Current through Vol. 42, No. 1, September 16, 2024
(a)
Scope. The worker provides
or arranges payments and services for the participant to ensure successful
completion of the participant's employability plan to become self-supporting.
(1) Payments are authorized for items or
services directly related to employment as an outcome.
(2) When support services are available and
part of the employability plan, the participant's failure to cooperate in
obtaining the support services constitutes a failure to participate in the TANF
Work program.
(3) Items and
services covered by the participant's medical card are not paid for by the
support service fund.
(4) The only
support services available to an applicant are the participant allowance and
work activity payment.
(5) Payments
are not authorized for reimbursement of expenses already paid by client or
others.
(b)
Flexible funds. The intent of flexible funds is to provide a
participant with the necessary support services needed to accomplish his or her
employment goals. Refer to Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) Appendix H-4,
Flexible Accounts, for the list of flexible fund services.
(1) Flexible funds are not available to the
applicant.
(2) To be eligible for
flexible funds, the participant must:
(A)
otherwise be ready to participate in a required work activity for the minimum
number of hours;
(B) have a
guaranteed offer of employment; or
(C) be employed.
(3) Payments for the services through
flexible funds are not an automatic entitlement to the participant.
(4) Flexible funds are not used for fines,
including traffic fines or any cost related to a criminal offense, such as
legal fees or court costs.
(5)
Designated county staff or the career development specialist has final
authority to determine authorizations.
(6) One-time payments of specific services
are not approved for reimbursement of expenses already paid by the participant
or others.
(7) Ongoing maintenance
payments are not allowed.
(8) The
client's relatives are not eligible for payment. Refer to Oklahoma
Administrative Code (OAC)
340:10-9-1
for degree of relationship.
(c)
Other support services.
(1)
Work activity payments. Work
activity payments are issued to purchase specific items, such as a tank of gas,
clothing, or personal items, when needed to participate in assigned work
activities. Refer to OKDHS Appendix H-4-C, Support Service Payments, for the
maximum amount that may be approved.
(2)
Participant allowances.
Daily cash allowances are made to participants in assigned scheduled,
structured, and supervised work activities based on the number of activity
hours. Refer to OKDHS Appendix H-4-C for the maximum payment amounts.
(A) Lunch hours and travel time are not
included as actual attendance hours.
(B) For persons in Job Search, travel time
between job interviews and job applications is included as actual attendance
hours.
(C) The participant makes
appropriate daily entries on Form 08TW013E, Time and Progress Report, to
document actual attendance hours and submits it to the worker by the time frame
shown on the form.
(D) TANF Work
participant allowances are not paid for part-time or full-time employment or
on-the-job training.
(3)
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations (OSBI) background checks.
OSBI background checks may be requested for a participant who is placed in job
skills training that requires an OSBI background check as a prerequisite for
employment. The job skills training may include vocational training, hands-on
work experience, or public or private sector work experience.
(4)
Child care. Child care
arrangements are made for each child in the home younger than 13 years of age
or younger than 19 years of age when the child is mentally or physically
incapable of self-care or under court supervision, per Oklahoma Administrative
Code (OAC)
340:40-7-3. The
worker includes the child care plan on Form 08TW002E, TANF Work/Personal
Responsibility Agreement. When the person begins active participation in TANF
Work activities, the worker and client complete a child care application based
on the TANF Work plan, per OAC
340:40-3-1
and
340:40-7-8.
(5)
Transportation contracts.
Transportation contracts are initiated to provide transportation for TANF
recipients who have no means of transportation to access required TANF Work
training activities. To initiate a transportation contract, designated county
office staff contact Adult and Family Services (AFS) TANF Unit staff.
(6)
Disability Advocacy Program
(DAP). DAP is available to assist a TANF Work participant or a
child(ren) receiving a TANF benefit, who has an application for disability
pending with the Social Security Administration (SSA) or who OKDHS determines
has a potentially meritorious claim for such benefits.
(A) The worker makes a referral to the
OKDHS-contracted law firm to assist the recipient(s) with the:
(i) application;
(ii) reconsideration;
(iii) Administrative Law Judge hearing; and
(iv) review by the SSA Appeals
Council.
(B) The
evaluation of merit determines if the appropriate SSA test for disability would
be met if evidence was available to prove all conditions claimed by the TANF
recipient. When the evaluation of merit determines there is:
(i) sufficient evidence, the law firm
represents the TANF recipient.
(I) Statewide
representation consists of assisting the recipient with the application through
an unfavorable SSA Appeals Council decision.
(II) In counties in which representation by a
lawyer or experienced non-lawyer advocate is not available without advance
payment, the contracted law firm assists with the pending application for
disability through an unfavorable decision by the SSA Appeals Council; or
(ii) insufficient
evidence to prove conditions claimed by the TANF recipient, no further services
are provided by DAP. Representation by the law firm ceases at any time the law
firm determines there is insufficient evidence to support the TANF recipient's
claim for disability benefits.
(7)
Achievement bonuses. TANF
recipients participating in TANF Work are eligible for bonuses related to
achievement of certain goals when funding is available. TANF recipients may
receive one bonus payment per achievement.
(A) Achievements are completion of a:
(i) high school diploma; or
(ii) high school equivalency
certificate.
(B) Refer to
OKDHS Appendix H-4-C for bonus payment amounts.
Added at 15 Ok Reg 147,
eff 10-9-97 (emergency); Added at 15 Ok Reg 897, eff 2-1-98 (emergency); Added
at 15 Ok Reg 1277, eff 3-1-98 (emergency); Added at 15 Ok Reg 2616, eff
6-25-98; Amended at 15 Ok Reg 3736, eff 8-1-98 (emergency); Amended at 16 Ok
Reg 1010, eff 4-26-99; Amended at 17 Ok Reg 444, eff 11-1-99 (emergency);
Amended at 17 Ok Reg 2075, eff 7-1-00; Amended at 18 Ok Reg 1217, eff 6-1-01;
Amended at 19 Ok Reg 1737, eff 6-14-02; Amended at 20 Ok Reg 88, eff 12-1-02
(emergency); Amended at 20 Ok Reg 850, eff 6-1-03; Amended at 21 Ok Reg 814,
eff 5-1-04; Amended at 22 Ok Reg 764, eff 5-12-05; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 980,
eff 6-1-06; Amended at 25 Ok Reg 14, eff 8-3-07 (emergency); Amended at 25 Ok
Reg 903, eff 6-1-08; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 767, eff 4-1-09 (emergency); Amended
at 26 Ok Reg 2219, eff 6-25-09; Amended at 26 Ok Reg 767, eff 4-1-09
(emergency); Amended at 27 Ok Reg 1173, eff
6-1-10
