status is questionable. A corresponding change is also being made to 9333.
      
      Corresponding changes are also being made to 9121.2, regarding verification at the time a change is reported. And for food assistance, corresponding changes are being made to 9122.6, regarding verification at the time of the interim report.
      
      Along with these changes, the checking of BARI and BASI for all adult recipients is being mandated. The checks are to occur at application, review and IR processing. These checks will insure that unreported income is discovered to eliminate or lessen the resulting overpayment. Section 1322.2 has been modified accordingly.
      
      
2. Clarifications
   
   
   1. Face-to-Face Interview – A technical correction is being made to 1411, General Information, regarding interviews. Either a face-to-face or telephone interview is required for food assistance and TAF at the time of application.
      
      
4. Food Assistance
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      None
      
      
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Expedited Service – A technical correction is being made to 1415.1(3). Reference to online applications and the signed signature page are being removed. In addition, a second technical correction is being made to 1415.2(1) regarding interviews.
         
         
      2. Included Members – A technical correction is being made to 4211(4). The last sentence of that item should have been removed with the October 2009 revision.
         
         
      3. Child Support and Alimony – A technical correction is being made to section 7124 when discussing voluntary support. The wording “one of” should have been removed from the second sentence of the second paragraph with the October 2009 revision. It has now been removed and is consistent within this section.
         
         
5. Successful Families
   
   
   1. Changes
      
      
      1. Child Support and Alimony Income – For TAF cases opened or reopened (with a break in assistance) on or after October 1, 2009, SRS cannot retain collections applied to support that accrued before TAF approval/eligibility. In certain situations, current support payments are treated as arrearages by CSE. For ease of processing TAF applications, current child support received between the first day of the month of application and the date the application is processed will be budgeted as income for those month(s). Any prospective child support received in the initial month, after TAF approval and passed on to the customer, will be exempt as income for that month.
         
         KEESM 7124.2 is being added to provide material related to this change.
         
         
   2. Clarifications
      
      
      1. Assignment of Support and Effective Date of Assignment – KEESM 2164 clarifies child support assignment rights upon approval for TAF assistance.
         
         
      2. Child Support Budgeting – KEESM 6410 (10) clarifies the budgeting of assigned current and arrearage child support payments based on policy changes in 7124.2.
         
         
      3. Proration of TAF applications after sanctions – KEESM 7401 is being clarified to align with KEESM 3522. There is no proration of TAF benefits if an application is filed within 30 days of the date of closure and cooperation is obtained within the 45 days of the date of the application.

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

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

Food Assistance

1. P-1, Medical Necessity – A clarification is being provided regarding allowing medically necessary items or services for food assistance. Proper documentation of medical necessity from an appropriate medical practitioner is only needed if the expense is questionable. For example, for food assistance, the need for diabetic supplies shall only be documented if questionable.
   
   
2. T-10, Food Stamp Shelter Changes Chart.

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

All policies in this revision are effective May 1, 2010, and these policies apply to all applications and reviews received or processed on or after that date unless stated otherwise. For ongoing cases the changes and clarifications are applicable at the time of the next review/IR or case change involving the affected policy. Additional information is being included in the Implementation Memo.

EFFECT ON LOCAL STAFF

All Programs: This change will help staff by relieving them of the task of verifying expenses unless deemed questionable. Adding the requirement to check BARI and BASI at the time of the IR, will cause more work for some staff, but we believe this is an acceptable trade off for no longer requiring the verification of shelter and dependent care expenses.

Child Care: This change will have minimal impact on staff.

Successful Families: This change will help staff by relieving them of the task of verifying Child Support court order dates and will make budgeting of child support easier.

MATERIALS OBSOLETED BY THIS REVISION

1. C-21, Child Care Plan Hour Worksheet, is being removed because it became obsolete with the introduction of item W-13, Child Care Plan Hours Worksheet.
   
   
2. Policy Memo 08-06-01, Iraqi and Afghani Special Immigrants: Special Eligibility Policies for Food Assistance, Cash and Medical Benefits
   
   
3. Policy Memo 06-09-03, Presumptive Medical Disability Determinations, is being obsoleted. The GA/PMD instructions laid out and revised in the policy memo are being incorporated into KEESM sections 2662.1, 2662.4(3), and 2663 of this revision.
   
   
4. The following items are being obsoleted and removed from the Miscellaneous Memos site:
   
   
   1. KCSDV SFY 2008 Contract, 12/22/06
      
      
   2. Implementation of Medicare Part D Co-Payment Assistance Program
      
      
   3. School Lunch Printouts, 7/15/05 and 7/14/06
      
      
   4. Hurricane Katrina Caseload Cleanup, 5/31/06, Revised 6/07/06
      
      
   5. FS-Increase in SUA, 1/19/06
      
      
   6. TEFAP Hurricane Instructions, 9/02/05
      
      
   7. Notices, 5/12/05
      
      
   8. TANF 60 month time limit, 1/22/01, Revised 4/01/05
      
      
   9. The following items are being obsoleted with needed information included in the May 2010 revision of the SRS Online Application Implementation Instructions:
      
      
      • Self-Assessment and Online Application Implementation Instructions
        
        
      • Online Application Flowchart
        
        
      • Online Application Navigation
        
        
      • Online Application Spanish Translations

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, the Training Advisory Team.   Successful Families material has been coordinated with the Work Experience/Community Service Work Site Development/Utilization Work Group, SRS Legal, and KCSDV.

Sincerely,
Bobbi Mariani, Director
Economic and Employment Support
BM:AM: