Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 20 - Division of County Operations › Rule 016.20.98-010 - FSC 98-4: Food Stamp Certification Manual - Food Stamp Program Requirement to Work (RTW) Waivers

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
The Department of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Service,
				granted the State permission to waive the Food Stamp Program Requirement to
				Work (RTW) in the following areas:
1. Bradley County
10. Izard County
19. Ouachita County
2. Calhoun County
11. Jackson County
20. Phillips County
3. Chicot County
12. Lafayette County
21. Pine Bluff in Jefferson County
4. Clay County
13. Lawrence County
5. Columbia County
14. Lee County
22. Prairie County
6. Dallas County
15. Little River County
23. Randolph County
7. Desha County
16. Mississippi County
24. St. Francis County
8. Drew County
17. Monroe County
25. Union County
9. Hempstead County
18. Nevada County
26. Van Buren County
27. Woodruff County
Each of these areas was identified by the Department of Labor
				as a labor surplus area for the period October 1, 1997, through September 30,
				1998. No Food Stamp Program participant who actually lives in one of these
				areas will be disqualified for failure to comply with the RTW.
Counties Where the RTW Waiver is Being
				Continued
The RTW waiver will continue without interruption in the
				following areas:
Bradley County
Jackson County
Phillips County
Calhoun County
Lafayette County
Pine Bluff
Chicot County
Lee County
Randolph County
Dallas County
Little River County
St. Francis County
Desha County
Mississippi County
Van Buren County
Hempstead County
Ouachita County
Woodruff County
No special actions are required in these counties.
Counties Where the RTW Waiver has Been
				Discontinued
Effective April 1,1998, both the RTW waiver that applies to
				Miller County and the RTW waiver that applies to Perry County will end. A
				notice will be automatically be generated to all food stamp households in
				Miller County and Perry County except those households composed entirely of
				aged and/or disabled members. A sample of this notice is attached to this
				directive.
Instructions for establishing the first month of the 36 month
				compliance period in Miller and Perry counties are as follows:
* For any individual household member who is participating in
				the Food Stamp Program on April 1,1998, the first month of the compliance
				period is April 1998.
* For any other individual household member, the first month of
				the compliance period will be the first month of participation after April
				1,1998. ,
See FSC RTW 3610 (attached to PD FSC 97-12) for additional
				information about determining compliance periods.
Miller County and Perry County will resume tracking individuals
				who are subject to the RTW. Tracking methods are left to the county's
				discretion.
Counties Where the RTW Waiver is Effective
				for the First Time
Effective March 1, 1998, the RTW will be waived for the first
				time in the following counties;
Clay County
Izard County
Nevada County
Columbia County
Lawrence County
Prairie County
Drew County
Monroe County
Union County
In these counties, each case will be reviewed at application
				approval, when the next quarterly report is processed, or when the next
				reported change is processed. The purpose of the review will be to determine if
				a member (or members) has been disqualified for failure to comply with the RTW.
				If a member has been disqualified, the household will be contacted to determine
				if this individual is still a household member. Additional action will be
				required only if the disqualified individual is still a household
				member.
If the disqualified individual is still a household member,
				the worker will ask if this member is currently working or has any unearned
				income. (Verification of declared income will be requested. In questionable
				situations, verification of household composition may be requested. If the
				requested verification is not supplied within the proper time frames, the case
				will be closed.)
The member's work registration status will also be determined.
				If the household member is still subject to work registration, a
Notification of Work Registration
(DCO-260) will be completed and issued to the household if the member is still
				subject to the work registration requirements.
When a member who was disqualified due to the RTW is added back
				to the food stamp case, the worker must determine if benefits were lost after
				March 1,1998, due to the imposition of an sanction. If yes, benefits will be
				restored for any months when a loss occurred beginning March 1,1998, because
				the member was disqualified.
Example 1:
A quarterly report is
				processed in May. A member who was disqualified for failure to comply with the
				RTW is added back to the food stamp case. Any benefits lost in March and April
				due to the RTW disqualification will be restored. A supplement will be issued
				for any benefits lost in May due to the RTW disqualification. ,
Example 2
: An application is processed
				in May. The only household member was disqualified for failure to comply with
				the RTW. The household did not participate in March or April due to the
				imposition of the RTW disqualification. The household may be entitled to a
				restoration of benefits for March and April.
See FSC 13000 -13360 for instructions on authorizing
				supplemental and restored benefits. Before restored benefits are authorized,
				the worker must identify any information and/or verification needed to
				determine the exact amount of restoration due for each month in which a loss
				possibly occurred. The household must provide any needed information before the
				restoration is authorized. See FSC 13310. These restorations will be subject to
				offset if the household has an unpaid overpayment. See FSC 13320.
Who Is Covered by the Waiver
The RTW waivers apply to individual recipients who actually
				live in an area covered by a waiver. This statement remains true no matter
				which county a household selects as its service county under the alternate
				service provisions in FSC 1301 -1304. When a food stamp household actually
				lives in an area not covered by an RTW waiver, the RTW will apply. Conversely,
				if a food stamp household actually lives in an area covered by an RTW waiver,
				household members will not be subject to the RTW. These rules apply regardless
				of the service county selected by the food stamp household.
If a food stamp household physically moves into an area covered
				by an RTW waiver, household members will no longer be subject to the RTW. If a
				household member is currently disqualified for failure to comply with the RTW,
				the disqualification will be ended. However, no benefits will be restored
				and/or supplemented due to the lifting of the disqualification following the
				move.
Tracking
Food stamp recipients who are subject to the RTW should be
				tracked. Tracking methods are left to the county's discretion. In counties
				where there is an RTW waiver, it will only be necessary to track food stamp
				recipients who live in an area covered by an RTW waiver. In these counties it
				is not necessary to determine the 36 month period of participation except for
				members of food stamp households who actually live in an area not covered by an
				RTW waiver.
Waiver Expiration
				Date
These waivers are effective until further notice.
INQUIRIES TO:
Betty Helmbeck, Food Stamp Section,
				682-8284
NOTICE TO FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS MILLER AND PERRY
				COUNTIES
EFFECTIVE APRIL 1,1998, PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE FOOD STAMP BENEFITS
				MUST COMPLY WITH THE FOOD STAMP PROGRAM
REQUIREMENT TO WORK
UNLESS
				THEY ARE EXEMPT.
The following people are exempt from the
REQUIREMENT TO
				WORK:
* People age 17 and younger;
* People age 50 and older;
* Pregnant women;
* People who are medically certified as disabled; and
* People who are not required to register for work - for
				example, full time students, people who care for disabled adults, people who
				are drawing unemployment benefits and people who are working full time.
To comply with the
REQUIREMENT TO WORK,
a person
				must work at least 20 hours per week or participate in one of the following
				programs:
* A Jobs Training Partnership Act (JTPA) Program;
* A Trade Adjustment Act (TRA) Program;
* A Food Stamp Employment and Training (E&T) Program other
				than job search or job search training;
* A Workfare Program; or
* An Office of Refugee Resettlement Training Program.
People who fail to comply with the
REQUIREMENT TO WORK
for at least three months out of a 36 month period while they are
				receiving food stamp benefits will no longer be allowed to receive food stamp
				benefits.
Please call your local DHS County Office or our Customer
				Assistance Office if you need more information.
Miller County - (870) 773-0563 or TDD (870) 772-3813 for
				hearing impaired
Perry County - (501) 889-5105
Customer Assistance - 1-800-482 -8988 or TDD (501) 682-8275 for
				hearing impaired