SR 02-20 Dated 07/02

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

 

SIGNATURE DATE:

Division of Family Assistance May 24, 2002

Division for Children, Youth, and Families May 28, 2002

FROM:

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR Mary Anne Broshek

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DCYF Nancy L. Rollins

AT (OFFICE):

Division of Family Assistance

Division for Children, Youth, and Families

TO:

DFA Supervisors

NHEP Teams

 

SUBJECT:

Annual Cost of Living Increase for Child Care Steps 2 and 3; Revised Form 757, How Your Benefits Will Change When You Go to Work!

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2002

 

SUMMARY

 

This SR releases:

 

·   increases in the Step 2 (140% of federal poverty income guidelines) and Step 3 (190% of the federal poverty income guidelines) child care gross income limits; and

·   revisions to Form 757, How Your Benefits Will Change When You Go to Work!

 

POLICY

 

The gross income limits for child care eligibility at steps 2 and 3, effective July 1, 2002, are updated annually in July to reflect the current year’s poverty income guidelines. The increases noted below reflect the 2002 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines published in the Federal Register of February 14, 2002. Child care reimbursement rates remain unchanged.

 

Gross Income Limits for Step 2 - 140% of Poverty Level

Family Size

Monthly

Annually

2

$1,393

$16,716

3

1,753

21,028

4

2,112

25,340

5

2,471

29,652

6

2,831

33,964

7

3,190

38,276

8

3,549

42,588

For each additional person beyond 8, add:

 

$360

 

$4,312

 

Gross Income Limits for Step 3 - 190% of Poverty Level

Family Size

Monthly

Annually

2

$1,891

$22,686

3

2,379

28,538

4

2,866

34,390

5

3,354

40,242

6

3,842

46,094

7

4,329

51,946

8

4,817

57,798

For each additional person beyond 8, add:

$488

$5,852

 

NEW HEIGHTS PROCEDURES

 

New HEIGHTS and Bridges will recompute child care eligibility for open social service (SS) cases currently at step 2 whose income is less than or equal to the new step 2 income limits, as these cases will now qualify for a higher rate of reimbursement. Cases that qualify for the higher rate of reimbursement will receive a standard message identifying the individuals in the case that are now eligible for step 2 reimbursement. No other cases will be recomputed.

 

FORMS REVISIONS

 

Form 757, How Your Benefits Will Change When You Go To Work!, is revised annually in July, as needed, to incorporate changes associated with updates to the:

 

·   child care and Twelve Month Extended Medical Assistance (EMA) income limits; and

·   NHEP/FAP payment standards.

 

Income limits for child care have increased with the release of this SR and the increases in the income limits for EMA were released in SR 02-10, dated April 2002. NHEP/FAP payment standards will increase for individuals residing in unsubsidized housing effective July 1, 2002 with the release of SR 02-14.

 

Revised Form 757 is attached to the SR for reference but District Offices will continue to use the existing supply of the forms until the stock is depleted. At that time, the revised forms may be ordered following regular ordering procedures.

 

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

 

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

 

Part 935  GROSS MONTHLY INCOME LIMITS

 

IMPLEMENTATION

 

The changes identified in this SR will be implemented after the daily run of June 30, 2002 and before the daily run of July 1, 2002 for current cases, and will apply to any new cases processed on or after July 1, 2002. All normal output will be produced for this run.

 

District Offices will continue to use existing supplies of Form 757 until stocks are depleted. At that time, the revised version of Form 757 released by this SR may be ordered in accordance with normal ordering procedures. No Certificate of Destruction is included in this SR.

 

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

 

Clients will be advised of the new child care income limits at applications or redeterminations on or after July 1, 2002.

 

TRAINING

 

No training is planned.

 

POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

 

Remove and Destroy

Insert

 

Forms Manual

 

Form 757, SR 01-22/July, 2001

1 sheet

 

 

Form 757, SR 02-20/July 2002

1 sheet

 

DISPOSITION

 

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-line manuals.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at http://www.dhhs.state.nh.us/PMIndex.htm, effective July 1, 2002.

 

This SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Forms and Family Assistance Manuals.

 

DFA/JBV:s