SR 06-12 Dated 10/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases the following changes due to reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program:

§   the new state-funded financial assistance for Unemployed Parents (UP) program. Eligibility requirements and benefit determination for applicants and recipients of UP financial assistance will align with eligibility requirements and benefit determination for applicants and recipients of New Hampshire Employment Program (NHEP) cash assistance, including having a state 60-month lifetime limit clock on the receipt of UP cash assistance, except that:

-   UP cases are not eligible for Extended Food Stamps; and

-   assignment of child support to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is not a condition of eligibility for UP financial assistance.

§   attendance at the NHEP orientation is now a condition of eligibility for NHEP financial assistance and UP cash assistance. Both parents in the UP assistance group (AG) and all adult members of the NHEP cash assistance AG must attend this orientation;

§   the income, resources, and needs of cohabitating adults and common children are counted when determining eligibility for NHEP financial assistance;

§   the following revisions to the NHEP work program:

-   more individuals who are able to work will be expected to work. Individuals will now be expected to participate in NHEP when they are pregnant and when their youngest child turns 1. Additionally, if an individual has already been exempt for caring for a child under age 1 for 12 months, the individual will be expected to participate in the NHEP when their youngest child turns 12 weeks old; and

-   individuals must participate in NHEP employment-related activities immediately after attending the NHEP orientation. At the NHEP orientation, participants will receive new Form NHEP225, NHEP Portfolio: Planning for Success, and will be expected to independently work on assigned activities to meet participation requirements until the individual returns for a Service Determination Appointment (SDA);

§   the following revised NHEP participation requirements:

-   activities that are "countable" towards NHEP participation requirements have been redefined to align with federally defined, countable work activities;

-   assessments will be required for individuals claiming domestic violence prevents them from participating in NHEP work activities; and

-   failure or refusal to participate in the NHEP will result in NHEP/UP financial assistance benefits being reduced or stopped more quickly. The maximum amount of time a case can remain in sanction before being closed has been shortened from 6 months to 8 weeks;

§   progressive sanctioning, the method of sanctioning used in the NHEP work program, will now also apply when NHEP cash recipients fail or refuse to cooperate with child support requirements;

§   an increased emphasis on analyzing reasons for recidivism. New Form NHEP804T, Questionnaire for Returning Applicants, must be completed for all NHEP/UP applicants who reveal during the NHEP orientation that they were past recipients of TANF or UP financial assistance; and

§   mileage reimbursement has increased from $0.25 a mile to $0.30 a mile.

These changes represent an alignment of NHEP or TANF program requirements with changes identified in the:

§   Deficit Reduction Act of 2005; and

§   New Hampshire House Bill 1331.

BACKGROUND

On February 8th, 2006, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) was signed into law and reauthorized the Temporary Assistance to Needy Family (TANF) program through fiscal year 2010 with a renewed focus on work and program integrity. Among other changes, this law required the federal government to release new federal regulations pertaining to the work program provided under TANF. On June 29th, 2006, the Administration of Children & Families released interim final rules to implement the statutory changes. Changes mandated by these new initiatives include:

§   a recalculation in caseload reduction credit;

§   standardization of the types of work activities that count towards federal participation requirements;

§   new verification requirements to document the actual hours a participant is participating in a countable activity; and

§   new daily supervision requirements for participants in all non-work activities.

Further revisions to the NHEP work program and eligibility for NHEP/UP cash assistance were mandated through changes released in House Bill 1331.

POLICY

NH State Unemployed Parent Program (UP)

Cash assistance for unemployed parents (UP) is now a separate state-funded program and is no longer a category of deprivation in determining eligibility for TANF cash assistance for 2-parent households. However, eligibility requirements and benefit determination for UP cash assistance align with eligibility and benefit determination requirements for NHEP financial assistance with the following additional criteria:

§   State Time Limit/Clock: There is a 60-month lifetime limit on receipt of UP and/or TANF cash assistance. As such, a state timeclock was created to track the number of months a household has received UP and/or TANF, and all TANF/UP households now have both a federal and state timeclock. The clocks will advance as follows:

-   The federal clock will advance for every month the household receives TANF financial assistance.

-   The state clock will advance for every month the household receives TANF financial assistance OR UP financial assistance. Months in which an individual receives TANF financial assistance will count towards both the federal and state clock; however, months spent receiving UP financial assistance will only count towards the state clock.

This means that for families who have received both UP and TANF financial assistance, a greater number of months will be exhibited on the state clock than the number of months displayed on the federal clock.

Note: Other states inquiring about the number of months an individual received TANF in NH must only be provided with the count on the federal clock.

§   Extended Food Stamps: UP recipients are not eligible for extended food stamps.

§   Assigning of Child Support Rights: UP applicants and recipients are not required to sign their child support rights over to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) as a condition of eligibility. If an individual is eligible for UP and receives child support, the support is not retained by the state. Instead, child support received directly by the assistance group (AG) is counted as unearned income in both the eligibility and grant determination computations. Previously the support would have been retained by DHHS and the income would have been excluded when determining the AG's grant amount.

Note: Although UP applicants do not have to assign child support payments to DHHS, there has been no change in policy requiring applicants to develop all potential sources of income as a condition of eligibility. Because child support income is considered a potential source of income, UP applicants must develop this potential source of income by fully cooperating with child support and completing a Form 725, Application for Child Support Services, as well as meeting with a Child Support Representative if the applicant lists the absent parent as "unknown."

The following DFA forms and New HEIGHTS-generated letters were revised accordingly:

-   Form 810, Notice of Rights and Responsibilities;

-   Form 819, Financial Assistance for Unemployed Parents Worksheet;

-   AE0098, TANF Extension Approval Letters (two versions);

-   AE0099, TANF Extension Failed/Refused to Verify;

-   AE0100, TANF Extension Rescind Letter (two versions);

-   AE0101, TANF Extension Begin Letter;

-   AE0102, TANF Extension End Letter;

-   AE0103, TANF Extension Notification Letter; and

-   AE0104, TANF Extension Denial Letter (three versions).

The following NHEP forms were created to accommodate the new UP program:

-   NHEP255(UP), Employment and Training Support Services Payment Request Invoice;

-   NHEP256(UP), Mileage Reimbursement Request Invoice;

-   NHEP256A(UP), Public/Private Transportation Carrier Provider Invoice; and

-   NHEP257(UP), Tuition Payment Request Invoice.

