4.2 Backdating Eligibility

In limited circumstances, local agency workers may use CARES to determine eligibility and electronically interface CTSCaretaker Supplement - An additional amount of monthly cash benefit provided to certain SSI recipients in Wisconsin who reside with their dependent children. Wisconsin funds this benefit with a combination of state dollars and its federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) grant. benefits for previous time periods.

The most common instance of backdating occurs when, even after a grace month, the parent has not complied with review requirements and the CTS assistance in a CARES case has closed. The worker may reopen the CTS assistance in this case if the parent requests CTS and complies with requirements within the first month the CTS assistance is cosed in CARES.

Another common instance of backdating occurs when a parent with an open CARES case is unexpectedly awarded Supplemental Security Income (SSI)A cash benefit authorized by Title 16 of the federal Social Security Act. Eligibility and benefits are administered by the federal Social Security Administration at field offices throughout each state. Eligibility is based on age (65+) or disability and financial need. Eligibility is not based on prior work history or a family member’s prior work history. eligibility to a month earlier than the present month. In this case, the local agency worker may adjust dates in CARES to allow the initial CTS eligibility begin with the first month of SSI eligibility (assuming all CTS criteria were also met by the assistance group). However, backdating to the SSI start date is allowed only when the assistance group has been an open assistance case in CARES for the entire period of backdating. In this case the month of “application for assistance” is considered to be the application date of the most recent continuously open case in CARES.

Under no circumstances may CTS benefits be paid for a month during which the assistance group was not an open case in the CARES system.

In cases not involving retroactive SSI eligibility, such as when someone already receiving SSI opens a FoodShare or Health Care case in CARES, CTS eligibility may not start any earlier than the month of the earliest application/request for CTS.

This page last updated in Release Number: 16-01
Release Date: 08/09/2016
Effective Date: 08/09/2016

The information concerning the Caretaker Supplement program provided in this handbook release is published in accordance with Section 49.775 of the Wisconsin Statutes and Chapters HA 3 and DHS 2 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code.

Notice: The content within this manual is the sole responsibility of the State of Wisconsin's Department of Health Services (DHS). This site will link to sites outside of DHS where appropriate. DHS is in no way responsible for the content of sites outside of DHS.

Publication Number: P-23131