Arkansas Administrative Code › Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES › Division 20 - Division of County Operations › Rule 016.20.98-034 - FSC 99-2: Changes to section 3000 of the Food Stamp Certification (FSC) Manual - The Requirement to Work Policy has been updated and rewritten for clarity.

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 6, June, 2024
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SUMMARY OF CHANGES FSC 3000
* The policy has been generally updated and rewritten for
				clarity.
* All policy about Project Success has been deleted.
* Policy about the AFDC Program has been changed to comply with
				the TEA Program requirements.
* The terminology "food stamp allotments" has been replaced
				with the terminology "food stamp benefits."
Specific changes are listed below:
FSC 3100
- Information about the E&T Program
				has been deleted. Information about the requirement to work (RTW) has been
				added.
FSC 3110
- This section,
Work Registration
				Terminology,
has been deleted.
FSC 3120
- This section,
Head of
				Household,
has been deleted.
FSC 3121 - This section,
Determining Head of Household
				at Time of Violation,
has been deleted.
FSC 3310.1
- This section now contains general
				information about work registration at reported change.
FSC 3310.2
- This section now contains specific
				information about work registration when a reported change is not submitted via
				a quarterly report.
FSC 3310.3 - This section now contains specific information
				about work registration due to information reported on a quarterly
				report.
FSC 3320 - This section has been updated to include the new
				work registration codes used for individuals subject to the RTW.
Policy sections FSC 3400 to FSC 3650 have been
				completely rewritten. A description of the contents of these policy sections
				follows:
FSC 3400 - This section explains compliance with the work
				registration requirements.
FSC 3401 - This section defines a work registration
				violation.
FSC 3401.1 - This section explains a voluntary quit.
FSC 3401.2 - This section explains the information the
				household must supply to verify the status of a possible voluntary quit.
FSC 3410 - This section explains the sanctions to be imposed on
				an individual who commits a work registration violation.
FSC 3411 - This section explains good cause for failure to
				comply with the work registration requirements. This includes voluntary
				quits.
FSC 3412 - This section explains how to apply a work
				registration sanction.
FSC 3413 - This section explains how to apply a sanction when a
				voluntary quit occurs.
FSC 3414 - This section explains how to apply a sanction when a
				household member fails to comply with an ESD requirement.
FSC 3420 - This section explains when to impose a sanction at
				application and for participating households.
FSC 3430 - This section explains the notices required at the
				time a sanction is imposed.
FSC 3440 - This section explains how an individual may avoid or
				end a sanction through compliance.
FSC 3441 - This section explains how a sanction follows the
				individual even if the individual moves from one household to another.
FSC 3442 - This section explains how an individual may
				reestablish eligibility at the end of a sanction period.
FSC 3500 - This section explains who is subject to the
				requirement to work (RTW).
FSC 3510 - This section explains how to establish the 36 month
				RTW compliance period.
FSC 3520 - This section explains how to disqualify individuals
				who fail to comply with the RTW.
FSC 3521 - This section provides a checklist that may be used
				to establish RTW compliance.
FSC 3522 to 3522.1 - These sections explain how to disqualify a
				member for failure to comply with the RTW at the time of initial
				application.
FSC 3523 to 3523.1 - These sections explain how to disqualify a
				member for failure to comply with the RTW at the time of
				recertification.
FSC 3524 to 3524.1 - These sections explain how to disqualify a
				member for failure to comply with the RTW at the time a quarterly report is
				processed.
FSC 3525 - This section explains how to disqualify a member for
				failure to comply with the RTW when a reported change is processed.
FSC 3526 - This section specifies the information to be
				included on a notice to be issued when an individual is disqualified for
				failure to comply with the RTW.
FSC 3530-3532 - These sections explain how an individual may
				regain eligibility through RTW compliance.
FSC 3540 - This section explains what the county's
				responsibilities are when a household reapplies after an RTW sanction has been
				imposed.
FSC 3550 - This section explains the RTW waivers granted to
				counties with high unemployment rates.
FSC 3600 - This section contains a general explanation of the
				Food Stamp E&T Program.
FSC 3610 - This section explains how to refer cases to the Food
				Stamp E&T Program.
FSC 3611 - This section explains how household changes reported
				after E&T referral will be handles in the county office.
FSC 3620 - This section defines E&T Program
				noncompliance.
FSC 3630 - This section explains how to handle an E&T case
				when the food stamp case closes.
FSC 3640 -This section explains how to calculate E&T
				Program savings.
FSC 3650 -This section describes some of the things a county
				must do to operate an E&T Program.
The policy in FSC 3700 to FSC 3790 now contains the
				policy for operating an optional Workfare Program. There have been no major
				changes in these policy sections.
INQUIRIES TO: Betty Helmbeck, Food Stamp Section, (501)
				682-8284
SECTION: WORK REGISTRATION
3100
The Work Registration
			 Requirements - Summary
The Food Stamp Act requires all able bodied participating
				adults, with specific exceptions, to meet certain work related requirements.
				These requirements are prerequisites to eligibility and certification which
				cannot be waived. (See FSC 9443 for procedures on expedited
				applications.)
Work registrants must:
1.
If referred, participate in a work
			 program including the Food Stamp Employment and Training (E&T) Program or a
			 workfare program;
2.
Respond to any requests from a county office worker for information
			 regarding employment status or availability for work; and
3.
Accept a bona fide offer of suitable
			 employment at a wage not less than the higher of the applicable state or
			 federal minimum wage.
Voluntary Quit
Any individual who is not otherwise exempt from the work
				registration requirements will be subject to sanction if he or she voluntarily
				quits a job without good cause or voluntarily reduces his or her work effort to
				less than 30 hours per week.
Requirement to Work
				(RTW)
Able bodied individuals between the ages of 18 and 49 who
				are not pregnant or the parent of a minor dependent child are subject to the
				RTW. Any individual subject to the RTW will be ineligible to receive food stamp
				benefits if, during a 36 month period, he or she received food stamp benefits
				for at least three months while he or she did not work at least 20 hours per
				week or participate in and comply with a specified work
				program.