Code of Maine Rules › 10 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › 144 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES - GENERAL › Chapter 331 - PUBLIC ASSISTANCE MANUAL (TANF) › Introduction and General Definitions

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
On October 1, 1996, the Department of Health and Human
				  Services submitted a State Plan to the Secretary of Health and Human Services
				  to eliminate and replace its Aid for Families with Dependent Children Program
				  with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as authorized by the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of
				  1996
. The Department refers to its financial assistance programs under
				  this Act as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Parents as Scholars
				  (PaS) programs. These programs provide assistance to families while parents
				  prepare for, accept, and retain employment which supports them. The job
				  preparation program is referred to as ASPIRE-TANF or ASPIRE-PaS.
Federal and State statutes provide the authority for
				  TANF/PaS. Maine statutes place the responsibility for administering these
				  programs with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services ("Department").
				  Within the Department, the program is administered by the Office for Family
				  Independence (OFI).
The TANF/PaS programs are administered in a manner consistent
				  with the objectives of the programs and respect the rights, privacy and
				  personal dignity of the individual under the United States Constitution, the
Social Security Act
and the
Civil Rights Act of
				  1964
.
(1) The TANF Program is
				a financial assistance program for needy families with dependent
				children.
(2) The PaS Program is a
				student financial aid program based on need limited to 2000 parents who have
				dependent children. (Chapter X).
Families who are otherwise eligible for the TANF program who
				  seek one-time, short-term assistance to obtain or retain employment may elect
				  Alternative Aid Assistance instead of TANF. Alternative Aid Assistance is
				  described in Chapter IX.
In addition to the basic TANF/PaS programs and the one-time,
				  short-term Alternative Aid Assistance program, the Department administers a
				  limited program of Emergency Assistance (EA) described in Chapter VIII.
All individuals have the right to apply for any assistance
				  without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender orientation,
				  religion, or handicap.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, no
				  qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be
				  excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of the services, programs
				  or activities of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, or be
				  subjected to discrimination by the Maine Department of Health and Human
				  Services.
Additionally, applicants and recipients are assured
				  confidentiality, equitable and courteous treatment and may appeal decisions and
				  have fair hearings should they disagree with any action taken affecting their
				  benefit.
Furthermore, the Department provides interpreters at no cost
				  to non-English speaking individuals applying for or participating in Department
				  Programs.
Assistance may not be given to a family that includes an
				  adult who has received assistance for 60 or more months, whether or not
				  consecutive, under any TANF cash assistance program, including PaS. The
				  Department shall disregard any month for which assistance was provided with
				  respect to the individual and during which the individual was:
(1) a minor child and not the head of a
				household or married to the head of a household,
(2) an adult who lived in Indian country
				during a month when at least 50% of the adults living on the reservation were
				unemployed, or
(3) in a family
				receiving the enhanced earned income disregard.
Extension of benefits beyond 60 months is explained in
				  Chapter I, Time Limit.
A
Acceptable Medical or Mental Health Source
- The
				  following are acceptable medical sources:
Licensed physicians;
										Physician's assistants;
										Nurse Practitioners;
										Licensed osteopaths;
										Licensed or certified psychologists;
										Licensed podiatrists for impairments of the foot and/or
					 ankle;
										Qualified speech-language pathologists for speech and
					 language impairments only;
										Licensed optometrist for the measurement of visual
					 acuity and visual fields; and
										Persons authorized to provide copies of the summaries
					 of medical records of medical institutions.
ADA
-
Americans with Disabilities Act of
				  1990
, P.L.
				  101-336. 104 Stat. 328 (1990).
Additional Support for People in Retraining and
				  Employment - ASPIRE -
The employment and training program for TANF/PaS
				  recipients.
Adequate Notice
- Written notification provided
				  to the individual no later than the date of intended action or the date
				  benefits would have been received. Adequate notice includes a statement of the
				  action the agency intends to take, the reason for the action, the agency policy
				  and state and federal regulations supporting the action, the right to request a
				  fair hearing, the person to contact for additional information, the
				  availability of continued benefits and liability for such benefits if found
				  ineligible in the hearing decision.
Administrative Error
- An action or lack of
				  action by the Department resulting in the underpayment or overpayment of an
				  individual's level of benefit or resulting in an incorrect determination of
				  eligibility or ineligibility.
