Temporary Assistance/Case Management Manual

IM-155 November 21, 2002

1. Apply the $30 plus 1/3 disregard to net income after deducting the standard work exemption from adjusted gross income. If more than one person has earned income, apply the $30 plus 1/3 disregard to each person’s net income. Add together the $30 plus 1/3 disregard amount from each person’s income.
2. Do not apply the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for longer than four consecutive months.  Once the $30 plus 1/3 is applied for four consecutive months, the individual is not eligible for the $30 plus 1/3 disregard until the individual has not received Temporary Assistance benefits for 12 consecutive months. Do not apply the $30 plus 1/3 disregard if an individual has received 12 consecutive months of the two-thirds disregard, unless the individual has not received Temporary Assistance benefits for 12 consecutive months.
   1. When a Temporary Assistance cash participant received the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for four consecutive months, has not been off assistance for 12 months, and is approved for Medicaid only (i.e. Medicaid for Children, Children Not Deprived of Parental Support, and Pregnant Women, etc.), the $30 plus 1/3 disregard is not allowed again as the claimant already had the benefit of this disregard for cash and Medicaid.  However, when a claimant transfers from a Medicaid only case to Temporary Assistance cash, allow the $30 plus 1/3 disregard, if all other requirements are met, as the claimant has not had the benefit of this disregard for cash.
   2. For Temporary Assistance cash cases, when determining receipt of the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for four consecutive months and determining 12 consecutive months off assistance, exclude any months of MC+ only benefits.
   3. If subtracting the standard work exemption results in zero net income, then the individual has not received benefit of the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for that month.  When this occurs for one or two months BUT THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION HAS NOT CHANGED, do not count the months this happens against the four months of the disregard.  This also does not interrupt counting the four months of receipt of the $30 plus 1/3 disregard.  This may happen when one or two pay periods are missed, but the employment situation has not changed.
   4. An individual requesting withdrawal from assistance intending to avoid using the fourth consecutive month of the $30 plus 1/3 disregard is deemed to have received it and thus is not eligible for the $30 plus 1/3 disregard until off Temporary Assistance for 12 consecutive months.
   5. A participant who reports a change timely but receives checks at a higher amount for an additional month(s) (for example, a hearing request and hearing process take that long), receives the $30 plus 1/3 disregard when determining the overpayment (unless they previously received the $30 plus 1/3 for four consecutive months).  Count those months for which the overpayment was computed allowing the $30 plus 1/3 disregard toward the four consecutive months of entitlement.
3. When removing the $30 plus 1/3 disregard, send the participant an adverse action notice.
4. Determine an applicant (or persons with earned income added to the Temporary Assistance group), who has not received a grant in at least one of the four months prior to the month of application, eligible based on need without benefit of this disregard.  If eligibility is established without this disregard, prepare a second budget allowing this disregard (unless the person previously received the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for four consecutive months and has not been off Temporary Assistance for 12 consecutive months) to determine the correct grant amount. For an applicant (or person added to the Temporary Assistance group) who received a grant (including a Temporary Assistance grant from another state) in at least one of the four months prior to application, apply the $30 plus 1/3 disregard to their earned income to determine need.
   • EXCEPTIONS
     1. If the person previously received the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for four consecutive months, s/he must have been off Temporary Assistance for 12 consecutive months before receiving the disregard again.
     2. Receipt of a grant in one of the prior four months for which the person was ineligible does not qualify a person for the $30 plus 1/3 disregard. On reapplications, determine if an applicant has been off Temporary Assistance for 12 consecutive months.  If not, and the applicant previously received the $30 plus 1/3 disregard for four consecutive months, do not allow the $30 plus 1/3 disregard.  Determine if the person previously received assistance in Missouri, and received the $30 plus 1/3 disregard previously for four consecutive months.  If so, do not allow the $30 plus 1/3 disregard.
5. Extended MC+ Coverage: Families losing eligibility for Temporary Assistance CASH SOLELY because the $30 plus 1/3 or $30 disregard can no longer be applied are eligible for MC+ COVERAGE.  Review and update MAF/MC+.