FYI March, April 2015: Over verification; Correct Work Requirements Reasons

FYIs
Over verification
Over verification occurs when clients are unnecessarily required to provide a permanent verification a second time, or when clients are asked to provide proof of one eligibility factor, when other verifications may have already proven the eligibility factor. Over verification also occurs in SNAP cases when optional verifications (such as medical expenses) are being treated as required verification. This makes it more difficult for clients to obtain benefits and results in duplicative effort for both clients and the  Department.
If a client has already provided a permanent verification, DTA staff must not require the client to provide this verification again, unless questionable. To be considered questionable, the information on the application/reevaluation/recertification must be inconsistent with statements made by the client, with other information on the application/reevaluation/recertification or previous applications, or other information known or reported to the Department. Also remember that verification that can be proven through interagency matches should be used whenever possible.

Correct Work Requirements Reasons
Accurately coding the Work Requirements program pages is vital to ensure that clients subject to the:

• TAFDC work program;
• Employment Service Program;
• SNAP work program or SNAP E&T

are adhering to those requirements. It is also important to make sure these clients are appropriately sanctioned if they are not meeting the requirements. It is also important to ensure that clients who are exempt must not be coded as work required. If so, they could be incorrectly subjected to a reduced need and payment standard and/or incorrectly sanctioned.
Incorrectly coding the Work Requirements-FS page may result in an inability to issue an ESP referral for a client who is in receipt of TAFDC. For two-parent cases where at least one parent is being reopened due to a work program sanction, it is important to ensure that the proper FS Work Requirement reason is selected. This will enable availability for all appropriate TAFDC work requirement components.
As part of the TAFDC work program assessment, case managers, who are on the ESP Component Eligibility page, who notice the only component listed is employment, must go to the Work Requirements – FS page. For the TAFDC work required individual, change the Work Program Required Reason and the FSET Required Reason to “Meets TAFDC/EAEDC requirement.” Return to the ESP Component Eligibility page for the selected client. Click the Re-Assess button. All applicable TAFDC work requirement components will be available for selection and enrollment.