Adverse Action
- Decision intended to
				  discontinue, terminate, disqualify/sanction, or reduce assistance, or to impose
				  such conditions as protective payments or participation requirements.
Affordable child care -
Affordable child care
				  arrangements are those for which the participant incurs minimal (TCC parent
				  fee) or no cost or is reimbursed by another program such as ASPIRE or through a
				  deduction for child care from income by the TANF program or by any combination
				  of these methods.
Alien
- A person residing in the United States
				  who is not a United States citizen.
Alien Sponsor
- A person or any public or
				  private agency or organization who executed an affidavit of support or similar
				  agreement on behalf of an alien (who is neither the child of the sponsor nor
				  the sponsor's spouse) as a condition of the alien's entry into the United
				  States.
Allocation
- A deduction from one person's
				  income for the maintenance needs of others.
AmeriCorps
- A network of national service
				  programs that aim to improve lives and foster civic engagement. The Corporation
				  for National and Community Service administers several AmeriCorps programs,
				  which include AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps
				  National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
Annuity
- A contract under which a sum is paid
				  yearly or at other specific times in return for the prior payment of a fixed
				  sum.
Anticipated Change
- A change that is expected to
				  occur in the future.
Applicant
- A person who has submitted a request
				  for assistance for whom no decision has been made regarding eligibility, and
				  whose application has not been acted upon or voluntarily withdrawn.
Application
- A request for assistance made by
				  submitting a signed and dated application document (including electronic
				  format) including a name and address.
Application Date
- The date an application is
				  received by the Department.
ASPIRE Support Services
- Supports paid for by
				  the Department for such services as child care, transportation, eye and dental
				  care. These supports enable the participant to comply with their signed Family
				  Contract Amendment.
Assets
- Cash, other liquid resources or real or
				  personal property.
Assignment of Rights to Support
- A process
				  whereby the right to receive and collect an individual's child support is
				  transferred to the Department for the purpose of reimbursing TANF financial
				  assistance.
Assistance Group (AG)
- A set of individuals
				  composed of the eligible child(ren) and the eligible specified relative(s) who
				  are living together, with or without benefit of a dwelling, whose needs,
				  income, and resources are considered and combined when determining eligibility
				  and the amount of financial assistance.
Authorized Representative
- A person acting for
				  an applicant/client through the individual's written authorization, through a
				  signed Department authorized representative form.
B
Benefit Month
- A calendar month for which
				  benefits are issued.
Budget Month
- The month that the financial and
				  nonfinancial criteria of the filing/assistance unit are evaluated to determine
				  eligibility and to calculate the benefit amount. When using prospective
				  budgeting, the budget month is the same as the benefit month.
Budgeting
- Calculating the amount of money to
				  be paid to the assistance unit for the benefit month.
Bureau of Indian Affairs - BIA
- An agency of
				  the federal government of the United States whose responsibilities include
				  providing health care to American Indians.
C
Care and Control
- The physical care, guidance
				  or maintenance of a child or children provided by a responsible parent or
				  specified relative.
Cash Surrender Value
- The amount of money which
				  the owner of a life insurance policy would receive if the policy were converted
				  to cash.
Cash Value
- For assets- the amount that would
				  be paid, in the community of residence, if the resource was sold or converted
				  to cash. For income- the amount of the income or the value assigned to the
				  services rendered for in-kind earned income.
Child Support
- Voluntary or court ordered
				  payment by an absent parent to meet the financial needs of the
				  child(ren).
Child Support Supplemental Payment / Gap
- A
				  payment issued to TANF/PaS families based on current child support collected
				  from a non-custodial parent. The Gap payment cannot exceed the difference
				  between the Standard of Need and the maximum grant for the household
				  size.
Collateral Contacts
- Knowledgeable individuals
				  or sources who serve to support or confirm information provided by the
				  applicant/client.
Confidential Information
- Applicant or client
				  information that may only be shared for establishing eligibility, determining
				  amount of assistance, and/or providing services, with related federally
				  mandated and assisted programs and agencies under contract to the Department
				  and/or pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding.