NHEP Orientation as a Condition of Eligibility for NHEP and UP Financial Assistance

Attendance at a NHEP orientation is a condition of eligibility for NHEP/UP cash assistance. NHEP orientations will be scheduled within 10 days from the date of application. Individuals must be rescheduled for another NHEP orientation session within 10 days if the individual contacts staff prior to missing the first scheduled appointment.

Individuals who do not contact staff prior to their orientation but do contact staff within 21 days of the eligibility application interview and who are granted good cause by NHEP for missing the originally scheduled orientation, will be rescheduled for the next available NHEP orientation session. Individuals who fail to attend the orientation and do not contact the department will be denied cash assistance.

All NHEP/UP applicants must attend an orientation session by the 40th day following the eligibility application interview, or NHEP/UP financial assistance will be denied.

The following NHEP form and New HEIGHTS-generated letters were revised accordingly:

-   CS0009, WP General Interview (two versions);

-   CS0015, WP Reschedule Interview (two versions); and

-   NHEP228(orientation), Employability Plan.

New HEIGHTS-generated letter CS0021, WP Reschedule Interview – Absent – No Good Cause (three versions), was obsoleted as a result.

Cohabitating Adults and Common Children

When a household does not meet TANF deprivation requirements for parental incapacity or does not meet UP eligibility requirements, the income, resources, and needs of the cohabitating adult and common children who live with NHEP financial assistance applicants, count when determining eligibility for NHEP financial assistance. The cohabitating adult and common children are considered "counted" in the AG, but are not considered "recipients."

For example, if a household size of 4 is composed of a parent, the parent's child, another adult (cohabitating adult), and a child of both adults in the home (the common child), the income and resources of all 4 individuals are counted towards the household when determining eligibility, and the TANF financial assistance grant is based on an AG size of 4. The common child and cohabitating adult are not eligible for TANF MA or CC assistance at Step 1.

Note: The income, resources, and needs of both the cohabitating adult and common child do not count when determining eligibility for medical assistance for the rest of the group.

Revisions to the NHEP Work Program

§   Changes in Temporary Exemptions from the NHEP: Pregnancy is not considered an exemption from NHEP work program requirements. Unless the pregnant individual verifies a medical condition which prevents participation in the NHEP, the individual must meet all work requirements.

Individuals caring for a child between 1 and 2 years old must participate in the NHEP and meet all work requirements. Adults are required to participate in the NHEP when their youngest child turns 1 year old. Individuals who have already been exempt for caring for a child under age 1 for a period of 12 months must participate in the NHEP when the youngest child is 12 weeks old.

Teen parents who are 18 and 19 years old without their high school diploma or the equivalency will be referred to the NHEP to participate in basic or alternative education activities when their youngest child turns 12 weeks old. This policy aligns with existing policy that has been in place for teen parents age 16 and 17.

The following DFA form and New HEIGHTS-generated letters were revised accordingly:

-   Form 752, Physician/Clinician Statement of Capabilities;

-   CM0010, TANF Clock Notice (Years 1-3) (four versions);

-   CM0011, TANF Clock Notice (Year 4) (four versions);

-   CM0012, TANF Clock Notice (Year 5) (four versions); and

-   CM0014, TANF Clock Notice (Override).

The DFA Form 755HH, Physician/Clinician Statement of Necessary Patient Care for a Household Member, was created to accommodate new policy.

§   Portfolio and Service Determination Appointment (SDA): When NHEP/UP applicants are determined eligible for NHEP/UP cash assistance, mandatory participants are automatically enrolled in the NHEP activity of Job Readiness, Employment, or Self Employment. The Job Readiness activity requires NHEP participants to complete various sections of new Form NHEP225, NHEP Portfolio: Planning for Success, which is distributed at the NHEP orientation. Form NHEP225 is a job readiness manual with a series of self-directed activities that serve both as a preparatory tool for the participant and an assessment tool for the NHEP Employment Councilor Specialist (ECS) to screen for barriers and assess the participants’ readiness for the labor market. Participants who have wages will be automatically enrolled in the NHEP activity of Employment or Self- Employment. Participants who are initially enrolled in the activity of Employment or Self-Employment, and do not meet their required hourly requirements, will also be enrolled in the activity of Job Readiness.

The first appointment with the ECS following the NHEP orientation is the Service Determination Appointment (SDA). At the SDA, the ECS reviews the completed sections of the Form NHEP225 with the participant, establishes the services needed to ensure a successful job hunt, and develops an employability plan (EP) with the participant.

The following NHEP forms and New HEIGHTS-generated letters were created accordingly:

-   Form NHEP225, NHEP Portfolio: Planning for Success;

-   Form NHEP227, NHEP Assessment;

-   Form NHEP267, Portfolio Assignment and Verification Form,

-   CS0020, SDA Schedule Letter; and

-   CS0023, SDA Reschedule Letter.

Changes in How NHEP Participation Requirements Can Be Met

Allowable Work Activities – Core, Secondary, and Interim Activities: Countable NHEP activities have been aligned with federal definitions. Approved NHEP activities are divided into three categories - core, secondary, or interim. Participants must meet a minimum of 20 hours per week in core activities. Secondary activities and core activities may be counted for those participants whose weekly requirements exceed 20 hours. Interim activities are not counted towards federal participation rates.

§   Core Activities: The following have been aligned with federal definitions to ensure they count as core activities for NHEP participation:

-   Job Readiness: Participation in this activity combined with Job Search is limited to 6 weeks, as opposed to the former 26 weeks that was allowed, and only 4 of those weeks can be consecutively counted as a core activity in a federal fiscal year (10/1 – 9/30). Any consecutive weeks beyond 4 will count as an interim activity. Form NHEP225, NHEP Portfolio: Planning for Success, will be the only Job Readiness activity.

-   Job Search: This activity combined with Job Readiness is time limited to 6 weeks, as opposed to the former 26 weeks that was allowed, and only 4 of those weeks can be consecutively counted as a core activity in a federal fiscal year. Any consecutive weeks beyond 4 will count as an interim activity.

-   Employment: Employment must be documented with pay stubs and re-verified every 6 months or when changes occur.

-   On the Job Training: This activity must be documented with pay stubs and reverified every 6 months or when changes occur.

