maine works! tanf and aspire programs dhhs office for family independence

MAINE Works!TANF and ASPIRE Programs

DHHSOffice for Family Independence

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Welcome to the MAINE Works! TANF and ASPIRE

ProgramsOrientation

MAINE Works! Programs That Can Help You

Support Your Family

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TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families Cash assistance while the family works toward self-

sufficiency

•60-month (5 year) Lifetime limit•Time on TANF while living in any other state counts toward your TANF Lifetime limit

ASPIRE: Additional Support for People In Retraining and

Employment Maine’s Welfare-to-Work program

•Works with parents who receive TANF to help the adults become employed and self-sufficient•Employment, education, training•If you receive TANF benefits, you are required to participate in ASPIRE/work activities

MAINE Works!

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The goal of ASPIRE is to help you find a

and increase your income so that you can support your family without TANF benefits.

ASPIRE PartnersPartner Agencies provide specialized services to help ASPIRE participants get job-ready, find a job, and become self-sufficient.

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Child Care Education Assessment Job Search & Worksite

Development

Child Care

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ASPIRE Partners

Education

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ASPIRE Partners

AVAP: ASPIRE Vocational Assessment Program

Vocational Assessment

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ASPIRE Partners

Explore your work history, interests, and skills Learn which jobs are a good match for you!

…about the ASPIRE Vocational Assessment Program

“What they said…”

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Online Job Bank Job Exploration Work Experience Job Interviews

Job Search & Worksite Development

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ASPIRE Partners

Job Search Preparing for Work Community Service Resume Writing

DSER: Division of Support Enforcement and RecoveryThe role of DSER is to: locate non-custodial parents, establish paternity, establish child support orders, and collect child support.

Child Support (DHHS DSER)

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ASPIRE Partners

Child Support (DHHS DSER)

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ASPIRE Partners

While on TANF, DSER must collect child support to offset the cost of public assistance.

Helping DSER collect child support may result in more income for your household.

Contact DSER at 1-800-371-7179 (24/7)E-mail: case.review@maine.gov

Benefits of Employment

Department of Health and Human Services – Office for Family Independence

• Become self-sufficient• Provide for your family• Be a good role model for your

children

Work is better than public assistance!

3-person TANF benefit: $ 485/month

If you earned $8.00 per hour: 20 hours per week: 688/month

40 hours per week: 1,376/month

See How Work Pays!

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Employment

SAVINGS $$$$$$$•for your own home, •to start your own business, •for education expenses

•To sign up contact: The Maine Family Development Account

Coalition 1-800-442-2092

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What is a Family Development Account? Family Development Account

What is a Family Development Account?

A Family Development Account (FDA) is a matched savings account. Every dollar deposited can be matched by four additional dollars.

Your Savings

FDA Match

=

Total Savings

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Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working families

EITC is an incentive to work! A family with qualifying children may receive a refund of:•Over $3000 (1 child)•Almost $6000 (3 or more children)

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Your Responsibilities on TANF/ASPIRE

Prepare for work• Attend all meetings• Build job skills – write a resume – practice

interviewing Look for work

• CareerCenter – Help Wanted – Job Banks Work!

Until you find a full-time job, preparing for work and looking for work

IS YOUR JOB!

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o Household Changes (people in or out)o Expense Changes (rent, utilities, other)o Income Changes

• Job start or end• Unemployment Income, Social Security,

VA, etc. • Money received from other sources

MyMaineConnection, Kiosk, Phone

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Report changes within ten (10) days

TANF Eligibility- may be determined TODAY Initial ASPIRE Assessment- will be completed

TODAY Get your Vocational Assessment (AVAP)

scheduled TODAY. Develop your Family Contract Amendment

(employment plan) with ASPIRE Follow the plan and complete the requirements

agreed upon in your Family Contract Amendment

Next Steps

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Good Cause

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You must keep all ASPIRE-related appointments.

If you do not, you must have ‘Good Cause’ to miss them. You will need to provide proof of your reason for Good Cause.

ASPIRE determines whether Good Cause exists.

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Sanction

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No “Good Cause” = Sanction issued by ASPIRENot showing up for ASPIRE could cost you:TANF benefits will be reduced or endedFood Supplement benefits will be reduced or endedASPIRE Support Services will end

Not showing up for work, without a good reason,

could cost you your job.

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Physical or mental health, substance abuse, legal or family issues?

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Talk with your ASPIRE Specialist & AVAP worker.

Is something keeping you from

working right now?

Childcare

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Preparing for Work

ASPIRE can help you pay for child care while you are working, or in job trainingoReliable provider + back-up planoYou choose your provider, but unlicensed providers need a background check

Other Financial Supports

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Preparing for Work

• Transportation, car repairs, car insurance• Tuition and fees, books and supplies • Clothing and uniforms, work tools, licenses

ASPIRE can help with some of the expenses you need to become independent.

Life After TANF

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• Transitional Food Assistance• Child Care Assistance•Medical coverage• Transportation • Child Support Collection

Distribution of TANF benefits

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Distribution of TANF benefits

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Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card Approved uses of TANF

benefits: • Costs such as rent, utilities, diapers State law prohibits EBT cash transactions in:• Retail stores where more than half of the gross

revenue comes from the sale of liquor• Gambling facilities• Adult entertainment establishments

What is Welfare Fraud?

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Welfare Fraud is the intentional misuse of the State’s welfare systems by withholding information or giving

false, inaccurate and misleading information; using public assistance benefits in an impermissible way,

such as selling or trading benefits for cash or drugs.

Fraud vs Intentional Program Violation

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The primary difference between Fraud and an Intentional Program Violation

(IPV), is that Fraud is commonly considered a crime and an IPV is a violation of program rules. An IPV is considered to be a lesser included offense of Fraud – so, any Fraud

offenses would be an IPV, however, not all IPV offenses are Fraud. Criminal charges are filed by the Office of the

Attorney General and IPV’s are Administratively charged by DHHS.

Frequently Found Violations

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If TANF/ASPIRE Aren’t Right For You

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‘2-1-1Maine’ • Phone: 2-1-1, toll free• Email: info@211info.org• Web: http://211maine.org/

Responsibilities

Department of Health and Human Services – Office for Family Independence

Attend all ASPIRE appointments Participate in ASPIRE activities Participate in work or work-related

activities Look for work or prepare for work

You have to do your part.

What’s Next?

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Meet with ASPIRE for initial assessment Schedule your Vocational Assessment

(AVAP) Sign up for online job bank Find child care Begin a TANF required work activity

Your Questions

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MAINE Works!

DHHSOffice for Family Independence