Corrective Payment
- The payment of money to an
				  individual who has received less than they were entitled to receive as
				  determined by the Department, including decisions made by the Department Fair
				  Hearings Officer.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment - COLA
- A change to
				  income based on the expected change to the basic cost of living.
Countable Income
- The total of earned and
				  unearned income, minus disregards, that is not excluded by policy, and is
				  expected to be received by the assistance unit for the budget/benefit
				  month.
D
Deduction
- The amount subtracted from an income
				  which represents an expense that has been made or must be made by an assistance
				  group member or an individual whose income is counted when determining
				  eligibility. This expense is also known as an "allowable deduction".
Deemed Income
- Income of certain individuals
				  who live with and are related to the minor child but who are excluded from the
				  assistance group and do not receive benefits.
Deeming
- A budgeting process which considers a
				  portion of income of one person as the income of a second person. This process
				  assumes a legal obligation of the first person to support the second
				  person.
Deficit Reduction Act
-
The Deficit
				  Reduction Act of 2005
, which contains federal language and regulations
				  regarding the reauthorization of the TANF program.
Dependent
- A child who receives more than 50%
				  of their support from a specified relative.
Direct Child Support
- Support payments a
				  custodial parent receives directly from a non-custodial parent.
Disability
- The physical or mental impairment of
				  an individual that may be either temporary or permanent.
Disabled
- Prevented from working because of
				  physical or mental impairment, disease, vision loss, or a combination of these
				  conditions as determined by the Social Security Administration or the
				  Department's Medical Review Team.
Disregard
- A dollar amount or percentage
				  designated for a specific purpose that is not counted in the determination of
				  eligibility and/or the amount of assistance.
Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery -
				  DSER
- a unit within the Department's Office for Family Independence
				  which is responsible for the development and implementation of the rules,
				  regulations, policies, and procedures necessary to assure that all
				  non-custodial parents are contributing to the economic support of their
				  children.
Domestic/Family Violence
- Physical, sexual,
				  mental, and/or emotional abuse of a member of the assistance unit by a person
				  with whom that member lives or with whom that member has recently lived.
E
Earned Income
- Cash or in-kind benefits
				  received as payment for work performed either as an employee, through the
				  receipt of wages, salaries, tips, or commissions, or as a self-employed
				  individual.
Earned Income Disregard
- A dollar amount
				  subtracted from earned income that is designated for a specific purpose that is
				  not counted in the determination of eligibility or the amount of
				  assistance.
Earned Income Tax Credit - EITC
- A federal
				  and/or state refundable tax credit for low or moderate income working
				  individuals and families. This may be received once a year as a refund.
Electronic Benefit Transfer - EBT
- The method
				  of issuing financial assistance benefits to an account which is accessed by an
				  individual through a magnetic striped debit card.
Electronic Funds Transfer - EFT
- The method of
				  issuing financial assistance benefits as a direct deposit into an individual's
				  personal bank account.
Elderly
- Age 60 or older as of the last day of
				  the month.
Eligibility Period
- The period of time the
				  individual is determined to be eligible for benefits.
Eligible Child
- A child under age 18, or
				  between the ages of 18 and 20 enrolled as a full-time student in a high school
				  or an equivalent instruction alternative, leading to a high school
				  diploma.
Emancipated Minor
- A minor child who is no
				  longer a dependent of their parent(s) due to court action or marriage. For
				  eligibility purposes such child is considered an adult.
Emergency Assistance - EA
- A short-term program
				  benefit to assist families in an emergency situation caused by the occurrence
				  of an unforeseen circumstance.
Equity Value
- The current fair market value
				  minus any encumbrances against the property as of the date of
				  evaluation.
Evidence
- Something that furnishes
				  proof.
Excess Child Support
- Money received from the
				  absent parent that is in excess of the monthly TANF/PaS grant.
Excluded Asset
- Any real or personal property
				  that is not counted toward the general asset limit.
Excluded Income
- Specific types of income which
				  are not counted in the determination of eligibility or the amount of
				  assistance.
Exempt Months
- Months that are not counted
				  toward the 60-month lifetime limit.
Extension
- A Department decision which permits
				  families to receive additional months of TANF beyond the 60-month lifetime
				  limit if certain criteria is met.