-   HomeCare Works: This activity must be documented with pay stubs and reverified every 6 months or when changes occur.

-   Self-Employment: To determine if self-employed participants are meeting their work requirements, take the "Net Profit" from the New HEIGHTS "Self-Employment" screen, divide by the federal minimum wage, and then divide by 4.33. The result is the average weekly hours that the individual is credited for participation in this activity. If this total is less than the individual’s minimum hourly participation requirements, the individual must participate in additional NHEP activities. Self-Employment must be documented and re-verified every 6 months or when changes occur.

-   Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP): This activity has no time limit. Activities must be performed at either a for-profit organization or a state government placement, and must enhance the individual’s employability.

-   Community Work Experience Program (CWEP): This activity must provide direct benefits to the community. Working Futures is considered a CWEP activity.

§   Core and Secondary Activities: The following activities may count for core or secondary activities depending on the participant’s circumstances:

-   Basic Education: High School, Adult Basic Education (ABE)/General Equivalency Diploma (GED) contract, and ABE/GED non-contract: This activity is considered a core activity when a teen parent (age 16-19) is mandatory for the NHEP. When the individual is making satisfactory progress, there are no minimum core requirements. For all other participants, the activity counts as a secondary activity. All basic education classes must lead to a diploma or GED.

-   Vocational & Post Secondary Education: This activity can only be counted as a core activity for a maximum of 12 months in a participant’s lifetime. A 3-month extension can be given if it is essential to the participant’s graduation and leads to direct employment. The length of this extension counts as a secondary activity. In determining participation hours, the actual number of hours a class meets is the participation hours allowed for this activity. Study time is counted only if it is monitored and verified. Self-initiated education activities fall under this category and must meet core requirements to be approved.

§   Secondary Activities: The following are secondary activities that may be counted up to 10 hours per week to supplement core activities for participants whose weekly requirement exceeds 20 hours:

-   Workplace Training: This activity can be counted towards participation requirements for up to 10-hours but must prepare a participant for employment. The training can be customized or general. ABE/GED participants who have a HSD/GED and need basic skills training may be placed in this activity.

-   Single Course: There is no limit on the number of courses allowed per semester but the courses must prepare the participant for employment. In determining participation hours, the actual number of hours a class meets is the participation hours allowed for this activity.

-   English as a Second Language (ESL): This activity counts as a secondary activity.

§   Interim Activities: Barrier resolution, Family Intervention, and other Interim Activities do not count towards the federal participation requirements, but do count for NHEP compliance purposes. These activities are required when they are included in the Employability Plan.

§   Re-classified Activities:

-   Job Club: This activity is considered "work experience" so has been re-classified as a CWEP activity.

-   LEAP: This activity has been discontinued; many aspects of the LEAP curriculum have been incorporated into other core, secondary, and interim activities.

The following New-HEIGHTS generated letters were obsoleted accordingly:

-   WP0008, Component Change Letter; and

-   WP0017, Component Change Letter.

§   Documentation and Verification of Activities: All core and secondary activities must be documented to count towards federal participation rates. Additionally, core, secondary, and interim activities (except barrier resolution) must be documented in order to count towards the individual’s NHEP participation requirements. The new "Activity Verification" screen is the main tool for the ECS to properly document participation hours. Hours must be recorded by the 15th of the following month to count towards participation. Verifications for unpaid activities must meet the new daily monitoring and supervision requirements and a participant can meet this requirement by the submittal of bi-weekly verification forms signed off by the participant’s supervising authority. Employment, OJT, Self-Employment, and HomeCare Works must be verified every 6 months or when there is a change. New HEIGHTS will auto-populate verification for these paid activities with the verified weekly hours from either the Employment or Self Employment Screen.

Core and secondary hours that are not properly verified cannot count towards the participant’s work participation requirements, nor will they count towards federal reporting requirements.

Excused absences and holidays in which the participant was scheduled for activities may be counted as participation hours. Monthly excused absences cannot exceed 12 hours for individuals caring for a child age 6 or older (40 hours per 12 months), and 8 hours for those individuals caring for a child under age 6 (60 hours per 12 months). Holiday hours are counted as holiday hours for non-work activities. For example, if a participant is scheduled for activities Thanksgiving week, they would have 3 days of participation hours and 2 days of holiday hours.

The following NHEP forms were revised accordingly:

-   Form NHEP101, Your Rights In The Workplace;

-   Form NHEP102, Notice About Workers Compensation;

-   Form NHEP103, WEP Pamphlet;

-   Form NHEP104, WEP FAQ;

-   Form NHEP105, WEP Site Description;

-   Form NHEP223, Job Search Verification Form;

-   Form NHEP232, WEP Agreement;

-   Form NHEP255, Employment and Training Support Services Payment Request Invoice;

-   Form NHEP256, Mileage Reimbursement Request Invoice;

-   Form NHEP256A, Public/Private Transportation Carrier Provider Invoice; and

-   Form NHEP257, Tuition Payment Request Invoice.

The following NHEP forms were created to accommodate the revisions to policy:

-   NHEP223, Job Search Verification Form;

-   NHEP260, Client Screening Tool;

-   NHEP266, NHEP Education/Training Activities Verification Form;

-   NHEP269, Client Statement for NHEP Non-Participation and Plan; and

-   NHEP270, Work Experience Program (WEP) Verification Form.

The following DFA forms and their associated instructions were obsoleted as the result of changes to policy:

-   Form 224, Net Loss of Income Work;

-   Form 231, NHEP Participant Agreement;

-   Form NHEP233, AWEP Evaluation Report;

-   Form NHEP234, AWEP Attendance Report;

-   Form NHEP236, EPG Assignment Letter; and

-   Form 255, Fees and Supplies Form.

§   Sanctions for Failure to Cooperate with the NHEP: Failure or refusal to participate in the NHEP will result in NHEP/UP financial assistance benefits being reduced or stopped more quickly. Level 1 and 2 sanctions will each only last 2 weeks. Once in a Level 3 sanction, an individual has 4 weeks to comply with the program or financial assistance closes. This policy change reduces the maximum amount of time a case can remain in sanction before being closed, from 6 months to 8 weeks. Additionally, each adult in an UP case will carry the sanction history individually.

