The Department has automated the flow of information to the Disability Window received from PRO (DES) and SSA tape files thereby eliminating some of the manual steps currently required by the AU Manager (AUM). The new disability processing will begin 2/2/2004 and the AUM will see the results and data clean-up over the next few weeks (all of the batch jobs are not run at the same time).

This memo is informational only. It alerts DTA staff about a memo that was sent by the Office of Child Care Services (OCCS) to the Child Care Resource Referral (CCRR) agencies on December 18, 2003. This is the text from that memo:

Effective January 2004, Social Security benefits and SSI payments increased by 2.1 percent. The base level Medicare Part B premium increased from $58.70 to $66.60. The Medicare Part B penalty premium also increased, as identified in the 2004 Medicare Part B Surcharge Premiums chart (see Attachment A).

This memo informs TAO staff that DOR has developed a new notice that is sent monthly to current and former TAFDC recipients telling them about the child support collected in the previous month.

The Work Requirements window did not allow AU Managers to enter Work Program Required = Yes for Noncitizen Assessed Persons (AP) who are nonexempt and have a legal obligation to support their dependents and are ineligible for TAFDC for themselves because of their INS status.

A recent review of TAFDC APs who are work program required has revealed issues with the TAFDC Tab of the Work Requirements window that prevent accurate data from being saved. Although the correct Work Program Requirements information appears on the window, this data was not properly saved in BEACON.

Obsoleted by FOM 2004-10.

Obsoleted by FOM 2004-10.

In our continued effort to decrease access barriers and simplify FS rules, the Department has taken advantage of the Farm Bill option to exclude certain Income and Assets to mirror cash regulations for purposes of determining FS eligibility and benefit amount. The affected regulations are 106 CMR 363.140; 363.220; and 363.230. These changes were issued in State Letter 1275.

Field Operations Memo 2004-7 and Field Operations Memo 2004-8 told TAO Staff that budget shortfalls left the Department without sufficient EAEDC funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2004. This deficiency required the elimination of Participating in the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) Program as a categorical eligibility reason for EAEDC and revised the EAEDC medical standards to conform to the SSI disability criteria (excluding the durational requirement).

Obsoleted by FOM 2006-30.

The Massachusetts General Laws (Chapter 117A, Section 9) specify that the Department is responsible for paying funeral and burial expenses for: · a person whose identity is unknown and who is found dead; or · any person who was without sufficient resources or financially responsible relatives to pay for funeral and burial expenses. This includes, but is not limited to, TAFDC, EAEDC and SSI recipients and MassHealth members with less than $1,500 in assets at the time of death.

Obsoleted by FOM 2004-41.

The purpose of this memo is to clarify the procedures AU Managers must follow during the 60-day work search period whenever a grantee becomes work program required.

The Office of Child Care Services (OCCS) and DTA have agreed to the following changes in child-care procedures. This memo describes how to facilitate the processing of child-care requests for current and former TAFDC recipients.

The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program Office, within the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for administering the SAVE Program. The SAVE Program is used to verify a noncitizen’s immigration status by using the noncitizen’s alien registration number (“A” number). The noncitizen verification is provided primarily through the Verification Information System (VIS).

The Department recently automated the flow of information to the Disability window with information received from PRO (DES) and SSA tape files in an effort to streamline the disability process. Field Operations Memo 2004-1 (dated January 30, 2004) told TAO staff about the automated process.

The Department, in collaboration with the Housing Assistance Program (HAP) providers, is proposing an innovative, one-time use of EA funds to assist in the transition of homeless families out of shelter into permanent housing by the end of this fiscal year. This program is called The Shelter-to-Housing (S2H) Placement Program. This program ends on June 30, 2004.

Obsoleted by FOM 2007-62.

USDA recently clarified that individuals claiming an exemption from the Food Stamp Work Requirement due to being unfit for work in accordance with 106 CMR 362.310(B)(3) and 106 CMR 362.320(B)(4), need not prove a disability. DTA has issued a new medical report form for food stamp applicants, particular useful for ABAWDs (able bodied adults without dependents), which report may be signed by social workers, nurses, substance abuse or mental health program directors, etc.

This field Op Memo addresses three issues called into the System's Help Desk regarding the automated disability process.

Field Operations Memo 2004-16 clarified the procedures AU Managers must follow during the 60-day work search period whenever a grantee becomes work program required.

