As of March 24, 2003, all family shelter information will be in BEACON. BEACON will have a resource list of all EA shelters. The specific shelter information will be associated for each EA AU in shelter. This information will enable the Department to identify where each EA AU has been placed and will provide statistical information on demographics at specific shelter sites. These instructions should be considered Phase 1 of EA AU information in BEACON.

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.

This memo updates the information in Field Operations Memo 2005-25 that addressed the expansion of the Local Housing Authority Placement Program. This memo notifies staff how to enter the LHA information in BEACON for EA AUs who are placed in one of the LHA units as a shelter placement under the Local Housing Authority Transitional Housing Program II (LHATHP).

The purpose of the memo is to instruct TAO staff on:  Identifying the EA Presumptive AUs in BEACON;  Changes to the BEACON views and the AU Composition Results window for EA Presumptive AUs;  Changes to the Verification Detail for EA Presumptive AUs; and the default setting of the Reevaluation End Date.

Effective with Increment 2.1.17, changes are being made to BEACON functionality. These changes are occurring on the Employment Status window and on the TAFDC tab of the Work Requirements window. Additionally, functionality is changing for when ESP activities are terminated. These changes are being made to ensure the Department has accurate recipient employment information.

Modifications have been made to BEACON to reduce errors in processing Retirement, Survivors and Disability Insurance (RSDI) income changes. Inconsistency in the format of claim numbers across SSA, SDX and BENDEX has resulted in income duplication in BEACON, which leads to TAFDC, EAEDC, EA and Food Stamp benefit miscalculations.

In an effort to better track component activity and simplify data on BEACON, effective with BEACON Increment 2.1.19 certain obsolete “Meets Compliance” reasons on the Work Requirements window are being eliminated. Those reasons are: “Meeting WPR through SJS,” “Meeting WPR through WTW” and “Meeting WPR through Voc Rehab.” Additionally, one obsolete “Good Cause” reason is being eliminated from the Good Cause tab of the Monitor Participation window: “Conversion-Good Cause.” None of these reasons will be selectable once BEACON Increment 2.1.19 occurs.

This Field Operations Memo informs TAO Staff about the changes to BEACON and a clean-up project that must be completed prior to Increment 2.1.19, on March 27, 2006.

The purpose of this memo is to: describe the BEACON changes included with Increment 2.1.20 that affect Reevaluation Type; and stress the importance of making sure the correct information has been entered into BEACON so the system will select the correct Reevaluation Type and send the AU the appropriate notice and recertification form, if any.

This Field Operations Memo gives an overview of BEACON functionality changes and AU Manager responsibilities as it relates to the Job Search/Job Readiness counter.

The purpose of this Field Operations Memo is to inform TAO staff that effective immediately, AU Managers must no longer enter dates in the “Orientation Date” field on the BEACON TAFDC Work Requirements window. After April 1, 2007, the Orientation Date field will have a new purpose. Designated DTA staff will use this field to monitor and track Employment Services Program information for TAFDC applicants/reapplicants.

Field Operations Memo 2007-7 introduced TAO Staff to the Participation Actuate Report. This memo provides TAO staff with a description of the WP Participation tab information on BEACON.

This memo describes changes in the layout and readability of the BEACON Generated Verification (VC-1) and informs AU Managers of related procedural changes. Advocacy note: Instead of paper verification checklists, FS applicants and recipients should be receiving in the mail a customized check list of verifications which should asks ONLY for the verifications specific to their case, should list a range of alternative verifications and should not ask for verifications already in the record or considered "permanent." Be sure to check the accuracy of verifications listed on this BEACON generated list.

The Department is committed to safeguarding confidential information about an applicant or client (hereafter referred to as client) contained in both the physical case record and in BEACON.  TAO Staff must ensure that information about the client is never disclosed without his or her permission.   In situations in which a client discloses concerns about confidentiality of information, AU Managers must discuss the availability of the heightened level of security indicator in BEACON.  If after the discussion, the client wishes to avail himself or herself of this indicator, it is the Department’s responsibility to accommodate that request immediately.

Automatic bank match on BEACON; TAFDC child under 2 exemption for second parent where first parent is disabled.

Entering FS information on Beacon; FS homeless shelter deduction.

Child care: eligibility for self-employed TAFDC recipients; eliibility for recipients working at child care centers; coding recipients engaged in child care as Child Care worker or babysitter on Beacon. 

Reminds case workers how to determine immigrant eligibility for Food Stamps, and explains how the Legal Food Stamp Disqualified tab on Beacon should be used.