In the past, a sanction of the next level was enforced if a TANF cash assistance applicant/recipient was sanctioned at any time within 6 months of the end of the most recent sanction period. With the effective date of this SR, changes in the progressive sanctioning process eliminate "bumping up" to the next level of sanction as long as the participant fulfilled requirements to lift the original sanction. This means that once the participant rectifies their sanction, the individual starts back at Level 1 for any new situations of non-compliance.

§   Removing a Sanction: Time requirements for curing a Level 2 or 3 sanction have been aligned with time requirements for curing a Level 1 sanction. To lift a Level 1, 2 or 3 sanction, individuals must participate in an approved NHEP activity for 2 full weeks or become exempt from NHEP requirements. NHEP/UP recipients in a Level 3 sanction may also participate in a home visit with a referral agency, but participation in a home visit alone will not lift the sanction.

If a NHEP/UP financial assistance case closes in sanction and the household subsequently reapplies for cash assistance, the sanction must be cured and the household must meet all other eligibility requirements, before cash is reopened. Curing the sanction, which requires compliance with NHEP requirements for 2 full weeks, is a condition of eligibility and is mandatory regardless of the amount of time that has passed between the case closing and the household reapplying. Participants may not apply for TANF/UP financial assistance after being closed in a full family sanction and be reopened in non-sanction status without satisfying the 2 full weeks of NHEP compliance. Cash assistance opens at the time that the 2-week compliance is fulfilled and all other program requirements are met.

The following New HEIGHTS-generated letters were revised accordingly:

-   WP0005, Good Cause Decision Letter (four versions);

-   WP0006, Work Programs Closure Letter;

-   WP0012, Failure to Meet Work Requirements – Noncompliance, (three versions);

-   WP1099, NHEP Extension Failed/Refused to Verify;

-   WP1101, NHEP Extension Begin Letter;

-   WP1102, NHEP Extension End Letter; and

-   WP1103, NHEP Extension Notification Letter.

§   Conciliation Process: There is no conciliation process for those individuals who claim good cause. Individuals who feel they have good cause for voluntarily quit or failure to cooperate with NHEP will go through the standard process of claiming good cause.

New HEIGHTS-generated letter WP0020, Conciliation Meeting Letter (two versions), was obsoleted due to the changes in policy.

§   Mandatory Assessment for NHEP Participants Claiming Domestic Violence: Individuals who are not able to participate in work activities and wish to exercise the Family Violence Option, must participate in a full assessment by a trained domestic violence professional. The Department is financially responsible for this meeting, and NHEP activities will be adjusted according to the barriers that are outlined in the resulting written assessment. NHEP participants will be referred to the NHEP in order to access referral to this assessment.

DFA Form 243, Maybe There is Help, was revised accordingly.

Sanctions for Failure to Cooperate with Child Support Requirements

Progressive sanctions are applied to NHEP recipients who refuse or fail to cooperate with child support. Sanctioning of FAP cases for failure or refusal to cooperate with child support requirements remains unchanged at a flat 25% grant reduction. UP recipients are not subject to child support sanctions.

If the non-custodial parent is not identified, the applicant must participate in an interview with a child support worker as a condition of eligibility for NHEP/FAP financial assistance. Failure to attend this appointment or complete the Form 725, Application for Child Support Services, results in the denial of NHEP/FAP financial assistance.

New HEIGHTS-generated letter AE0013, Child Support Good Cause Decision – Denied, was revised accordingly.

Recidivism Form

A questionnaire has been created to track more specific information related to recidivism. New Form NHEP804T, Questionnaire for Returning Applicants, will be completed during the NHEP orientation with any NHEP/UP cash assistance applicant who reveals prior receipt of cash assistance. Completed forms are mailed to State Office and are then entered into a database for future analysis.

Mileage Reimbursement Change

The reimbursement rate has risen to $.30 per mile, with a monthly limit of 520 miles or $160.

Form Changes that Reflect Multiple Changes in Policy

The following DFA forms, NHEP forms, and New HEIGHTS-generated letters were revised to accommodate all of the policies released in this SR:

·   Form 77a, NHEP, UP, and FAP Pamphlet;

·   Form 221, NHEP Pamphlet;

·   Form 251, Provider Enrollment;

·   Form 261, TANF and Unemployed Parent Interview Checklist;

·   WP0001, ETS Service Open Letter (four versions);

·   WP0002, ETS Service Change (four versions);

·   WP0003, ETS Service Closure (four versions);

·   WP0011, Congratulatory Letter;

·   WP0013, Provider Enrollment Packet;

·   Form NHEP231, NHEP Participant Agreement; and

·   Form NHEP236, NHEP EPG Assignment Letter.

DFA Form 244, TANF’s Road to Employment, has been temporarily taken out of distribution until further changes can be made.

NEW HEIGHTS CHANGES

60-Month Clocks

New HEIGHTS has created a new screen titled "State Clock," to track months on both TANF and UP for all TANF and UP cases. The screen titled "Federal Clock" will continue to only count months on TANF assistance. Both screens are located under the heading of "60-month Clocks." Hardship extensions to the 60-month lifetime limit for both TANF and UP will be based on the number of months on the "State Clock," not the "Federal Clock."

UP Program

Since the state is fully funding the UP financial assistance program, a new category code of ‘UP Cash’ is used when individuals are open for this program. Medical assistance continues to be coded in the same fashion as in the past.

§   New UP ETS billing codes have been created in New HEIGHTS.

§   New UP appropriation codes have been created for the UP financial assistance grant and Emergency Assistance.

Orientation as a Condition of Eligibility for NHEP/UP Financial Assistance

The New HEIGHTS-generated verification checklist requires that an applicant attend an NHEP orientation when the participant is pending for NHEP/UP financial assistance. A new denial code, "Failed to attend the Orientation," has been created accordingly.

The "Group Orientation" screen will be brought up in the driver flow after the "Referral and Assessment" screen. The FSS must place the referred individual into a Group Orientation slot before moving on through the driver flow. Manually scheduled group orientations can be requested, using the "Best Day" screen, if the participant has work conflicts or speaks a language other than English. NHEP/UP cash assistance will pend until the group orientation attendance information has been completed. The FSS will be sent an alert that the individual did or did not attend an orientation. The worker then runs eligibility and NHEP/UP cash assistance will open or deny.

