Current through February, 2024
Section 2500 Introduction to Reach Ahead
(7/1/2015, 15-08)
The Reach Ahead program assists employed families with
unsubsidized earnings who have recently left Reach Up or the Postsecondary
Education program. The purpose of the program is to assist these families in
their transition from public assistance and to help them maintain employment by
providing work supports and incentives. Reach Ahead is designed to improve
family financial stability while the family transitions off of public
assistance by providing work supports, services and food assistance.
Reach Ahead provides information and referrals to workforce
development options, time-limited work supports, and food assistance.
Participation in this program is limited to no more than 24 months in a
participating adult's lifetime. When necessary, Reach Ahead provides
individualized case management that addresses the individual participant's
situation or barriers to self sufficiency and assists the participant to
maintain employment.
Section
2501 Definitions
(03/01/2017, 17-02)
Reach Ahead terms are either defined in Reach Up rules and
incorporated into Reach Ahead rules or defined in this section.
A. The following Reach Ahead terms are
defined in Reach Up rule 2301 and incorporated into Reach Ahead rules by this
reference:
1. Adult
2. Barrier
3. Caretaker
4. Commissioner
5. Department
6. Dependent Child
7. Living with a relative or
caretaker
8. Parent
9. Relative
10. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families or
TANF
B. The following
definitions apply to these terms as used in Reach Ahead program rules:
1. "Eligible family" means a family that
meets the requirements in rule
2502 and
a. has one or more dependent children living
with one or both parents or a relative or caretaker of such children (the
temporary absence criteria defined in Reach Up rule 2230.3 are incorporated
into Reach Ahead rules by this reference); or
b. is a pregnant individual who is in her
last month of pregnancy, in her final trimester of a medically verified high
risk pregnancy, or in her final trimester of pregnancy and is under age
18.
2. "Food assistance"
means a monthly financial assistance benefit in the form of food support. If
receiving food stamps, the food assistance may supplement the family's food
stamp benefit.
3. "Participant" or
"participating adult" means an adult member of a participating
family.
4. Participating family"
means an eligible family that participates in the Reach Ahead
program.
5. "Reach Ahead services"
means the service component of the Reach Ahead program consisting of case
management services, support services, and referrals provided to eligible
families to assist them in maintaining self-sufficiency.
6. "Reach First" means Vermont's diversion
program established under chapter 10 of title 33 of the Vermont Statutes
Annotated and operated in accordance with Reach First rules 2100 to
2199.
7. "Reach Up" means Vermont's
financial assistance program established under chapter 11 of title 33 of the
Vermont Statutes Annotated and operated in accordance with Reach Up rules 2200
to 2399.
Section
2502 Eligibility
(03/01/2017, 17-02)
In addition to the eligibility criteria enumerated below,
Reach Ahead eligibility is limited to families who met the financial and
non-financial eligibility qualifications for and received financial assistance
from Reach Up or the Postsecondary Education Program. The 60-month time limit
(rule 2238) does not apply to Reach Ahead eligibility.
2502.1 Initial Eligibility
To initially qualify for Reach Ahead, families must meet all
of the following eligibility criteria.
A. Meet the definition of family;
B. live in Vermont;
C. leave the Reach Up or Postsecondary
Education Program on or after April 1, 2009 and apply for Reach Ahead within
the six months directly following the last month in which the family received
financial assistance in Reach Up or the Postsecondary Education
program;
D. be receiving income
from unsubsidized employment; and
E. include at least one work-eligible adult
who is meeting the full, unmodified Reach Up work requirement applicable to the
family's size and composition as established in Reach Up rule with hours in
unsubsidized employment.
2502.2 Ongoing Eligibility
After the determination of initial eligibility, the family
must continue to meet the following eligibility criteria for the duration of
participation in the program.
A. Meet
the definition of family;
B. live
in Vermont;
C. Provide verification
under Reach Up rules at the times specified below:
1. If there is no change in work hours or
family members after eligibility is determined, the work eligible adult(s)
meeting the work requirement shall verify work hours and income at 6-month
intervals of consecutive months of participation. If feasible, income
verification may be done at the same time as food stamps
recertification.
2. If there is a
change in the family members or the work hours of the work-eligible adult(s) in
the family, the family must notify the department of the change within the
timeframes required by Reach Up rules and, if necessary, the department will
determine if there is ongoing eligibility or a change to the work
requirement.
D. Failure
to provide verification when requested and in accordance with these rules will
result in termination from the program.
2502.3 Resumption of Eligibility After a
Break in Participation
A. A break in Reach
Ahead participation occurs when the family does not receive any food assistance
in a month.
B. Families who
experience a break in Reach Ahead participation for one or more months must
file a new application.
C. Families
applying for Reach Ahead after a break in benefits for one or more months must
meet all initial eligibility criteria.
