Cash Assistance Cash Assistance Severance BenefitSeverance Benefit

Agency for Workforce Agency for Workforce InnovationInnovation

Statewide TrainingStatewide Training

Spring 2005Spring 2005

OverviewOverview

$ Alternative to receiving on-going Alternative to receiving on-going Temporary Cash AssistanceTemporary Cash Assistance

$ RWB is responsible for determining RWB is responsible for determining eligibility for the Cash Assistance eligibility for the Cash Assistance Severance BenefitSeverance Benefit

$ Receive a one-time, lump-sum Receive a one-time, lump-sum payment of $1000 in lieu of on-going payment of $1000 in lieu of on-going cash assistance paymentscash assistance payments

$ Continue to receive Food Stamps, Continue to receive Food Stamps, Medicaid, and child care, Medicaid, and child care, if eligibleif eligible

Must Meet Must Meet Specific CriteriaSpecific Criteria

$ Must be working & Must be working & receiving earningsreceiving earnings

$ Expect to remain Expect to remain employed for at employed for at least 6 monthsleast 6 months

$ Received TCA in Received TCA in Florida at least 6 Florida at least 6 consecutive consecutive months since months since 10/1/96 and must 10/1/96 and must be eligible for be eligible for ongoing TCAongoing TCA

$ Choose to receive a Choose to receive a one-time, lump-sum one-time, lump-sum paymentpayment

$ Provide employment Provide employment and earnings and earnings informationinformation

$ Sign an agreement not Sign an agreement not to apply for or accept to apply for or accept cash assistance for 6 cash assistance for 6 months, unless there months, unless there is an emergencyis an emergency

Inform RecipientsInform Recipients

$ Career Manager should:Career Manager should:

Inform recipients of their option to Inform recipients of their option to receive cash severance in lieu of receive cash severance in lieu of ongoingongoing cash assistance cash assistance

Discuss benefits of cash severanceDiscuss benefits of cash severance

Explain penalties for Explain penalties for reapplying within 6 monthsreapplying within 6 months

Assist participant with making Assist participant with making an informed choice an informed choice

Time LimitsTime Limits

$Cash severance must be Cash severance must be requested prior to receiving requested prior to receiving the last month of cash the last month of cash assistance assistance

$Does not count against the Does not count against the participant’s time limit if participant’s time limit if issued during the last month issued during the last month in which cash assistance is in which cash assistance is receivedreceived

RWB RWB ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities

$ Verify the participant:Verify the participant:

Is receiving TCAIs receiving TCA

Is eligible for on-going Is eligible for on-going TCA after earnings are TCA after earnings are included in the TCA included in the TCA budgetbudget

Has received cash Has received cash assistance in Florida assistance in Florida for at least six for at least six consecutive months consecutive months since October 1, 1996since October 1, 1996

EBT

RWB ResponsibilitiesRWB Responsibilities

$ Verify the participant is currently Verify the participant is currently employedemployed

$ Secure documentation to support Secure documentation to support the participant has current the participant has current earningsearnings

$ Ensure the participant is expected Ensure the participant is expected to remain employed for at least to remain employed for at least six monthssix months

Requesting Cash Requesting Cash Assistance Assistance SeveranceSeverance

$ Recipient has the Recipient has the option of choosing option of choosing Cash Assistance Cash Assistance Severance or ongoing Severance or ongoing monthly cash monthly cash assistance paymentsassistance payments

$ May continue to May continue to receive Food Stamps, receive Food Stamps, Medicaid, and child Medicaid, and child care, if eligiblecare, if eligible

AgreementAgreement((Form AWI 2286)Form AWI 2286)

$ Recipient must sign the Cash Recipient must sign the Cash Assistance Severance Benefit Assistance Severance Benefit AgreementAgreement

$ Recipient agrees: Recipient agrees: Not to reapply for temporary cash Not to reapply for temporary cash

assistance for six months, unless an assistance for six months, unless an emergency existsemergency exists

To repay amount received if re-To repay amount received if re-approved due to an emergencyapproved due to an emergency

Transitional Transitional BenefitsBenefits

$Participants who receive a Participants who receive a Cash Assistance Severance Cash Assistance Severance payment are eligible for payment are eligible for Transitional BenefitsTransitional Benefits

Everyone’s Everyone’s Happy ! ! !Happy ! ! !