New Referral and Barrier Assessment screens are included at the end of the driver flow and must be completed by the FSS before the case can be confirmed. The screens identify barriers and serve as a pre-assessment tool for the NHEP teams.

In certain circumstances, an individual may be exempt from attending an NHEP orientation. FSS may select the value "Request" for new question "Orientation Not Required" and then the Supervisor must approve or deny the request for this eligibility condition to be lifted.

Cooperation with a Child Support Interview as a Condition of Eligibility for NHEP/FAP Financial Assistance

A new question, "If the parent is not identified, has the individual attended an interview," has been added to the Non-Custodial Parent (NCP) screen. Selecting the options "Parent Identified," or "Attended," will verify that the eligibility requirements have been met. The option "Yet to Attend," will assign a pending status, and include this requirement on the verification checklist. The option "Failed/Refused to Attend," will deny the application. A new denial reason was created for this situation.

Cohabitating Adults and Common Children

A cohabitating adult is considered a ‘Counted Adult’ and each common child is considered a ‘Counted Child.’ Four new denial/closing reasons and appropriate NOD message texts were created to incorporate this new policy: Cohabitating Adult - Over Income (earned)/Over Income (unearned)/Over Resources/Failed to Provide Information.

When NHEP financial assistance denies/closes for reasons associated with the cohabitating adult or common child, eligibility for NHEP medical assistance will be determined for the remaining eligible adult and children. A determination of eligibility for other programs of assistance will be made separately for the cohabitating adult and common child.

Changes in the NHEP Work Program

§   Changes in Temporary Exemptions from the NHEP: The following exemption codes were created in response to the changes in NHEP exemption policy: "Caring for child under age 1," "Lifetime limit exceeded – Child Under 12 weeks," "Teen parent age 16-19 without HSD or GED," and "Caring for a disabled child in school." The following exemption codes were eliminated: "Caring for a Child < 6 mos, 18-20 no HS," "Child <1 conceived on assistance," and "Pregnant 4+ months."

Additionally, an "Exemption Clock" has been created to track the number of months an individual has been exempt from NHEP for caring for a child under 1 year old. Once the clock has reached 12 months, the individual will become a mandatory participant in the NHEP when the youngest child in the AG reaches 12 weeks. This exemption clock can be found in the referrals section of HEIGHTS.

§   Automatic Enrollment: Once eligibility for NHEP/UP financial assistance is confirmed, New HEIGHTS will automatically enroll participants in one or a combination of the activities of Job Readiness, Employment, or Self-Employment so that federal participation requirements are met.

§   Service Determination Appointment (SDA): Once eligibility for NHEP/UP financial assistance is confirmed, New HEIGHTS will automatically schedule an SDA appointment for the NHEP participant and generate a scheduling letter to notify the participant. Similar to NHEP orientations, workers must set up SDA slots for HEIGHTS to autopopulate.

Changes in How NHEP Requirements Can Be Met

§   Allowable Work Activities – Core, Secondary, and Interim Activities Documentation and Verification: Significant changes have been made to New HEIGHTS to align countable work activities with federal regulations and collect documentation/verification of these activities. The highlights of these changes include:

-   Activity Screen Changes:

o Changes to the "Activity Summary" tab have been made to provide more specific data at a glance for all of the individual’s activities, such as whether an activity will count as a core, secondary, or interim.

o Changes to the "Activity Details" tab have been made so that the ECS will be able to manually refer participants directly to contract service providers. Pop-ups have also been created on this screen to provide guidance as to whether a participant is scheduled for enough activities to meet their participation rates.

o The "Track Monthly Hours" tab has been renamed "Scheduled Hours."

o It is mandatory to link the Provider for AWEP, CWEP, or Job Club activities. When the AWEP/CWEP button is clicked, only the appropriate providers for that type of activity will show in the search list.

o Whenever a worker creates an employment, self-employment, OJT, or Home Care Works activity, the worker will first need to ensure that the corresponding income screen is entered into New HEIGHTS and then use the new tabs "Link to Employment" and "Lead to Employment" to connect the activity with the correct income.

o The "Employment" tab will have a dropdown "Referred by" with a choice of "Self" or "Team."

-   Provider Screen Changes:

o Overall changes have been added to each tab to assist the ECS in searching for and identifying providers’ services.

o Providers will be listed as profit or non-profit to assist the ECS in obtaining the correct services.

o An alphabetical list of towns have been added to better assist the ECS in searching for providers in their DO catchment areas.

o Additional fields have been added to the AWEP/CWEP tab to display such information as whether the participant works on certain days, has a drivers license, has had a criminal background check, or taken a drug test.

-   Activity Verification Screen (AVS):

o This screen serves as the major data entry point to determine overall participation rates. Verifications must be manually entered for non-paid activities with the frequency that policy dictates for that activity. This must be done in order to count towards overall participation rates. Hours that are not properly verified cannot count towards federal participation requirements.

o When opened, the screen will be for the previous month.

o Workers will not be able to enter more than 16 hours per day, and a pop-up will be triggered if a worker has entered more than 60 hours in a week.

o Every time hours are entered, the system will default them to "Actual," "Excused," "Absence," or "Holiday."

o The system will total the weekly hours entered from Saturday to Friday even though the calendar is displayed in a traditional Sunday to Saturday format.

o Each Friday, the system will generate the average number of weekly hours the participant engaged in paid activities. This information will be autopopulated from the most recent verified information from the corresponding income screen.

o Workers will have to manually track excused absences from activities for the 12-month limitations (40 hours per 12-month period caring for a child under 6 and 60 hours per 12-month period for a child age 6 or older), because New HEIGHTS does not have the 12-month edits in at this time.

