SR 97-13 Dated 05/97

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases Family Assistance Manual page changes associated with SR 96-51, Release of Food Stamp Program Changes as a Result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Responsibility Act (PRWORA)...; SR 96-61, Follow-up to SR 96-51...; and SR 97-3, Release of TANF Eligibility Requirements... This SR also incorporates several clarifications and technical corrections to various Family Assistance Manual pages. In addition, Form 77a, New Hampshire Employment Program and Family Assistance Program (formerly referred to as New Hampshire’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program) has been revised.

SR 96-24, Release of Policy and Procedures Changing the JOBS Appraisal and Referral Process..., is now being obsoleted. Due to an oversight, it was not obsoleted when SR 97-9, Release of Revised New Hampshire Employment (NHEP) Transportation Assistance Policy... was released. This SR also obsoletes SR 96-61, Follow-up to SR 96-51...

POLICY

This SR releases no new policy. It incorporates previously existing SR’s which are described in the SR summary. It also makes technical corrections to various manual pages.

FORMS REVISIONS

Form 77a, New Hampshire Employment Program and Family Assistance Program (formerly referred to as New Hampshire’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program) has been revised to reflect changes in terminology. References to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) have been replaced with New Hampshire Employment Program and Family Assistance Program. These are the only changes that were made to the text. Until initial supplies are received, current supplies of Form 77a, dated 2/97 (released by SR 97-3) may still be used.

MANUAL PAGE CHANGES

The manual changes to the Family Assistance Manual are listed by SR number. Technical changes are also listed separately.

SR 96-51, Release of Food Stamp Program Changes as a Result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Responsibility Act (PRWORA)...

 Homelessness has been removed as an eligibility criterion for expedited service in Section 125.01.

 A clarification has been added to Section 303.05 which indicates that to be considered homeless, a household must not have the same night time residence for longer than 90 days.

 Chapter 500 has been revised to indicate that food stamp eligibility is based on the full benefit income that should have been received for those household members who have had their state, local or federal means tested benefit reduced due to failure to meet program requirements.

 Chapter 500 has been revised to indicate that vendor payments for homeless households for purposes of providing shelter only in designated "Transitional Housing Projects" are treated as unearned income.

 Part 603 has been revised to show that households are only allowed to switch between actual costs and the utility standard, or vice versa, at the end of each certification period.

SR 96-61, Follow-up to SR 96-51...

Section 161.09 has been revised to show that prorated benefits are issued to households that file an application after any break in participation, with the exception of households that apply by the end of their current certification period and are recertified within 30 days of the reapplication date.

SR 97-3, Release of TANF Eligibility Requirements...

 References to the $50 child support refund in Chapter 500 have been deleted.

 Part 133 has been revised to show that the 60 month time limit for receipt of assistance does not apply to emergency assistance.

 Part 614 has been revised to reference that the 20% earned income disregard is used in the cost of care computation for Home and Community Based Care for Developmentally Disabled individuals (HCBC-DD) and Home and Community Based Care for individuals with an Acquired Brain Disorder (HCBC-ABD).

Technical Corrections to the Family Assistance Manual

 References to "AFDC" have been replaced by "TANF" in both headings at the top of each page and also in the text.

 The Key Word Index has been modified to add a reference the term "maximum allotment."

 Part 239 has been expanded to address all students, whereas previously it addressed only students in higher education. The Table of Contents to Chapter 200 has been changed accordingly.

 Part 239 now indicates that ineligible students in higher education are treated as excluded members, and their income and resources are not considered available to other households members. This clarification reflects existing policy and is not a change.

 The term "day care income" has been replaced with "child care income," in Family Assistance Manual Part 511, and Part 511 has been reformatted accordingly. These changes are now reflected in the Key Word Index.

 Part 613 has been revised to indicate that one- and two- person households which are entitled to receive a $10 minimum allotment can only receive the allotment for the initial month if they apply on the first day of the month. This clarification reflects existing rounding procedures and is not a change. Information on benefit determination which is not relevant to rounding procedures has been removed and added to Part 615.

 Part 615 has been expanded to address benefit issuance for initial and ongoing cases entitled to a $10 minimum allotment.

IMPLEMENTATION

There are no implementation procedures with this SR, since no new policy is being released.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

No client notification is planned due to the procedural nature of this SR.

TRAINING

No training is planned.

POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

PEN AND INK CHANGES

On the document, "SR’s Inserted in Family Assistance Manual," please enter 5/30/97 as the obsolete date for SR 96-24 and SR 96-61.

DISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed after its contents have been noted and its posting instructions carried out.

DISTRIBUTION

This SR only will be distributed according to the narrative distribution list for the FAM and Forms Manuals. This SR and pages will be distributed to all holders of the FAM and Forms Manual.

OES/SJC:s