F
Fair Hearing
- An opportunity for any persons
				  whose claim for assistance has been denied, or has had other negative action
				  taken on their case, to present convincing evidence to reverse the original
				  decision.
Fair Market Value
- The amount of money that the
				  sale of property would bring on the open market in the community where the
				  property is located.
Family Contract
- A Department form signed by a
				  representative of the Department and each TANF/PaS specified relative that
				  states the responsibilities of the parties to the agreement, including but not
				  limited to cooperation in child support enforcement and determination of
				  paternity, and the requirements of the ASPIRE Program participation.
Federal Poverty Level - FPL
- A measure of
				  income used to determine eligibility and when applicable, recipient premiums
				  for many low income programs.
Filing Unit
- The group of family members drawn
				  into the assistance group according to their relationships with one
				  another.
Fleeing Felon
- An individual who has been
				  convicted of a felony and is fleeing prosecution or incarceration.
Foster Care
- A legal action that places a child
				  in the custody/control of a person or entity other than the child's natural or
				  adoptive parents by a state.
Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit - FIRU
-
				  The unit of the Department's Office for Family Independence authorized under 22
				  M.R.S. §13 to investigate fraud, attempted fraud, commingling or
				  misapplication of funds.
G
Garnishment
- A legal action to deduct a
				  specified amount of money from a person's earned or unearned income.
Good Cause
- An acceptable reason for an
				  individual's action/inaction that removes the penalty for that action/inaction
				  or relieves a requirement. When and how good cause may be established is
				  described in further detail throughout the manual.
Grant
- The TANF/PaS cash assistance money
				  payment issued to an assistance group.
Gross Earned Income (employed by another)
- The
				  total amount of wages, salaries, tips, commissions, and/or the dollar value of
				  in-kind benefits received by an employee as compensation for work performed
				  before any payroll deductions or garnishments are subtracted.
H
Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment -
				  HOPE
- An assistance program for students who are parents of minor
				  children. This program provides support services such as child care and
				  transportation and voluntary student navigation services.
HIPAA
-
The Health Insurance Portability
				  and Accountability Act of 1996
,
				  P.L.
				  104-191, 110 Stat 1936, requiring the protection
				  and confidential handling of Protected Health Information.
Head of Household
- Primary contact person in a
				  household.
Hearing Request
- A clear expression, orally or
				  in writing, by the applicant/client, or the authorized representative acting on
				  their behalf, to the department requesting the opportunity to present their
				  case to a higher authority due to a dispute in case determination.
Home
- The principal place of residence; the
				  family setting in which the child lives with a specified relative, who provides
				  the day-to-day care and control of the child. For resource purposes: a home is
				  the current place of residence which is owned by the specified relative and
				  which includes any building and the land upon which it is located, the land
				  that appertains (belongs) to the home and all the buildings and/or mobile homes
				  located thereon.
Homeless
- Having no fixed address nor living in
				  a permanent dwelling.
Household
- People who live together.
I
Inaccessible Assets
- Resources not legally
				  available to the individual. Resources which may become legally available to
				  the individual through reasonable effort, regardless of penalty incurred, are
				  not considered inaccessible. Any penalty incurred or which would be incurred in
				  accessing the resource must be deducted from the value of the resource for the
				  purpose of determining eligibility.
Incapacity
- A physical or mental illness or
				  impairment diagnosed by an Acceptable Medical or Mental Health Source as
				  sufficiently serious enough to eliminate or substantially reduce the client's
				  ability to obtain or retain employment.
Income
- Cash payments or in-kind benefits which
				  are regular and recurring, or which are treated as available for use regardless
				  of actual receipt, such as deemed income.
Income-in-Kind
- Goods, commodities, or services
				  (such as meals, clothing, lodging) provided as a contribution or compensation
				  for work instead of cash.
Income Producing Property
- Property that is, in
				  and of itself, producing income.
Individual Income
- All available income
				  received on behalf of or by one person.
Individual Retirement Account - IRA
- A tax
				  deferred pension or plan that sets aside money now for the planned needs of the
				  person after retirement.
Indian Country
- Within the geographical
				  boundaries of a reservation.
Indian Custodian
- Any Indian person who has
				  legal custody of an Indian child under tribal law or custom or under State law
				  or to whom temporary physical care, custody, and control has been transferred
				  by the parent of such child.