$ We have an employed We have an employed client that has client that has received a payment received a payment of $1000! LOOK AT of $1000! LOOK AT THAT SMILE!THAT SMILE!

$ UNTIL. . . . . an UNTIL. . . . . an emergency emergency arises and the arises and the money has to be money has to be repaid ! ! !repaid ! ! !

Emergency Re-Emergency Re-ApplicationApplication

$ If the participant reapplies for If the participant reapplies for benefits at DCF:benefits at DCF:

DCF must refer the applicant to DCF must refer the applicant to the RWB to review the emergency the RWB to review the emergency

The RWB must approve the The RWB must approve the emergency reapplicationemergency reapplication

The RWB must explain the The RWB must explain the requirement to repay the benefitrequirement to repay the benefit

Emergency Emergency SituationsSituations

$ Hospitalization or illnessHospitalization or illness

$ Loss of earned incomeLoss of earned income

$ Loss of housing Loss of housing

$ Natural disasterNatural disaster

$ Domestic violenceDomestic violence

$ Other situations affecting Other situations affecting their employmenttheir employment

RepaymentRepayment

$ If the family reapplies due If the family reapplies due to an emergency:to an emergency:

Repayment is prorated over eight monthsRepayment is prorated over eight months

$1000 divided by eight = $125/month$1000 divided by eight = $125/month

Deducted from future cash assistance Deducted from future cash assistance payments for eight months or the number payments for eight months or the number of months remaining in the time limit, of months remaining in the time limit, whichever is less whichever is less

Cash Assistance Cash Assistance Severance Flow ChartSeverance Flow Chart

RWB informs recipients RWB informs recipients of Cash Assistance of Cash Assistance

SeveranceSeverance

RWB or DCF verifies receipt of RWB or DCF verifies receipt of at least six consecutive at least six consecutive

months of TCA since 10/1/96 months of TCA since 10/1/96 andand current receipt of TCA current receipt of TCA and completes Section A of and completes Section A of the Cash Severance Benefit the Cash Severance Benefit

Agreement (AWI 2286)Agreement (AWI 2286)

RWB approves the RWB approves the payment and completes payment and completes

Section B of the AWI Section B of the AWI 22862286

DCF issues the DCF issues the severance payment severance payment

and cancels TCAand cancels TCA

Recipient requests cash Recipient requests cash severance in lieu of TCAseverance in lieu of TCA

Recipient reviews and Recipient reviews and signs Section C of the AWI signs Section C of the AWI

22862286

RWB forwards pink RWB forwards pink copy of the AWI copy of the AWI

2286 to DCF2286 to DCF

Reapplication for TCA Reapplication for TCA Within Six MonthsWithin Six Months

Family submits Family submits RFA to DCFRFA to DCF

RWB determines RWB determines emergency statusemergency status

PAS prorates the PAS prorates the repayment over 8 repayment over 8

monthsmonths

($1,000 divided by 8 = ($1,000 divided by 8 = $125/month$125/month

$125 deducted from TCA for $125 deducted from TCA for eight months or the number eight months or the number of months remaining in the of months remaining in the time limit, whichever is lesstime limit, whichever is less

DCF accepts RFA and DCF accepts RFA and refers the participant refers the participant

to RWB to determine if to RWB to determine if an emergency existsan emergency exists

RWB forwards RWB forwards Emergency Criterion for Emergency Criterion for Diversion Services form Diversion Services form

to DCFto DCF

Completes Comments Completes Comments Section of AWI 0001; Section of AWI 0001;

Forwards to DCFForwards to DCF

NNOO

YESYES

The EndThe End