Updated memo informing DTA staff about the Department obligations under the agreement with the HHS Office of Civil Rights.

DTA notice of COLA in Social Security Benefits and SSI payments which increased by 3.3 percent. The base level Medicare Part B Premium increased from $88.50 to $93.50. The Medicare Part B Penalty Premium also increased, as identified in the 2007 Medicaid Part B Surcharge Premiums chart on page 5 of this memo.

Instructions to DTA workers on how the private employee verification system, The Work Number, can be used to verify employment-related information describe how The Work Number Standard Service can be accessed and lists the steps to follow to request and receive information from The Work Number. (Note, individual workers who work for companies who use The Work Number should also be able to access this information directly without relying on DTA to get it.)

The 2007 Health and Human Services (HHS) Poverty Guidelines were published in the Federal Register as of January 24, 2007. The HHS Poverty Guideline is used to calculate the eligibility standards in the attached document.

Field Operations Memo 2005-55, titled F.O.R. Families Program remains in effect. However, this memo notifies AU Managers, Homeless Coordinators, ICMs, HAP Providers and shelter staff that as of January 16, 2007, F.O.R.Families staff were reassigned to different TAOs and shelters. At certain shelters F.O.R. Families staff are no longer present.

This memo informs TAO staff about the campaign mailing; describes the campaign and AU Managers’ role; and gives instruction for undelivered mail as a result of the mailing.

The Tracking Actuate Report has been created to help AU Managers, Supervisors and TAO Managers monitor their caseloads. Report available and effective February 12th.

Obsoleted by FOM 2008-35.

Obsoleted by FOM 2007-45.

Obsoleted by FOM 2007-25.

This memo obsoletes Field Operations Memo 2005-35 and notifies TAO staff about the process for tracking shelter placements beyond the 20-mile limit. The Housing and Homeless Services (H&HS) Centralized Placement Unit’s (CPU) must notify the EA family whose shelter placement is beyond the 20-mile limit, of available shelter placement within 20 miles of their home community. They must also notify the TAO of the EA family’s decision to accept or decline the transfer.

Obsoleted by FOM  2007-41.

This Field Operations Memo gives TAO Staff procedures for approving extensions when a Vocational Evaluation must be completed; changes to the approval period for recipients employed full time; and a quick reference chart for extension approval periods guidelines and their corresponding activities.

This memo provides AU Manager instructions for sending the BEACON-generated Food Stamp Application Appointment Letters; sending the BEACON-generated Food Stamp Notice of Missed Interview; and scheduling an Appointment Interview after Day 30. State Letter 1323 transmits the regulatory changes related to the Food Stamp Notice of Missed Interview.

This memo describes changes to the child care referral process and informs AU Managers about text and information changes to the notice to reflect the new procedures.

This Field Operations Memo describes changes to BEACON windows to accommodate the new federal requirements; and provides procedures to be followed to collect ethnicity and race data using the new standards.

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.

Obsoleted by FOM 2008-4.

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.

Covers multiple general improvements and new eligibility for some elders and for SSI recipients with short-term (less than 30 day) SSI case closure.

DTA notice to field of the annual Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medex premium rate changes to the following non-group planseffective on March 15, 2007.

Memo informs DTA staff of the MassHealth citizenship verification requirements; BEACON changes as a result of BEACON Increment 2.1.22 scheduled for release April 2, 2007; and the effect on TAFDC, EAEDC and FS citizen applicants. Advocacy note: Citizenship verification is not required for TAFDC or Food Stamps unless questionable. Verification of citizenship is required for EAEDC but there is a broader range of verifications allowed than MassHealth. Any person who verifies citizenship for MassHealth is verified for all DTA programs.

This Field Operations memo issues procedures for processing Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) who have resided in the U.S. as a qualified noncitizen or five years but who do not provide sponsor deeming information; and describes a report that identifies  AUs requiring AU Manager review to determine whether or not FS benefits need to be recalculated for the next cyclical period.

>This memo provides TAO staff with a description of the S2H Toolbox >Relocation Initiative. It describes the roles of the Housing and Homeless Unit, the HAP providers, the scattered site providers, the transitional housing providers, the AU Managers and the Homeless Coordinators.

Clarifies that voluntary participation in this program is transitional housing and not permanent housing and therefore should not affect priority status on subsidized housing wait lists, should only occur when the family is deemed able to maintain housing beyond the program period, and if the family is unable to maintain housing may still be eligible for EA shelter within the 12 month period.

This memo identifies EAEDC recipients whose Rest Home’s per diem rate has changed and the corresponding rate changes that need to be made and provides instructions on how to change per diem rates in BEACON and recalculate EAEDC benefits as a result of the rate change; and provides instructions on how to manually calculate a special adjustment retroactive from January 1, 2007 through February 28, 2007.

Friday, April 27, 2007, will be the last date the Noncompliance Committee will be responsible for completing and mailing the appropriate notice to the EA family. Instead, the AU Manager/Homeless Coordinator will be responsible for completing and mailing the TES-WN-13 and the NFL-ST notice to the EA family.