Ineligible
- Not entitled to receive benefits
				  because of not meeting one or more of the specified financial or non-financial
				  eligibility requirements.
Inheritance
- Property received or anticipated
				  to be received from a relative or other person by legal succession or
				  will.
Initial Eligibility Determination
- The act of
				  evaluating eligibility factors for each child and specified relative who apply
				  for TANF/PaS cash assistance and finding the case eligible or
				  ineligible.
Insurance Settlement
- The money received by a
				  person(s) from a company for damage to property or injury to person.
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children -
				  ICPC
- An agreement among all 50 states that coordinates the movement of
				  children across state lines for the purpose of placement in foster care,
				  adoptive homes, group homes, residential treatment centers, or on a trial basis
				  with a parent.
J
Joint Custody
- A domestic relations agreement
				  that both parents are to function as providers of maintenance, physical care,
				  and guidance of the child(ren). The actual circumstances may or may not
				  indicate this is occurring.
Jointly Owned Property
- Property presumed to be
				  owned in equal shares by each of the persons holding a legal interest, unless
				  otherwise specified in a legal document such as a deed or divorce decree. A
				  court-ordered right of ownership takes precedence over any contrary verbal
				  claim or stipulation on any document.
L
Legal Guardian
- A person who has the legal
				  authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person as
				  determined by the court.
Lien/Encumbrance
- A security interest or claim
				  upon real or personal property to ensure satisfaction of a debt. The lien
				  amount must be paid up for title to the property to be transferred from one
				  owner to another.
Living With
- To be "living with" a specified
				  relative the child must live in that relative's home. The home is where the
				  family lives or is staying. It does not have to be their own home or their
				  permanent home. It does not have to be an apartment or a house.
Liquid Assets
- Resources which can be readily
				  converted to cash, such as cash, checking or savings accounts, certificates of
				  deposit, and stocks or bonds.
Loan
- A transaction in which money is given to
				  another and must be repaid.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program -
				  LiHEAP
- A federal program that helps low income households pay for
				  heating or cooling their homes.
Lump Sum Payment
- Cash received on a
				  non-recurring or irregular basis that may not reasonably be anticipated.
				  Includes insurance settlements, inheritances, retroactive payments of RSDI, VA,
				  SSDI, SSI and Unemployment Insurance.
M
Maintenance
- The provision of the supplies or
				  funds needed to sustain basic needs.
Minor Child
- A child who is under age
				  18.
Minor Parent
- An individual under age 18 who
				  has a minor child; who is not married or emancipated by the court.
Month Received
- The benefit month in which
				  money may be reasonably anticipated to be available to the applicant or client
				  or in which the person will receive money in-hand. SSA and SSI payments are
				  exceptions to this definition, as the payment is made at the end of a month
				  (usually because of holiday mail) for use during the following month.
Mutual Fund
- A company without fixed
				  capitalization, freely buying and selling its own shares and using its capital
				  to invest in other companies.
N
National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car
				  Guide
- A private publication giving standard values for motor
				  vehicles.
Net Earned Income
- An individual's monthly
				  gross earned income minus all allowable employment-related disregards. Also
				  known as
net monthly earned income
.
Net Income
- Gross income minus all allowable
				  income disregards and deductions.
Non-Custodial Parent - NCP
- A natural or
				  adoptive mother or father who is not living in the home of the child.
Nonliquid Asset
- A resource which cannot
				  reasonably be readily converted to cash, such as vehicles, buildings, or
				  land.
Non-financial Criteria
- Eligibility criteria
				  not based on income or assets.
Non-welfare Child Support
- A child support
				  obligation and/or payment received on behalf of a child who is not in receipt
				  of TANF or associated with and outstanding TANF debt.
O
On-going Eligibility
- The act of evaluating
				  each open case and finding the case eligible or ineligible.
Orientation
- A process to provide applicants
				  with information on program requirements, available supportive services, and
				  their rights and responsibilities.
Otherwise Eligible
- Not precluded from
				  eligibility by some other provision of Maine statute, Title IV-A of the Social
				  Security Act or P. L.
				  104-193,
the Personal Responsibility and
				  Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
(PRWORA), and the
				  individual meets all non-financial criteria.