This subsection applies only to families that experience a
break in Reach Ahead participation and are not transferred to Reach First or
Reach Up pursuant to subsection 2502.4 below.
2502.4 Transition to Other Programs
If a family loses employment meeting or exceeding the work
requirements for Reach Up for the family's size and composition and is
financially eligible for Reach Up, the family shall be transferred to Reach
First or Reach Up without an additional application process, unless the family
chooses not to participate. Verification of income or other documentation may
be required as provided for in Reach Up rule 2211.3.
Section 2503 Reach Ahead Program
Participation
(7/1/2015, 15-08)
A.
Participation in Reach Ahead
1. Participation
in Reach Ahead is limited to 24 months of a participating adult's
lifetime.
2. The 24 months of
participation are cumulative and do not have to be consecutive.
B. Participation in Blended
Families
1. A blended family is a family that
is in Reach Ahead and includes two work-eligible adults who have differing
numbers of remaining months of Reach Ahead eligibility because one or both of
the adults have previously participated in the program when they were not in
the same family.
2. In blended
families, the family's eligibility is determined by the eligibility of the head
of the household.
3. Eligibility
and benefits for blended families in which only one of two participating adults
is eligible due to the other adult having used his or her lifetime limitation
shall be based upon the eligibility of the head of the household.
4. Any month of participation by a family
with two adults with differing remaining months of eligibility will count
against each adult's lifetime months of eligibility, and if the cash value
amount of the benefit varies between eligible adults, the family shall receive
the benefit of the head of household.
Section 2504 Reach Ahead Food Assistance
Benefit
(7/1/2015, 15-08)
Families eligible for and participating in Reach Ahead
receive financial assistance in the form of a food benefit. The purpose of this
benefit is to provide assistance and recognition for the adult's support of the
family through unsubsidized wages.
2504.1 Food Assistance Benefit Amount
(7/1/2015, 15-08)
A. A participating family
shall receive a monthly food assistance benefit of $ 50.00 each month of the
first 12 months of Reach Ahead participation.
B. A participating family shall receive a
benefit of $ 5.00 for each month of their 12th through 24th month of Reach
Ahead participation.
C. Any family
within the first six months of Reach Ahead participation on July 1, 2015 shall
continue to receive a monthly food assistance benefit of $ 100.00 until its
seventh month of participation, at which time it shall receive a monthly food
assistance benefit of $ 50.00 for the remainder of the initial 12-month period.
Families who experience a break in Reach Ahead participation for one or more
months before reaching the seventh month of participation and subsequently
re-enroll in Reach Ahead shall receive a monthly food assistance benefit of $
50.00 for the remainder of the initial 12-month period.
2504.2 Food Assistance Benefit and
Distribution (7/1/2015, 15-08)
A. The food
assistance benefit is applied to the family's electronic benefit transfer (EBT)
card's food account at the beginning of each month.
B. Food assistance may be used only to
purchase eligible food items as defined in the food stamp federal
rules.
C. The food assistance
benefit is a food benefit and is not counted as income for determination of
eligibility and benefits in other needs-based programs.
Section 2505 Reach Ahead Services
Component
(7/1/2015, 15-08)
A.
Eligibility for participation in the Reach Ahead services component is
simultaneous with eligibility for the Reach Ahead benefit and is limited to 24
cumulative months of the participating adult's lifetime.
B. The Reach Ahead services component
consists of support services (including a 100 percent child care services
subsidy), referral to other agencies or programs, including workforce
development, that provide the services needed by participating families to
improve the family's prospects for employment retention.
C. When necessary, the services component may
include case management services.
2505.1 Case Management Services (7/1/2015,
15-08)
A. If a family needs case management,
the case manager and the family may develop a family development
plan.
B. Case management services
and the family development plan shall focus on employment retention and
advancement.
C. In developing a
plan and providing case management services, the department shall follow Reach
Up rules 2302 through 2315 to the extent they are related to and limited to
services necessary for job retention and advancement.
D. When case management is provided, the case
manager and adults in the family may develop a new or extend the operation of
an existing Reach Up family development plan following the process of Reach Up
rule 2332.
E. If practicable, the
case manager shall be the same case manager previously assigned to and working
with the family.
2505.2
Family Development Plans (7/1/2015, 15-08)
For families requesting a family development plan, the
department may assist the family in developing a plan relying on Reach Up rule
2330, but only to the extent that it is consistent with Reach Ahead rules and
the program purposes to assist the family to maintain or enhance existing
employment.
Section
2506 Notice and Appeal
A. A
participant may appeal decisions in accordance with Reach Up section 2380
except that Reach Ahead food assistance payments do not continue while an
appeal is pending.
B. The
commissioner shall provide notice to each participant of the standards and
procedures applicable to such appeals. All federal and agency of human services
rules regarding conciliation, notice, hearing, and appeal shall be followed in
connection with such appeals.