-   NHEP Dashboard Changes:

o The NHEP dashboard has been expanded to better assist the ECS with monitoring their overall caseload so as to ensure participation is being met.

o Referral/Schedule/Enrollment Section Includes Indicators for:

§   "Referred-Not-Scheduled" participants who must be manually enrolled for orientation;

§   "Open NHEP Not-Enrolled" participants who must be manually enrolled for SDA/Countable Activities; and

§   "Two No Shows for Orientation" participants who must be tracked to ensure that they are not granted good cause more than once for missing an orientation, without extenuating circumstances.

o Assessment Section Includes Indicators for:

§   Those "No-SDA-Appointment-Scheduled" participants who must manually be scheduled for an SDA;

§   Those "No-Assessment-Done" participants who should have an assessment; and

§   Those "Portfolio-Not-Completed" participants who should be followed up with to determine if a non-compliance sanction is required.

o Alerts Section Includes Indicators for:

§   "Home-Care-Works" that will track individuals who are due for, and must be issued, a stipend;

§   "ETS-Ending-Overdue" that will track when an anticipated end date has passed and the service must be closed; and

§   "Employment-Changed" that will track when the FSS has changed employment and the ECS must adjust the employment activity.

o Activity Details Section Includes Indicators for:

§   "Two-Parents (<35-Hours)" cases that need to be scheduled for more hours;

§   "Overdue-Activities" cases where the activity might have ended and needs to be adjusted; and

§   "Overdue-Activity-Verification" which will serve as a reminder for cases that hours have not been entered yet and must be entered by the end of the month to be included in participation.

o NonCompliance/Sanction Includes Indicators for:

§   "Inactive" participants that have no activities at all;

§   "Not Enough Core" participants who are scheduled for less than 20 hours of core;

§   "Not Enough Secondary" participants who do not have an additional 10 hours of core/secondary; and

§   "Sanctioned" participants (does not include child support sanctions).

o All levels of sanctions can be tracked.

o The ECS’s individual participation rate is available as a self-assessment tool.

Sanctions

The sanction functions on New HEIGHTS have been consolidated under the renamed "Work/CS Sanction" screen to:

§   include child support sanctions; and

§   add a compliance date field. This will ensure that participants have come into full compliance before re-opening TANF or UP cash assistance.

Sanctions must be entered on both adults when a UP case is sanctioned. An edit will remind workers if the worker fails to enter the sanction on both individuals.

HEIGHTS will not enforce a child support sanction and an NHEP sanction simultaneously. In the case that a participant fails to comply with both NHEP and child support, the sanction that is entered first will progress through the sanction levels. The second sanction will remain dormant. If the first sanction is removed and the individual is not complying with the second (dormant) sanction, the second sanction will begin at a level one as though it was just entered that day.

Curing a Sanction

For level 2 and 3 sanctions, compliance goes into effect in the payment period in which the compliance is verified. For example, if the verified date on which a participant has complied with NHEP is 5/5/06, the grant reduction due to the sanction will be removed for the payment period 5/1 – 5/15.

If reduced benefits have already been issued for the payment period which should be impacted, the system will do an automated supplemental payment. If the case is closed while in sanction and the compliance would have kept it open, there will be no automated supplemental payment. The worker will have to do a manual supplemental payment.

If an individual closes in sanction and then reapplies, the system will deny TANF/UP cash assistance if the sanction is not cured. If the person indicates that they intend to comply, the FSS will need to enter this on the sanction screen to pend cash assistance until the 2-week compliance requirement is met. Cash assistance cannot rollback prior to the payroll period of full compliance. For example an individual who previously closed in sanction applies for NHEP or UP financial assistance on 10/30; provides all verification on 11/5; attends orientation on 11/8; and the last day of the 2 weeks of compliance is 11/9. Cash can only start 11/16, as opposed to 11/1.

PROCEDURES

NHEP Exemption for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women who are unable to participate in NHEP due to a medical condition must complete the verifications required for a medical exemption, per FAM 808.07, Verification of Exemptions. Full NHEP work requirements remain in effect until this process is complete and the exemption has been approved.

NHEP Participant Agreement

Form NHEP231, NHEP Participant Agreement, must be provided at the application eligibility interview, the NHEP orientation, and the SDA.

The procedure has been created to ensure the NHEP participant agrees to meet all the requirements of the program and allows DHHS to verify any employment the individual had while receiving NHEP/UP financial assistance, even if the individual is no longer receiving assistance when DHHS conducts it’s investigation.

Verification of NHEP Countable Work Activities

To ensure that unpaid NHEP work activities are supervised and/or monitored daily, verification forms must be submitted on a bi-weekly basis and submitted to NHEP as instructed. The participant’s supervising authority must sign off on all forms. The following countable NHEP activities must be verified with the following forms:

§   Job Readiness must be verified via Form NHEP267, Portfolio Assignment and Verification Form, and is supervised and signed off by the NHEP ECS;

§   Job Search must be verified via Form NHEP223, Job Search Verification Form, and is supervised and signed off by the NHEP ECS;

§   AWEP & CWEP must be verified via Form NHEP270, Work Experience Program (WEP) Verification Form; both activities are supervised and signed off by the WEP host site supervisor; and

§   All educational and training activities must be verified via Form NHEP266, NHEP Education/Training Activities Verification Form, and is supervised and signed off by the education or training site.

New HEIGHTS NHEP Medical Exemption Verification Work Around For Caring For A Disabled Child Not In School

If new Form 752HH, Physician/Clinician Statement of Necessary Patient Care for a Household Member, has been returned and the Work Capacity Specialist (WCS) determines that the individual can be exempted from NHEP because the individual is caring for a disabled child who is not in school full-time, the following HEIGHTS procedure must be followed: This work around has two components that must be completed on the same day by the WCS and Supervisor.

1. The WCS must enter the decision/status of "Not Disabled" and the date of receipt of Form 752HH in the "DALR Referral Details" screen. In the comments section, indicate that this is an exempted, disregarded individual due to caring for a non-FT disabled student. Finally, the worker must enter the same comment above in case comments.

2. The Supervisor must go to the "Override Work Registration Details" section of the "Referral Information" screen. In the "Registration" tab, select the new exemption code of "Caring-Non FT disabled student" from the drop down box. Finally, indicate in case comments that the work around was completed.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

PART 109   APPLICATION PROCESS

PART 133   LENGTH OF ELIGIBILITY

PART 134   HARDSHIP EXTENSIONS TO THE 60-MONTH STATE LIFETIME LIMIT

Section134.01   General Requirements

Section 134.05   Requirements for Two Parent Families

Section 134.07   Length of Extensions

Section 134.09   Requesting a Hardship Extension

Section 134.11   Extension Review Process

Section 134.13   Reasons for Termination of an Extension

PART 161   REDETERMINATION/RECERTIFICATION

PART 165   TERMINATION OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

PART 169   EXTENDED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO INCREASED CHILD SUPPORT

Section 169.01   Determining the Four-Month Coverage Period

Section 169.03   Changes During the Four-Month Coverage Period

Section 169.05   Redetermination of Eligibility During the Four-Month Coverage Period

