SR 07-20 Dated 09/07

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases an increase in the state minimum hourly wage from $5.85 to $6.50 per hour for covered, nonexempt employees.

POLICY

The increase in the state minimum wage impacts the monthly income for certain employed individuals and is also used to determine hourly participation requirements in the Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP) and the Community Work Experience Program (CWEP).

NOTE: The federal minimum wage ($5.85 effective 7/24/07) must be used to determine Food Stamp exemptions from work registration requirements.

NEW HEIGHTS CHANGES

The following New HEIGHTS changes were programmed to impact AWEP and CWEP participation requirements for a 9/1/07 effective date:

·   New HEIGHTS will implement the higher of the two minimum wages when the state and federal minimum wages differ (as of 9/1/07 the state minimum wage will be higher);

·   participation hours will be calculated by dividing the sum of the cash grant and Food Stamps by the state minimum wage, and then by the number of weeks in the month versus the standard 4.33 weeks; and

·   the total maximum hours per month that clients can be required to participate in AWEP and CWEP will be rounded up if ending in a decimal that is .5 or more and rounded down if ending in a decimal that is less than .5.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

Section 808.39   NHEP Activities: Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP)

Section 808.39   NHEP Activities: Community Work Experience (CWEP)

Revised Adult Assistance Manual Topics

Section 210.05   MEAD Good Cause for Loss of Employment

Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics

Section 245.15   Verification Requirements

Section 809   Exemptions from Food Stamp Work Requirements

FORMS REVISIONS

There are no forms revisions associated with the policy released in this SR.

IMPLEMENTATION

The policy released in this SR is effective September 1, 2007.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

No special client notification is planned.

TRAINING

No training is necessary or planned.

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 Adult Assistance, Family Assistance, and Food Stamp Manuals.

DFA/KD:s