This Field Ops memo advises DTA staff of a new phone communication system provides information on social services around the state.  It operates like 911, where agencies or individuals can call 211 and get information and referrals on services in Massachusetts.

DTA's instructions to the field announcing the new H-EAT Fuel Assistance Program criteria including which current FS households will get the benefit, and how it will affect the calculation of food stamp benefits by using the Heating/Cooling SUA.

This memo provides instructions for correcting some of the Food Stamp households that did not get picked up in the initial H-EAT outreach effort. DTA instructs workers that some households will get a supplemental payment.

Toolbox money can be used for homelessness prevention for EA-eligible families until June 30, 2007. Memo contains details.

New exception form does not instruct (as old one did) that if child was conceived as a result of forced sex by an intimate partner the person must complete a family cap waiver request rather than an exception request. A person whose child was conceived as a result of forced sex with an intimate partner can request either an exception or a waiver. The memo also clarifies that meeting with a domestic violence specialist is always voluntary and offices are not to deny exceptions or waivers based on a person not following up with a referral to a specialist.

Obsoleted by FOM 2007-48.

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.

This Field Ops memo instructs workers on a range of "negative errors" including erroneous denials and potential underpayments, using examples where workers should not have asked for verification already in a file or erroneously calculated benefits.  There are very important examples in this memo for advocacy work.

>The purpose of this memo is to provide instructions for developing orrevising the EA family’s Self-Sufficiency Plan (EA-Plan/PT 1, EA-Plan) regarding savings plan activities; and housing search activities for public housing.

The Department will pay a non-recurring clothing allowance of $150.00 per TAFDC client under the age of 19 for September 2007. The clothing allowance is prorated for clients eligible in September 2007 but have a start date after September 1, 2007.

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.

This memo promotes the use of Power Point presentations as a tool for DTA Orientation Sessions; and details a standardization format for conducting DTA Orientation Sessions.

HAP services suspended to EA-eligible families at risk of losing their housing. Such families are now to be referred to Housing Consumer Education Centers.

Survey for TAFDC recipients who recently participated in an ESP education or training activity, to see if disability-related needs were met and in a timely manner.

Automated mailings of forms to reverify exemption status.

Effective 9/24/07, TAO providers can use the online ESP guide to find providers servicing their TAO's for specific activities.

Notices modified to reduce confusion and advise these households to report changes that would positively affect benefit levels.

Explains eligibility rules and documentation requirements.

Shelter use has reached capacity, so families are to be placed in hotels or motels when necessary due to lack of shelter space. This memo provides procedures for doing this.

The Department is issuing a current listing of agencies which help our noncitizen clients become citizens. These agencies are grouped by region.

DTA restores the Heating/Cooling SUA to approximately 1,100 households who received H-Eat benefits in June 2007.

Adds procedural steps that must be taken before closing a case for whereabouts uknown based on returned mail. This memo is obsoleted by FOM 2008-22.

Obsoleted by FOM 2008-46.

Obsoleted by FOM 2008-37.

EA notices have been updated to include local case worker phone number. This FOM also directs local offices to provide EA families with all of the documentation regarding the reason for adverse action if the family requests such information, and lists the documents that must be provided. 

Homeless child care assistance is available to all DTA families who are placed into temporary emergency shelter.  These families are automatically eligible for homeless child care assistance through the Early Education and Care (EEC) Homeless Child-Care Voucher Program. In addition to families placed into EA shelters, families who are placed into Domestic Violence (DV) shelters, substance abuse shelters and other non-EA shelters are automatically eligible as well.  Effective December 3, 2007, EEC and DTA are authorizing full-time homeless child care assistance to the aforementioned families immediately upon entering shelter.  However, using the child care assistance is optional for the families.
 

Effective November 29, 2007, people can apply for Food Stamps over the internet from anywhere in MA.

In June 2007, the Commissioner sent a letter to all shelter providers and TAO Directors informing them that the Department was planning to review current EA regulations and procedures as they relate to homeless sheltered families, specifically around the noncompliance process. On October 9, 2007 a letter of clarification relative to the noncompliance process was issued to all shelter and HAP providers. This memo discusses the same issues contained in the October letter. THIS FOM IS OBSOLETE AND REPLACED BY FIELD OP MEMO 2008-62.

The Social Security and SSI Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLA) have been scheduled. Effective January 2008, Social Security benefits and SSI payments will increase by 2.3 percent. The basic Medicare Part B premium will increase from $93.50 to $96.40 per month. This Field Operations Memo identifies: general BEACON activities for processing the 2008 Social Security/SSI COLA; and AU Manager and Supervisor activities required to prepare for the 2008 Social Security/SSI COLA.

In January 2008, the Department will issue the annual informational mailing for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Massachusetts Earned Income Credit (EIC) and Child Care Assistance. The mailing will be sent to all active TAFDC clients, all former TAFDC clients whose cases closed as of January 1, 2007, and all active Food Stamp cases, excluding FS cases in the Malden Centralized SSI Office and FS cases receiving TAFDC.