Overpayment
- Amount of a financial assistance
				  payment received by or for the benefit of an assistance unit that exceeded the
				  amount for which that unit was actually eligible.
P
Parent
- Specified relative who is a
				  natural/adoptive parent or a stepparent (related by marriage to the child's
				  natural/adoptive parent) or a person considered by law to be a parent in the
				  case of a child conceived by artificial insemination.
Parents as Scholars - PaS
- A monthly cash
				  assistance program for parents of minor children who are matriculating in
				  postsecondary undergraduate two-year and four-year degree-granting education
				  programs.
Pension Fund
- An investment account (typically
				  with an employer) that is intended to provide income at retirement.
Pension Payment
- A sum of money paid regularly
				  as a retirement or disability benefit.
Perjury
- A willful false statement of a
				  material fact; swearing to what is untrue; or, incompletely answering all
				  questions under oath with an intention to deceive.
Personal Property
- All belongings owned by the
				  applicant or client that are not considered real property.
Physical Care
- The attention given to the
				  physical needs of a child or children.
Place of Residence
- A person's primary abode
				  where they live more than half the time.
Probation/Parole Violator
- An individual not
				  fulfilling the requirements of their probation/parole.
Processing Month
- The month in which computer
				  entries are made and confirmed.
Proof
- Documentation or information that
				  establishes the accuracy of statements made by the individual.
Prorate
- To divide or distribute benefits
				  proportionally based on number of days eligible in the benefit month.
Prospective Budgeting
- Calculating eligibility
				  and/or benefit amount by using the best estimate of the income and
				  circumstances that are expected to exist in the benefit month.
Protective Payee
- The individual, other than
				  the specified relative, to whom payment is made and who manages the family's
				  benefit for the purpose of safeguarding the health and welfare of the
				  child(ren).
PRWORA
-
Personal Responsibility and
				  Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996
-
				  P.L.
				  104-193 replaced the Aid to Families with
				  Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy
				  Families (TANF) program. Establishing basic federal program requirements for
				  TANF and strengthening the child support system.
Q
Quality Control - QC
- a unit with the
				  Department's Office for Family Independence that regularly conducts internal
				  audit type activities to ensure program integrity in benefit issuance and
				  timeliness.
Questionable
- Inconsistent with- other
				  statements made by the individual, information provided for current or past
				  requests for assistance, or information received by the Department from other
				  sources.
R
Real Property
- Resources in the form of real
				  estate, such as land or buildings.
Recoupment
- The collection or recovery by the
				  Department of the value of assistance erroneously paid to an individual.
Redetermination
- A review of all financial and
				  non-financial requirements affecting eligibility and/or benefit amount.
Resident
- A person who lives in Maine with the
				  intent to make it their home.
Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance -
				  RSDI
- A program operated by the Social Security Administration that
				  provides a monthly income to retired people, survivors or dependents of insured
				  people, and people with disabilities.
Room and Board Income
- Money received for
				  providing meals and/or rooms to people not included in the assistance
				  group.
Roomer
- An individual residing with others and
				  paying reasonable compensation to others for lodging, but not for meals.
S
Sanction
- A penalty imposed against a client
				  for failure to cooperate with requirements of the ASPIRE Program, DSER, and/or
				  other means tested programs that specifically require such a penalty.
Section 8 Housing
- A federal rent subsidy
				  program now referred to as the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The tenant pays
				  a portion of the rental cost based on a percentage of their income. The balance
				  of the rental cost is paid by the federal government. Also known as
deep subsidy
.
Self-Employment
- The act of engaging in a trade
				  or business not under the control or direction of an outside employer with the
				  intent to generate earnings or benefits where those earnings are not reported
				  on a W-2.
Shelter Costs
- The amount of money required to
				  provide housing.
Social Security Administration - SSA
- A United
				  States government agency that administers specific social programs covering
				  disability, retirement and survivor's benefits.
Social Security Disability Insurance - SSDI
-
				  Benefits issued to individuals who can't work because they have a limiting
				  medical condition that's expected to last for at least one year or result in
				  death.
Social Security Number - SSN
- A nine-digit
				  number that the United States government issues to all U.S. citizens and
				  eligible U.S. residents who apply for one.
