FNS waiver of ABAWD work rules for certain towns and region. See charts re: which towns and region have FS work rules waived for 2008.

Field Ops Memo instructs AU Managers to stop making referrals to DET Job Search for nonexempt FS E/T participants and voluntary FS Work Program participants.

This memo informs FS AU Managers about: • who may participate in the FS/E&T Program; • prioritizing FS/E&T referrals based on slot availability; and • the process of referring AU members. See State Letter 1258 for related Policy.

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.

ESP vendors need to know the number of hours a recipient is required to participate in an activity to meet the TAFDC Work Program requirement. The ESP Referral and Response form (ESP-16) is used to refer recipients to an ESP component. Field Operations Memo 2004-42 instructed TAO Staff to annotate the number of Work Program hours on the form until a change is made in BEACON to include the hourly requirement.

This FO Memo inform DTA staff on the increase of the federal minimum wage amount. It affects only the work hours of food stamp recipients who can be exempt from the work requirements if earning a minimum of 30 times the federal minimum wage, or 30 times %5.85/hour. The federal increase has NO effect on the community service requirement for ABAWDs (which uses the state minimum wage level) and no effect on TAFDC or EAEDC programs.

To be eligible for the Food Stamp Program, a student beyond the secondary level must work a minimum of 20 hours per week to meet one of the student eligibility requirements.  Now, under an approved waiver, the Department can average the number of hours a student works during the month (based on the last four pay stubs) to calculate the number of hours worked per week.

State Letter 1331, effective January 7, 2008, clarified several criteria used to determine exemption from work requirements in the Food Stamp Work Program (FS/WP) and the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program (FS/ET).  These clarifications affect people who are over 59 years of age, caretakers, and people who live with a household member under 18.  The purpose of this Field Operations Memo is to explain how to apply these criteria in determining exemption from food stamp work requirements.    These changes are effective immediately.

Food Stamp work-required individuals can cure sanctions by working 80 hours in a 30 day period or complying with community service requirements. Sanctions can be cured at any time. If they work and then lose their job through no fault of their own, they get a second 3 months of Food Stamps without having to meet work requirement.

Minimum wage increase affects Food Stamp work requirement; mortgage crisis relocation benefits not countable

A Food Stamp recipient between the ages of 18-22 must be exempted from the work requirement if living with a sibling under age 18. There is no need to show that the person cares for their sibling.

Refugees participating at least half time in a recognized refugee training program are exempt from Food Stamp work requirements. Students enrolled half time in a recognized training program are also exempt.

Explains which work study income is noncountable and which is countable, and that even work study with noncountable income meets work requirements.

Information about this guide, which details the components of TAFDC ESP and Food Stamp Employment and Training programs.

Food Stamps for college students:  household determination when students age 23 or over are living with parent; Food Stamp eligibility for student at college with meal plan for some meals;  students as paremts om two parent families and Food Stamp work requirement.

Treatment of tax refunds and EIC for TAFDC and FS; FS reporting requirements for work-required homeless households.

Crib and layette payments; Food Stamp work requirement exemptions for 16 and 17 year-olds; Food Stamp shelter deduction for mortgage payments in home that is temporarily vacated.

FS: How to count escrowed tax payments for homeowners' shelter deduction; FS: Methods of determining whether a job meets the work requirement; FS: Coding of undocumented immigrants.

Leased vehicles not countable; treatment of tax refunds and EIC; TAFDC: how many pay stubs to use to calculate financial eligibility for extension for recipient who has just started working; FS: when to start counting ineligibility period for voluntary quit prior to application; FS: 60 days of job search counts for 12 calendar months regardless of whether case closes and reopens;  TAFDC: Sponsor deeming.

SSI Special Benefits for disaster and moving; TAFDC exemptions in two-parent families where one parent is disabled; FS work requirement and school employees over summer vacation; transportation and lodging as part of excess medical deductions for FS.

FS Work Program counts only months of FS receipt in MA; TAFDC program does not count SSI dedicated accounts as assets.

All programs: treatment of irrevocable trusts; FS: eligibility of students over 18 who work during the summer; FS: verification  deadlines; DMA responsible for paying for transportation to medical appoinitments and methadone clinics; FS: effect of period of ineligibility  imposed by another state; FS: meal fees included in rent charge must be deducted for purposes of shelter deduction.

FS: Voluntary quit provision does not apply to applicants exempt from work requirement; undiverted FS must have issuance date not on Sunday or holiday; TAFDC: if no community service site available, excused from work requirement; TAFDC: teen parent living arrangement requirements satisfied when teen lives with any adult related to her or to the baby.

TAFDC: failure to verify Learnfare school attendance results in child being removed from grant, not termination of whole family's grant;  Busiral benefits: counting of assets; FS: Refugee training programs that count toward exemption from work requirement; TAFDC: child support for child on SSI not countable; EA: pregnant woman is eligible at any time during pregnancy.

Employment and training state plan for Food Stamp able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).

Child support deductions must be verified when a case reopens. Also, unlike shelter, utility, and medical deductions, child support deductions can only be counted if the child support is actually paid, not just based on the obligation. New work program registration forms must be signed whenever there is a relevant change in the household. 17 year-olds not in school must register for work and do job search or show good cause for not doing it, but do not have an ABAWD activity requirement.