Source: http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/law/wsr/2011/04/11-04-062.htm
Timestamp: 2019-08-19 08:30:59
Document Index: 196560733

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388', '§ 388']

WSR 11-04-062
[ Filed January 27, 2011, 11:29 a.m. , effective March 1, 2011 ]
Purpose: The department is proposing to include federal supplemental security income (SSI) recipients as part of the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), or state family assistance (SFA), assistance unit and count their SSI income when determining the family's eligibility for cash assistance.
The department is proposing to amend by emergency adoption WAC 388-408-0020 When am I not allowed to be in a TANF or SFA assistance unit?, 388-408-0025 When can I choose who is in my TANF or SFA assistance unit?, 388-436-0002 If my family has an emergency, can I get help from DSHS to get or keep our housing or utilities?, 388-436-0020 CEAP assistance unit composition, 388-436-0040 Excluded income and resources for CEAP, 388-450-0025 What is unearned income?, and 388-470-0045 How do my resources count toward the resource limits for cash assistance and family medical programs?
These changes are necessary in response to a growing WorkFirst budget shortfall, driven by increased demand for services by families affected by the economic recession as described in the WorkFirst reductions announcement dated December 17, 2010.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-408-0020, 388-408-0025, 388-436-0002, 388-436-0020, 388-436-0040, 388-450-0025, and 388-470-0045.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.660, and 74.08.090.
Reasons for this Finding: The department needs to make further reductions to TANF-related programs in order to achieve a balanced WorkFirst budget for the current fiscal year (which ends June 30, 2011) and the 2011-13 biennium (which begins July 1, 2011). This shortfall is the result of increased demand for TANF benefits due to the economic recession. In the last two years, the WorkFirst caseload has grown by more than thirty percent, from 51,106 cases in July 2008 to 66,634 cases in June of this year.
In September 2010, the governor directed agencies to implement cuts by October 1 to avoid running out of state general funds to address a growing WorkFirst budget shortfall. In particular, the Governor's Executive Order 10-04 (Ordering Expenditure Reductions in Allotments of State General Fund Appropriations), signed on September 13, 2010, found that:
• Revenues have fallen short of projections;
• The current official state economic and revenue forecast of general fund revenues is less than the official estimate upon which the state's 2009-2011 biennial operating budget and supplemental operating budget were enacted; and
• The anticipated revenues combined with the beginning cash balance of the general fund are insufficient to meet anticipated expenditures from this fund for the remainder of the current fiscal period.
Accordingly, the governor ordered across-the-board reductions of state general fund allotments by 6.287 percent, effective October 1, 2010.
In November 2010, the departments announced further reductions to keep the WorkFirst budget in balanced [balance]. The projected WorkFirst deficit reached approximately $82 million for current fiscal year and $225 million for the next biennium.
In December, 2010:
The timing of the proposed budget reductions will lessen the adverse impact on families. If immediate budget reductions are not realized, the department will have to make additional cuts in the future to TANF/WorkFirst assistance programs to stay within budget. Additional cuts could include greater reduction in services than those currently proposed, and/or eliminating benefits rather than reducing them. These reductions would have a much greater detrimental effect on vulnerable families with children in need.
Date Adopted: January 24, 2011.
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 10-12-095, filed 6/1/10, effective 7/2/10)
(1) We do not include the following people in your TANF or SFA AU:
(a) A minor parent or child who has been placed in Title IV-E, state, or locally-funded foster care unless the placement is a temporary absence under WAC 388-454-0015;
(b) An adult parent in a two-parent household when:
(i) The other parent is unmarried and under the age of eighteen; and
(ii) We decide that your living arrangement is not appropriate under WAC 388-486-0005.
(c) A court-ordered guardian, court-ordered custodian, or other adult acting in loco parentis (in the place of a parent) if they are not a relative of one of the children in the AU as defined under WAC 388-454-0010((; or
(d) Someone who gets SSI benefits)).
