Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The county or municipal agency, as
appropriate, shall make all reasonable efforts to secure transportation services for WFNJ recipients who are
working, looking for work, engaged in a work activity or taking WFNJ/TANF children to child care in
conjunction with work or a work activity, only when all other avenues of assistance with this expense have
been explored and it has been established that there are no other available sources of support.
1. Employed WFNJ recipients shall receive transportation services, as
appropriate, until receipt of the first full paycheck. The county or municipal agency shall, upon request and
with the approval of the DFD, continue the provision of transportation services beyond this point if, in the
agency's estimation, based on factors such as, but not limited to, mode of transportation and frequency of
travel, the income received from employment is insufficient to permit the recipient to fully pay his or her
own reasonable costs of transportation.
2. The county or
municipal agency, as appropriate, shall make transportation services available in one or more of the
following ways:
i. Provision of public transit fare via tickets or passes
for available public transit bus, light rail, or rail services to recipients in work or work activities. Fare
shall be provided prospectively or retrospectively, at the discretion of the county/municipal agency, to best
facilitate the recipient's use of public transportation.
(1) Where
available, the WorkPass Program, enables the CWA to purchase and issue monthly bus, light rail, and rail
passes/one-way tickets, as well as, provide transit information to WFNJ/TANF participants.
ii. An allowance of up to $ 6.00 per day shall be offered to
recipients in work or a work activity as a way of subsidizing a recipient's transportation expenses. An
amount in excess of $ 6.00 per day may be provided, subject to the approval of the DFD which shall consider,
in addition to those factors referenced in
10:90-5.4(a)1, unforeseen expenses and multiple
work activities, when arriving at its decision.
iii. Subject to
written authorization from the DFD, county or municipal agencies shall partner with community transportation
agencies to make all reasonable efforts to secure available transportation services through means other than
those listed above, such as, but not limited to, transportation brokers, third party contracts to provide van
pool service, feeder service or livery service, and so forth.
(b) Through the Extended WorkPass Program (EWP), the appropriate CWA shall
make available post WFNJ/TANF transportation services to those eligible individuals whose cases have been
terminated due to earned income or other circumstances within the last 24 months.
1. The individual must be employed at least 20 hours per week, at or above
the minimum wage.
2. The individual must be deemed appropriate
for transportation services, that is, be in need of a bus, light rail, or rail pass in order to continue
employment.
3. The bus, light rail, or rail pass is provided to
the client at no cost for up to six months subject to the availability of funds.
4. Cases that have closed within 24 months, if now employed, may apply for
the EWP and, if eligible, receive up to six months of public transportation through the EWP during the
remaining months of the 24-month post TANF benefit period.
