SUBJECT:
COUNTIES WAIVED OR EXEMPTED FROM MEETING THE 18-TO-50-YEAR-OLD WORK REQUIREMENT
FOOD STAMP MANUAL REVISION # 23
1105.035.00
1105.035.02
1105.035.15
DISCUSSION:
Effective November 1, 2006, the counties that are waived or exempt from meeting the 18-to-50 year-old work requirements are changed. The change affects November 2006 food stamp benefits.
Missouri received approval to waive 20 additional counties from meeting the 18-to-50-year-old work requirement effective November 2006. This approval ends March 31, 2007. The counties that were already waived beginning April 1, 2006 are still waived thru March 31, 2008. The work requirement is for 18-to-50-year-old able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDS) to work or participate in an approved training program an average of 20 hours per week.
NOTE: METP activities are not qualified training activities for work requirement.
Waived Counties
The following counties are waived due to an insufficient number of jobs to provide employment for individuals residing in the area. This is an existing waiver that ends March 31, 2008.
035 Dunklin |
072 New Madrid |
106 Taney |
043 Hickory |
078 Pemiscot |
107 Texas |
047 Iron |
090 Reynolds |
110 Washington |
053 Laclede |
101 Shannon |
111 Wayne |
058 Linn |
104 Stone |
115 St. Louis City |
067 Mississippi |
105 Sullivan |
|
The following additional counties are waived due to an insufficient number of jobs to provide employment for individuals residing in the area. This approval is for November 1, 2006 through March 31, 2007.
007 Bates |
037 Gasconade |
089 Ray |
009 Bollinger |
042 Henry |
091 Ripley |
013 Caldwell |
048 Jackson |
093 St. Clair |
018 Carter |
054 Lafayette |
094 St. Francois |
019 Cass |
062 Madison |
095 Ste. Genevieve |
028 Crawford |
066 Miller |
114 Wright |
033 Dent |
071 Morgan |
|
FAMIS considers individuals in these counties as waived from the 18-to-50-year-old work requirements. The eligibility specialist does not have to enter a waiver code and the Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen does not appear in the controlled flow.
FMMR Entries
The Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen is used to track non-work months in FAMIS. Remove November 2006, and later months from the FMMR screen if entered as non-work months for individuals who move from a non-waived county to a waived county during these months.
Individuals in a newly waived county do not have to meet work requirement. Review the Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen and remove November 2006 and later months if entered as non-work months. Entries of months prior to November 2006 remain unless they are prior to December 2003.
When making entries on the FMMR screen, do not enter non-work months for any month in which an individual subject to the 18-to-50-year-old work requirement resides in a waived county or city. Refer to the Adding and Updating Training/Work Requirement user guide for instructions. To view the user guide:
- Go to the Family Support Division Employee Intranet,
- click Food Stamps in the left corner,
- under Quick Links on the right side, click FAMIS User Guides,
- click User Guides, and
- in the Interim Change section, click Adding and Updating Training/Work Requirement
Individuals or EUs already rejected for November 2006 due to Work Requirement
If an individual moves to a waived county and has been rejected for November 2006 due to non-work months, review the case to determine if food stamp benefits are due the EU. If additional benefits are due for November 2006 for an active EU, issue the benefits on WIBCA.
If the EU is rejected for November 2006 due to having used 6 non-work months in 36 months, re-register the application using the original application date. If the original application date is more than 30 days prior to the current date, use the earliest possible registration date. The EU is eligible for food stamp benefits no earlier than November 1, 2006. Complete a WIBCA to issue supplemental benefits.
Example: On December 7, 2006, the worker in a waived county determines Mr. B. was rejected for 6 non-work months. Mr. B. applied October 20, 2006, and had been residing in a non-waived county. Mr. B. moved to the waived county on November 1, 2006. The worker registers the application date as November 7, 2006, as the original application date was more than 30 days in the past, and authorizes benefits. Since Mr. B. is eligible for food stamp benefits from November 1, 2006, the next day the worker completes a WIBCA budget using November information and enters November 1, 2006 as the prorate date. The additional benefits are issued from WIBCA.
Non-Exempt Counties
The following counties are no longer exempt from the 18-to-50 year old work requirement. Eligibility specialists will have to enter the appropriate work requirement code and non-work months on the Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen.