(2) If someone that lives with you cannot be in the AU:
(a) We do not count them as a member of the AU when we determine the AU's payment standard; and
(b) We do not count their income unless they are financially responsible for a member of the AU under WAC 388-450-0095 through 388-450-0130.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. 10-12-095, § 388-408-0020, filed 6/1/10, effective 7/2/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 2000 2nd sp.s. c 1. 01-03-121, § 388-408-0020, filed 1/22/01, effective 3/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 74.04.510. 00-05-007, § 388-408-0020, filed 2/4/00, effective 3/6/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-408-0020, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
(1) If you are the parent of the child, you may choose whether or not to include: (a) ((Yourself in the AU if the child gets SSI; and
(b))) The child in the AU if:
(2) If you are not the child's parent, and do not live with the parents of the child, you may choose to: (a) Include yourself if you are a relative defined in WAC 388-454-0010;
(3) If you are the child's parent or caretaker relative, you may choose whether or not to include any of the following children: (a) ((Brothers or sisters of a child who gets SSI;
(b))) Stepsisters and stepbrothers of a child; and
(((c))) (b) Other children that are not the child's brother or sister.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-02-017, § 388-408-0025, filed 12/27/04, effective 1/27/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 2000 2nd sp.s. c 1. 01-03-121, § 388-408-0025, filed 1/22/01, effective 3/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-408-0025, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 04-07-023, filed 3/8/04, effective 4/8/04)
WAC 388-436-0002 If my family has an emergency, can I get help from DSHS to get or keep our housing or utilities? DSHS has a program called additional requirements for emergent needs (AREN). If your family has an emergency and you need assistance to get or keep safe housing or utilities, you may be eligible. The special AREN payment is in addition to the regular monthly cash grant your family may already get.
(b) Have an emergency housing or utility need; and
(c) Have a good reason that you do not have enough money to pay your housing or utility costs.
(a) AREN payments may be made up to a maximum of seven hundred fifty dollars in a consecutive twelve-month period.
(b) The number of AREN payments you can receive in a twelve-month period is not limited, as long as the total amount does not exceed seven hundred fifty dollars.
(c) The department may approve an AREN payment above the seven hundred fifty dollar maximum for health and safety reasons.
(d) The amount of AREN is in addition to the amount of your monthly TANF, SFA, or RCA cash grant.
(e) We will decide the lowest amount we must pay to end your housing or utility emergency. We will contact your landlord, utility company, or other vendor for information to make this decision. We may take any of the following steps when deciding the lowest amount to pay:
(iii) We may consider income that is excluded or disregarded for cash assistance benefit calculations((, such as SSI,)) as available to meet your emergency housing need.
(f) The seven hundred fifty dollar limit every twelve months applies to the following people even if they leave the assistance unit:
(8) We pay AREN:
(a) Directly to the landlord, mortgage company, utility, or other vendor whenever we can.
(b) If we cannot pay AREN directly to the landlord or other vendor, we will issue the AREN as a part of your TANF, SFA, or RCA cash grant. If we issue the AREN as a part of your grant, you must use it for your emergency need.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050 and 74.08A.340. 04-07-023, § 388-436-0002, filed 3/8/04, effective 4/8/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050. 00-22-064, § 388-436-0002, filed 10/27/00, effective 12/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, and 74.08.090. 99-14-046, § 388-436-0002, filed 6/30/99, effective 8/1/99.]
WAC 388-436-0020 CEAP assistance unit composition. (1) To be eligible for CEAP, a child must be living with:
(2) The following persons living in the household must be included as members of the CEAP assistance unit:
(3) The following persons living in the household do not have to be included but may be included as members at the option of the applicant:
(4) The following persons may make up a CEAP assistance unit without including others living in the home:
(5) ((The following persons living in the household)) Household members ineligible due to reasons stated in WAC 388-436-0025 and 388-436-0030 are not included as members of the CEAP assistance unit((:
(b) A household member ineligible due to reasons stated in WAC 388-436-0025 and 388-436-0030)).
WAC 388-436-0040 Excluded income and resources for CEAP. Resources and income listed below will not be considered in determining need or payment for CEAP:
(10) ((Income and resources of an SSI recipient;
(11))) Livestock when the products are consumed by members of the assistance unit;
(((12))) (11) All resources and income excluded for the TANF program under WAC 388-470-0045 and by federal law.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057. 04-05-010, § 388-436-0040, filed 2/6/04, effective 3/8/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-436-0040, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]
(c) Social Security benefits, ((())including:
(i) Retirement benefits((,));
(ii) Disability benefits((, and));
(iii) Benefits for survivors; and
(iv) Supplemental security income (SSI)((;)).
(2) For food assistance we also count the total amount of cash benefits due to you before any reductions caused by your failure (or the failure of someone in your assistance unit) to perform an action required under a federal, state, or local means-tested public assistance program, such as TANF/SFA, GA, and SSI.
(k) ((The income and resources of an SSI recipient;
(l))) A bank account jointly owned with an SSI recipient if SSA already counted the money for SSI purposes;
(((m))) (l) Foster care payments provided under Title IV-E and/or state foster care maintenance payments;
(((n))) (m) Adoption support payments;
(((o))) (n) Self-employment accounts receivable that the client has billed to the customer but has been unable to collect;
(((p))) (o) Resources specifically excluded by federal law; and
(((q))) (p) For medical benefits((,)) only:
(i) Receipts from exercising federally protected rights or extracted exempt resources (fishing, shell-fishing, timber sales, etc.) during the month of receipt for a member of a federally recognized tribe;
(ii) The income and resources of an SSI recipient.