PART 171   EXTENDED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE DUE TO EMPLOYMENT

PART 173   ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR 12-MONTH COVERAGE

Section 173.03   Financial Eligibility

Section 173.05   Ineligibility Reasons

Section 173.15   Scheduled Redeterminations of Eligibility

PART 201   PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

PART 203   TANF AND UP

Section 203.05   UP (Financial Assistance for Unemployed Parent Program)

Section 207.01   Eligible Dependent Child as a Requirement for TANF and UP

Section 207.11   When Dependent Child Reaches Maximum Age

Section 207.13   Verification

Section 209.01   Eligibility Requirements

Section 209.35   Temporary Adjustment Period

Section 209.37   Verification of Deprivation

Section 211.01   Who Must Be Members

Section 211.03   Disqualified Individuals

Section 211.11   Who Is Not a Member

PART 213   UP ELIGIBILITY

Section 213.01   Unemployment of the Principal Wage Earner

Section 213.03   UP: Definition of Unemployed

Section 213.05   UP: Eligibility by Work and Education History

Section 213.07   UP: Eligibility by Unemployment Compensation History

Section 213.09   UP: NH Employment Security

Section 213.11   UP: Refusing an Offer of Employment or Training

Section 213.13   UP: Good Cause Reasons for Refusing an Offer of Employment or Training

Section 213.15   UP: Ineligibility for UC Benefits

Section 213.17   Termination of UP and Eligibility for Other Programs

Section 213.19   Verification of UP Eligibility

Section 213.21   Special Verification of Employment Requirements for Refugees

PART 217   SEPARATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE GROUPS

Section 217.01   When Separate Medical Assistance Groups Are Required

Section 217.03   Actions Affecting Separate Medical Assistance Groups

Section 227.03   Striker Eligibility

Section 303.09   Out-of-State Recipient Moves into New Hampshire

Section 305.07   Ineligible Sponsored Noncitizens

Section 311.07   Assignment to DHHS of Rights to Support Income

Section 311.13   Cooperation

Section 311.15   Refusal to Cooperate

Section 311.17   Good Cause for Non-Cooperation

Section 315.01   Definition of Voluntary Quit

Section 315.07   Informing the Household about Voluntary Quit

Section 315.11   Reapplication/Reinstatement after Voluntary Quit

Section 317.05   Application Requirements for Developing Potential Sources of Income

Section 317.07   Cooperation Requirements for Developing Potential Sources of Income

PART 323   FAMILY/DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OPTIONS

PART 403   RESOURCE LIMITS

PART 409   COMMON TYPES OF RESOURCES: LUMP SUM PAYMENT: NONRECURRING

PART 509   VERIFICATION

PART 511   COMMON TYPES OF INCOME: ALLOCATED INCOME

PART 511   COMMON TYPES OF INCOME: DEEMED INCOME

PART 511  COMMON TYPES OF INCOME: LUMP SUM INCOME (INCOME)

PART 601   INCOME LIMITS, PAYMENT STANDARDS, AND ALLOTMENTS

Section Table A:  TANF/UP Basic Maintenance Needs Allowance and Maximum Standard of Need

Section Table A.1:  TANF/UP Shelter Allowance

Section Table B:  TANF/UP Basic Maintenance Payment Allowance and Maximum Payment Standard

PART 603   DEDUCTIONS AND DISREGARDS

Section 603.01   Earned Income Disregards (EID)

Section 603.03   Employment Expense Deduction (EED)

Section 603.05   Child/Dependent Care Deduction

Section 603.09   Other Allowable Deductions: Income Allocated to Dependents

Section 611.01   Computing Eligibility

Section 611.03   Deeming Principles

Section 611.05   Income of Disqualified Individuals

Section 703.01   Purpose

Section 703.05   Eligibility Requirements

Section 703.11   Applying Recipient Resources

Section 705.01   Outstanding Expenses Covered by Last Payment

Section 705.11   Required Verification

PART 803   NOTIFICATIONS AT APPLICATION

PART 805   NOTIFICATIONS AT REDETERMINATION

PART 807   WHICH WORK REQUIREMENTS APPLY?

PART 808   NEW HAMPSHIRE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (NHEP)

Section 808.01   Initial Appraisal

Section 808.03   NHEP Participation

Section 808.05   Exemptions from Participation in NHEP

Section 808.07   Verification of Exemptions

Section 808.09   Referral to NHEP Teams

Section 808.11   72-Hour Requirement

Section 808.15   Orientation

Section 808.17   Service Determination Appointment and Ongoing Assessments

Section 808.21   Employment Plan

Section 808.25   Referrals to Other Activities

Section 808.27   Hourly Participation Requirements

Section 808.29   Documenting and Verifying Hourly Participation Rates

Section 808.31   Compliance Requirements

Section 808.33   Good Cause for Non-Cooperation with NHEP

Section 808.35   Sanctions for Voluntary Quit Or Failure/Refusal to Cooperate with NHEP Work Program Participation Requirements

Section 808.37   Participation Requirements for 2 Parent Families

Section 808.39   NHEP Activities

Section 808.39   Alternative Work Experience Program (AWEP)

Section 808.39   Community Work Experience Program (CWEP)

Section 808.39   Interim Activities

Section 808.39   Basic Education

Section 808.39   Employment

Section 808.39   English as a Second Language (ESL)

Section 808.39   HomeCare Works

Section 808.39   Job Club/CWEP

Section 808.39   Job Readiness

Section 808.39   Job Search

Section 808.39   On The Job Training (OJT)

Section 808.39   Post-Secondary Education

Section 808.39   Single Course

Section 808.39   Vocational Skills Training

Section 808.39   Work Place Training

Section 808.41   Support Services: Transportation Assistance

Section 808.41   Tuition Assistance

Section 808.41   Case Management

Section 808.41   Extended Case Management

Section 808.41   Fees and Supplies

Section 808.41   Support Services for Obstacles to Employment

Section 808.43   Division of Adult Learning and Rehabilitation (DALR) Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation

Section 808.45   Referrals to the DALR Work Capacity Specialists (WCS)

PART 829   ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS

Section 907   NOTICES OF DECISION (NOD)

PART 915   PROGRAM CRITERIA

PART 923   ACTIVELY SEEKING EMPLOYMENT

PART 925   TRAINING OR EDUCATION PREPARATORY TO EMPLOYMENT

Section 925.01   Exceptions to the Two-Year Time Limit

PART 939  DETERMINING THE ALLOWABLE RATE

PART 943  PAYMENT FOR NONCONTRACT PROVIDER SERVICES

Section 943.01   Required Co-Payment

PART 947   PAYMENT FOR ABSENTEE DAYS

IMPLEMENTATION

The changes in this SR are effective for all applicants and recipients of TANF/UP cash assistance beginning October 1, 2006.