Specified Relative
- A person related to the
				  minor child within the fifth degree of kinship by blood, marriage, or adoption
				  who lives with the child; a legal guardian or Indian Custodian who lives with
				  the child.
Standard of Need
- The amount of income
				  necessary to meet the full need in relation to household size.
Step Disregard
- The method of reducing a
				  certain percentage of a TANF/PaS recipient's earned income for the first six
				  months of employment.
Stepparent
- An individual who is currently
				  legally married to a child's natural or adoptive parent but has no biological
				  or adoptive parental relationship to the child.
Striker
- Anyone who participates in a strike or
				  work stoppage (including a stoppage due to the expiration of a
				  collective-bargaining agreement) or any concerted slowdown or other
				  interruption of operations by employees.
Subsidized Housing
- Housing leased under an
				  agreement in which the household pays a rate based on a percentage of the
				  household's income. The balance of the rent is paid for by the federal
				  government. Also known asdeep subsidy housing, conventional public housing, or
				  the Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8
				  housing).
Supplemental Security Income - SSI
- Federal
				  payments made under authority of Title XVI of the Social Security Act.
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements - SAVE
- A process which allows access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
				  Service (USCIS) data to validate the immigration status of non-citizen
				  applicants.
T
TANF Cash Assistance
- A time-limited cash
				  assistance program designed to provide families with opportunities leading to
				  self-support.
Temporary Absence
- The condition created when a
				  member(s) of the assistance unit is away from the home for a specified period
				  of time not to exceed 45 days except in limited circumstances.
Temporary Assistance For Needy Families - TANF
-
				  Welfare provided under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act which authorized
				  the TANF block grant as a result of the Personal Responsibility and Work
				  Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Termination
- The closure of a case and/or
				  removal of an individual from program eligibility.
Timely Notice
- Written notification mailed at
				  least ten days prior to the date of the action.
Title IV-A
- The section of the Social Security
				  Act authorizing the TANF program.
Title IV-D
- The part of the Social Security Act
				  that authorizes establishing paternity and collecting child support.
Title IV-E Foster Care
- Foster care payments
				  authorized under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act.
Transfer
- The act of moving the right, title or
				  interest in property, or a portion thereof, from one person to another by sale,
				  gift or exchange. Also includes transfers to joint tenancy or to tenancy in
				  common.
Tribal Land Claim Settlements
- Settlements of
				  property claims between the Federal government and Indian Tribes under
				  Public Laws
				  92-03, 94-89, 94-14, 94-40, 95-33, 96-20, and
				  93-31.
Trust
- Any arrangement in which a grantor
				  transfers property (real or personal) with the intention that it be held,
				  managed, or administered by a trustee(s) for the benefit of the grantor or
				  other beneficiary(ies). Trusts are managed by individuals or entities with
				  fiduciary obligations.
Trustee
- Any individual(s) or entity that
				  manages a trust and has fiduciary responsibilities.
U
Underpayment
- The payment of a level of
				  assistance that is less than the amount that an assistance group is rightfully
				  entitled to receive, or the failure of the Department to issue benefits to an
				  eligible assistance group.
Unearned Income
- All contributions, payments,
				  pensions, benefits, loans, awards, etc. which are not received as compensation
				  for work performed. No deductions are allowed from unearned income unless
				  otherwise instructed.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits - UIB
-
				  Financial assistance for eligible workers who become unemployed through no
				  fault of their own and meet other eligibility requirements as determined by the
				  U.S. and Maine Department of Labor.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services -
				  USCIS
- (formerly INS) - An agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland
				  Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration
				  system.
Utilities
- The services provided for water,
				  sewer, electricity, telephone and heating/cooking fuel.
V
Vendor
- The person or business that provides
				  goods or services.
Vendor Payments
- A portion of assistance paid
				  directly to a vendor on behalf of an assistance group.
Verification
- A document or written statement
				  attesting to the validity of a fact or event that is needed to determine
				  eligibility or establish compliance with program requirements.
Verify
- To check, confirm or establish whether
				  a statement or condition is true or accurate by obtaining a copy, viewing a
				  copy or obtaining a verbal description of the evidence.
W
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act - WIOA
- Services designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training
				  and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with
				  the skilled workers they need to compete in the economy. These services are
				  administered by the U.S. and Maine Department of Labor.