001 Adair |
034 Douglas |
076 Osage |
002 Andrew |
038 Gentry |
077 Ozark |
003 Atchison |
040 Grundy |
079 Perry |
004 Audrain |
041 Harrison |
080 Pettis |
005 Barry |
044 Holt |
081 Phelps |
006 Barton |
045 Howard |
082 Pike |
008 Benton |
046 Howell |
083 Platte |
012 Butler |
051 Johnson |
084 Polk |
014 Callaway |
052 Knox |
085 Pulaski |
015 Camden |
055 Lawrence |
086 Putnam |
016 Cape Girardeau |
056 Lewis |
087 Ralls |
017 Carroll |
057 Lincoln |
088 Randolph |
020 Cedar |
059 Livingston |
097 Saline |
021 Chariton |
061 Macon |
098 Schuyler |
022 Christian |
063 Maries |
099 Scotland |
023 Clark |
064 Marion |
100 Scott |
024 Clay |
060 McDonald |
102 Shelby |
025 Clinton |
065 Mercer |
103 Stoddard |
027 Cooper |
068 Moniteau |
108 Vernon |
029 Dade |
069 Monroe |
109 Warren |
030 Dallas |
070 Montgomery |
112 Webster |
031 Daviess |
074 Nodaway |
113 Worth |
032 De Kalb |
075 Oregon |
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FAMIS Procedures for Counties no longer Exempt
FAMIS will give an ISD (insufficient data) on the Supercase Eligibility Unit Summary (FM30) screen when an action is taken on a case that is in a county that is no longer exempt/waived from the work requirement. Eligibility specialists need to review the work requirement code and non-work months on the Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen and enter any non-work months starting with November 2006, at all contacts with an ABAWD case.
To view the ISD (insufficient data) from the Supercase Eligibility Unit Summary (FM30) screen, go to the Technical Eligibility Detail (FMM4) screen. Press F8=FORWARD to select Work Requirement Eligibility and press F6=DETAILS. Prompt out to get the DCN of the desired EU member. Review the work requirement code and non-work months. Enter additional non-work months or change the work code as applicable.
Review all pending applications to ensure the correct work requirement code and non-work months are entered. Enter non-work months starting with November 2006 if applicable.
If the work requirement code was previously entered as 50, “No Longer Identified as an ABAWD”, FAMIS will not consider the EU as having to meet the work requirement. Eligibility specialists must review cases to determine if the correct work requirement code has been entered.
EXAMPLE: Mr. X is certified for food stamps benefits until January 2007. A medical re-determination finds that Mr. X no longer meets disabled criteria. He does not receive any type of disability benefit.
Mr. X’s eligibility specialist determines that he does not meet any exemption or exclusion for work registration, must comply with work registration, and must meet the work requirement. The following actions are taken in FAMIS.
- On the Disabled (FMMX) screen, change the disabled code from “Y” to “N” with reason code “MND” and enter the appropriate begin date. Press enter. The message “Review and update work requirement indicator on FM8B” appears. Press enter again to commit the data to FAMIS.
- On the Employment Assessment (FMMS) screen update the employment code and status. Press enter. Press F15=WORKREQ to go to the Training/Work Requirements (FMMR) screen.
- Enter the appropriate work requirement code and begin date. Enter non-work months as appropriate. Press enter.
- Complete an EDRES (Eligibility Determination Resolution) as needed.
Review the non-work months during every action, application, and recertification for benefits. Eligibility specialists must inform all EUs of the 18-to-50 work requirement. See the user guide Adding and Updating Training/Work Requirement for instructions on entering, updating, and deleting work requirement codes and non-work months.
18-to-50-year-old Work Requirement Chart
A new chart has been developed which combines the history of waived and exempt counties and is available on the Intranet. To view the History of Counties Waived or Exempt from the Work Requirement:
- Go to the Family Support Division Employee Intranet,
- click Food Stamps in the left corner,
- click Information, and
- click Counties Waived or Exempt (pdf).
Worker Tools
Additional information on Work Requirement policy and FAMIS procedures can be found on the Family Support Division Employee Intranet. The following Food Stamp Manual sections deal with work requirement.
Also available are the Adding and Updating Training/Work Requirement user guide, 18 To 50 Year Old Work Requirement (page 50) in the Caseworker Reference Guide, and Work Requirement for 18 to 50 Year Olds (page 67) in the Food Stamp On-the-Job Training module.
Food Stamp Manual Revision
Food Stamp Manual sections 1105.035.00 Work Requirement for 18 to 50 Year Olds and 1105.035.02 Counties Waived from 18 to 50 Year Old Work Requirement have been revised. The revision removes references to exempt counties. Some counties were previously exempt from the ABAWD work requirement; however no counties are exempt at this time.
Food Stamp Manual section 1105.035.15 Definition of Work has been revised to provide clarification when determining if work hours have been met.
NECESSARY ACTION:
- Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
- Beginning November 1, 2006, apply waived and non-exempt status to the above counties.