New HEIGHTS implementation is as follow:

To accommodate the implementation of TANF Reauthorization, New HEIGHTS was down on Saturday, September 30th and Monday, October 2nd.

§   60-Month Lifetime Limit: When creating the state 60-month clock, New HEIGHTS converted data from the federal 60-month clock. On October 1st both clocks were transitioned to the same number, and thereafter the clocks proceeded as described in new policy. A mass change implementing this amnesty occurred on September 26 and 27, 2006.

§   Sanctions: Amnesty was granted to all individuals in sanction status prior to 10/1/06. Sanctions were removed from individuals’ cases, and each person was allowed to rectify their situation before new sanctioning policy was implemented.

§   Exempt to Mandatory: New HEIGHTS ran a mass change for exempt participants who became mandatory participants on September 29, 2006.

Forms implementation is as follows:

·   For revised AWEP Forms NHEP101, NHEP102, NHEP104, NHEP105, NHEP225, and NHEP227, staff are to continue to use all remaining forms and reorder using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Each District Office was sent an initial supply of Form NHEP231. Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Each NHES office was sent an initial supply of new Forms NHEP255(UP), NHEP256(UP), NHEP256A(UP), and NHEP257(UP). Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low;

·   Each NHES office was sent an initial supply of Form NHEP255 and NHEP256. Destroy all previous versions of this form. Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low;

·   NHES offices can use their current supplies of Forms NHEP256(A) and NHEP257 until exhausted. At next reorder the revised versions will be printed.

·   Each NHES office was sent an initial supply of Form NHEP260. Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low. Old NHEP260 forms should be destroyed.

·   Each NHES office was sent an initial supply of new Forms NHEP223, NHEP228(orientation), NHEP266, NHEP267, NHEP269, and NHEP270. When this supply is low reorder more using the regular process.

·   Destroy all old copies of Form 77a and use the new version beginning immediately. Each District Office was sent an initial supply. Reorder as needed using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Destroy all old copies of Form 221 and use the new version beginning immediately. Each District Office was sent an initial supply. Reorder as needed using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Destroy all old copies of Form 243 and use the new version beginning immediately. Each District Office was sent an initial supply. Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Form 244 will be temporarily taken out of circulation and removed from the TANF "End of Interview" packet. A new version of this form will be released under separate cover.

·   Form 251 has been revised, but the current stock must be exhausted before the current version is printed.

·   Destroy all old copies of Form 261 and use the new version beginning immediately. Each District Office was sent an initial supply. Reorder as needed using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Form 752 and New Form 752(HH) will not be available until the old stock of 752 forms have been used. Do not destroy the old version of 752 forms. Reorder using the regular process when the supply is low.

·   Destroy all old copies of Form 810 and use the new version beginning immediately. Since this form is sent out with every NOD and is not used generally in the NHES or District Offices, no advance supply was provided. If an NHES or District Office feels a small supply must be kept in the office, please place the order with DFA Logistics. The new version has been printed and is available.

·   Form 819 has been revised and made entirely electronic. Destroy all old copies of this form, and use the electronic copy released with this SR.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

The policies released in the SR were a result of federal changes mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and legislative changes described in HB 1331 and, as such, allowed for public input at the federal and state level. In addition, the Department held a public hearing on the interim administrative rules on August 4, 2006.

Additionally, special one-time client letters to notify clients of the changes in this SR were generated and mailed:

·   August 1, 2006 to all TANF (non-FAP) Caseheads.

·   August 15, 2006 to all NHEP Caseheads who were in Child Support Sanctions.

·   August 16, 2006 to all NHEP Caseheads who were in Work Program Sanctions.

·   August 18, 2006 to all Exempt NHEP Caseheads who were exempt because they were pregnant or caring for a child 12-24 months old.

·   August 25, 2006 to all Cohabiting NHEP Caseheads.

·   August 25, 2006 to all Exempt NHEP Caseheads whose youngest child was less than 12 weeks old, and had used their 1-year lifetime limit for this exemption.

·   September 12, 2006 to all participants who were self-employed.

·   September 12, 2006 to all groups who needed to be scheduled for NHEP orientations. A scheduling letter was created with blank spaces, and NHEP workers manually filled in the participant’s NHEP appointment. The groups contacted through this mailing were:

-   All NHEP Caseheads exempt because they were pregnant or caring for a child 12-24 months old; and

-   All NHEP Caseheads who were in Work Program Sanctions.

To further supplement the client mailings, a phone campaign was conducted to inform individuals with NHEP or child support sanctions, as well as formerly exempt and now mandatory NHEP participants, about the changes in their participation status. The campaign was conducted from State Office, Laconia DO, Rochester DO, and Nashua DO between August 16, 2006 and August 22, 2006.

Copies of all the client letters are attached to this SR for reference.

TRAINING

District Office trainings for Supervisors, Family Services Specialists, and DOMOs were held:

·   In Concord on September 18 and 19, 2006, for the Concord, Rochester, Claremont, and Keene DOs.

·   In Conway on September 20 and 21, 2006, for the Conway, Berlin, Laconia, and Littleton DOs.

·   In Manchester on September 22 and 25, 2006, for the Portsmouth, Nashua, Manchester, and Salem DOs.

Statewide trainings for NHEP Team members were held on September 19 and 20, 2006.

FORMS POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

Forms posting instructions will be sent out under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Forms Manual due to the large number of DFA and NHEP forms that required revisions. Please note there is no certificate of forms destruction included in this SR as destruction instructions will also be indicated in the separate posting instructions.

DISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-line manuals.

DISTRIBUTION

This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/DHHS/DFA/LIBRARY, effective December 26, 2006.

This SR, printed pages with posting instructions, and forms posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Family Assistance and Forms Manuals.

DFA/MPM:s