617.01 Assistance Payments: Determination, Frequency, and Issuance (AAM)

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The assistance payment is determined by the amount of the monthly grant and any adjustments. See PART 629, CORRECTIVE PAYMENTS, and PART631, RECOUPMENT OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. The assistance payment is equal to one-half the monthly grant if there are no adjustments. If there are adjustments, the assistance payment is equal to one-half the monthly grant, plus or minus the amount of the adjustments.

Assistance payments are issued semimonthly via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). The casehead must choose which benefit issuance method they prefer.

Exceptions:

. If the casehead chooses EFT and does not provide the information needed to issue benefits via EFT, or the bank account information the casehead provides results in a failed EFT transfer, issue assistance payments via EBT*.

. Paper checks are never used to issue financial assistance benefits, except for certain individuals receiving nursing facility assistance*(see PART 705, ISSUING BENEFITS).

The schedule for distribution of assistance payments is as follows:

. The first semimonthly payment is issued on the 15th of the month (covering the period from the first to the 15th).

. The second semimonthly payment is issued on the 30th covering the period from the 16th to the last day of the month. February's second check is issued on the last day of the month.

When a payroll date falls on a weekend, a Friday holiday, or a Monday holiday, EFT payments are issued to the designated bank account on the preceding working day.