The Department and the Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) have worked together to address the issue of assisting current noncitizen EAEDC recipients with the citizenship process for becoming U.S. naturalized citizens.

The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), is proposing another new initiative to help families move from shelter into permanent housing. This program is called The Local Housing Authority (LHA) Placement Program. Eligible families will participate in this shelter program for up to six months. At the end of the program, each family will assume tenancy for their unit or another unit at the local housing authority site.

Nonexempt grantees will soon be required to meet the Work Program requirement (unless the exemptions found in 106 CMR 203.400(A)(1) apply) in the following ways:

BEACON Release 2.1.10, deployed on July 19, 2004 issued significant changes to the child-care authorization window and the child-care referral and authorization form. This memo provides details about these two issues.

The current release of BEACON (2.1.10) has two changes that impact the Work Program. This Field Operations Memo highlights those changes. A User’s Guide, Transitional Assistance Programs and BEACON will be updated to reflect those changes.

Effective August 16, 2004, the Hyannis TAO assumes responsibility for providing services to food stamp only Assistance Units (AUs) previously serviced by the Falmouth TAO. Food stamp only AUs received an informational notice explaining how they will be impacted by this change. See Attachment A for a sample of the recipient notice.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is committed to improving access to programs and increasing the efficiency, quality and consistency of services. The Online Virtual Gateway to EOHHS programs and services is one way to achieve these goals. In August, consumers and service providers will have a new means by which they can conduct business with EOHHS. Although it is new and innovative, it will not change EOHHS programs or delivery.

The automated process on the Disability Window is being enhanced with the August mailings of Medical Reports and Disability Supplements from BEACON. This Field Operations Memo tells TAO staff about the enhancements as well as two new reports on Actuate to help AU Managers track the AUs sent a Medical Report and Disability Supplement.

Consistent with the Agency’s mission to serve all clients with dignity and respect, the Department of Transitional Assistance reviewed its procedures for processing TAFDC and FS applications, particularly applications from households with noncitizens.

Obsoleted by FOM  2007-55.

Obsoleted by FOM 2005-7.

The Department is committed to ensuring that TAFDC recipients who are subject to the work requirement participate in an appropriate activity. However, it is equally important that recipients who have a legitimate barrier to participation not be subjected to inappropriate sanctions.

Field Operations Memo 2004-37 tells TAO Staff about processing recipients affected by the Work Program increased hour requirement. Field Operations Memo 2004-37 A tells TAO Staff about the revised Work Program requirement sanction process and expanded good cause reasons. Effective with Increment 2.1.11, the Compliance End Date field is a mandatory fill with a pop-up message reminding AU Managers to complete the field before exiting the window. There is also a hard edit if the date entered in that field is more than six months in the future. It has been determined that certain AUs who had a “Meets Compliance; reason entered on the TAFDC tab of the Work Requirements window, did not have end dates entered in the Compliance End Date field.

EA regulations have been revised to allow an EA AU who becomes financially ineligible because the family’s income exceeds the EA Eligibility Standard to continue receiving shelter benefits for a period of six months from the date the EA Eligibility Standard was exceeded. During the six months the EA AU may become ineligible for another reason.

Since July, AUMs and TAO Directors have been maintaining a list of EA AUs who have been determined ineligible based on income in excess of the EA Eligibility Standard. No termination notice has been sent to these EA AUs.

The Department of Transitional Assistance and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA-FNS) have a mutual goal of increasing food stamp participation rates for eligible households while maintaining a low error rate. In the last year, Massachusetts’s food stamp participation rate has increased by 24 percent while the food stamp error rate has decreased by 50 percent which is a great achievement.

Over the past several months, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) in partnership with the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) has tested a simplified application process for residents of licensed group homes. Given the success of this initiative, DTA is now expanding this streamlined process to FS applications from residents of group homes licensed by any state agency in the Commonwealth. DTA is currently working with DMR and DMH licensed group homes.

Obsoleted by FOM 2005-20.

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) provides an opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries (without Medicaid) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to enroll in the Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Program (MPDDP). This program enables Medicare beneficiaries to save 25 percent or more on prescription drugs. The MMA also enacted the Transitional Assistance Program that provides a $600 yearly subsidy for 2004 and 2005 toward the purchase of prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries with incomes that are 135 percent of the federal poverty level. The subsidy will be provided in the form of credit on the MPDDP card. Most FS recipients will be eligible for the yearly subsidy. The MPDDP will end in December 2005.