Hotline Focus 09/09

Q. My TAFDC client is not work program required but she is taking a class at her local community college. Her only child is six months old. She has been attending this class for the past three months, but I noticed that BEACON is not accreting the activity on her 12-month education and training counter. Is this correct?

A. Yes. BEACON normally tracks the 12-month limit on education and training through the Monitor Participation window. However, the education and training counter will only accrete in BEACON if the client is work program required. See Field Operations Memo 2005-23 for more information. For more information on the work program requirement, refer to 106 CMR 203.400. For more information on ESP education and training activities, refer to 106 CMR 207.140.

Q. My TAFDC client is work program required and has been attending a local community college class. However, three weeks into the month of August, she was in a serious car accident and was unable to continue attending class. She verified her good cause status, according to 106 CMR 701.380, and is now wondering whether her three weeks of attendance in the month of August will count towards her twelve-month limit on education. Will BEACON accrete this partial month?

A. No. BEACON will only accrete the education and training counter for work program required TAFDC clients when a full month of participation is entered into the Monitor Participation window.

Q. My TAFDC client is work program required. For the past few months, she has been attending classes while working part-time. Should the education and training counter accrete for this client?

A. Whether or not the education and training counter accretes for this client is dependent upon her particular circumstances. Below is an example. Ms. Smith is going to college and working. Her work program requirement is 20 hours per week. During the holiday season, in the months of November and December, Ms. Smith’s hours at work increase to 30 per week. She is still going to school, but because her work hours meet her work program requirement, the education and training counter does not accrete for those months. In January, her work hours are reduced to 15 hours per week, but because Ms. Smith continues going to school and the school hours help her meet her work program requirement, the counter accretes.

Q. My TAFDC client is work program required and scheduled to begin taking college classes this month. She has one more semester of classes to complete before getting her Associate’s degree. Her education and training counter indicates that 10 months have been used. Can my client still use her education activity to meet her work program requirement?

A. Yes. Since participating in an education and training activity meets the work program requirement for
12 months, tell your client that in addition to attending her college classes, she will need to participate
in another activity once her twelfth month accretes.