SR 07-19 Dated 10/07

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases changes to the Level 2 progressive sanction timeframes for non-compliance with New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) and Child Support (CS) program requirements. These program changes are mandated by amendments to RSA 167:82,V(a) by New Hampshire Senate Bill 226.

POLICY

Level 2 sanctions for non-compliance with New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) or Child Support (CS) program requirements, will now progress to a Level 3 sanction after four weeks of continued non-compliance, rather than after two weeks.

This change in sanction time frames affects NHEP/UP financial recipients who voluntary quit or fail to participate with NHEP requirements and NHEP financial recipients who fail to cooperate with CS. This policy change increases the maximum amount of time a recipient of NHEP/UP financial assistance can remain in sanction before being closed from 8 weeks to 10 weeks.

New HEIGHTS-generated letter WP0012, Failure to Meet Work Requirements (Mandatory less than 60 months version), and Form 221, NHEP Pamphlet, were updated to reflect the change in sanction timeframes.

UNRELATED POLICY CLARIFICATION

Text in PART 601, TABLE A.1: TANF/UP Shelter Allowance, indicating that any rent surcharge would be allowed in relation to treatment of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, was removed because rent surcharges are not allowed when determining shelter costs for this type of shelter.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

PART 601 TABLE A. 1  TANF/UP Shelter Allowance

Section 808.35  Sanctions for Voluntary Quit Or Failure/Refusal to Cooperate with NHEP Work Program Participation Requirements

FORMS INSTRUCTIONS FROM SR 06-12

The following instructions were inadvertently left out of the Forms posting instructions during the release of the revised paper copies of the new and revised forms associated with SR 06-12, dated October 2006:

·   Form 77a(i);

·   Form 221(i);

·   Form 243(i); and

·   Form 261(i).

As such, the instruction forms that were overlooked have been added to the forms posting instructions in this SR; however, the forms will retain the SR 06-12/October 2006 effective date.

IMPLEMENTATION

Continue to provide individuals with the current version of Form 221 until the existing supply is exhausted. A certificate of destruction has not been included in the SR as the current stock is not to be destroyed or recycled. When the current stock is depleted, the new version released in this SR will be printed. Until the new version is printed, DO staff should inform individuals about the changes in policy when supplying the Form 221.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

No client notification is planned for this change in policy.

TRAINING

No training is planned or needed for this change in policy.

FORMS MANUAL POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

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.nh.gov/DHHS/DFA/LIBRARY, effective October 1, 2007.

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/MPM:s