2243 Hardship Status - There is a twenty-four-month time limit to receive TANF assistance. If all mandatory TANF adults do not meet a hardship criteria, the case is to close at the end of the 24th month. To engage in client driven services sooner, hardship status is to be determined by the 12th month of TANF assistance or as it becomes known to the agency. This hardship status, which allows families to receive TANF assistance beyond the twenty-four-month time limit, is to be granted when all adult TANF recipients meet one or more of the following criteria. For Hardship reason #5, the approval is granted by the executive review team:
Is involved with Prevention and Protection Services (PPS) and has an open social service plan verified by contact with PPS. An IST staffing should occur prior to using this hardship and every six months once invoked.
(Coding on KAECSES/KSCares: PRAP - Hardship code = SS; JOPR - NA/MD; SESP - PPS)
NOTE: The hardship code FE (Fully Engaged) is not an appropriate code to use once a case reaches 24- months. Only the codes indicated in Hardships 1-3 would apply. Cases which have closed after reaching the 24-month time limit (either in Kansas or another state) are not eligible for assistance. Hardships may extend eligibility for TANF assistance to 36 months if approval is granted by committee.
All TANF cases are to close once 36 months of assistance has been received.
NOTE: Hardship determination is made by a panel, consisting of Deputy Secretary of ISD, the Economic and Employment Support Director, the PPS Director (or designee) or Rehabilitation Services Director (or designee), a Regional Director and the TANF Program Manager. No cash assistance case may exceed 36 months of assistance.
2243.1 Non-Cooperation with Work Programs When in Hardship Status - For individuals who meet hardship status 1 - 5 and the recipient is not cooperating with Work Programs, the following applies:
TANF eligibility for the entire TANF family will cease, giving timely and adequate notice, when a non-exempt adult recipient is no longer cooperating with Work Programs and does not meet good cause. As the family is over 24- months, there is no future eligibility once the case has been closed. In addition to notifying the recipient of non-cooperation, the recipient is also to be notified that the life-time limit has expired. However, should the agency fail to specifically mention the life-time limit expiration at time of closure, eligibility cannot be re-established based upon this omission.
See also Section 3500 for work non-cooperation issues.
2243.2 Non-Cooperation with Child Support When in Hardship Status - For individuals in hardship status 1 - 5 who receive a penalty for failing to cooperate with child support enforcement, the following applies:
TANF eligibility for the entire TANF family will cease, giving timely and adequate notice, when a non-exempt adult recipient is no longer cooperating with CSS and does not meet good cause. If the family is over 24- months, there is no future eligibility once the case has been closed. In addition to notifying the recipient of non-cooperation, the recipient is also to be notified that the life-time limit has expired. However, should the agency fail to specifically mention the life-time limit expiration at time of closure, eligibility cannot be re-established based upon this omission.
See also Section 3500 for work non-cooperation issues.