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State of Wisconsin |
HISTORY |
The policy on this page is from a previous version of the handbook.
6.5.2 Education and Training Participation
6.5.3 Reasonable Anticipation of FSET Participation
6.5.4.3 Anticipated to Meet Work Requirement
Tracking FSET participation hours and indicating whether the monthly FSET participation requirement is met requires timely action by the FSET agency. Accuracy of FoodShare (FS) eligibility determinations for non-exempt ABAWDs is dependent upon the FSET agency’s timely entry of monthly participation hours into the CARES Worker Web (CWW) FSET Tool. FSET agencies are responsible for taking the following actions:
It is critical that participation is entered timely so that ongoing FS eligibility is determined correctly. If participation is not entered timely, the individual may exhaust his or her TLBs and no longer be eligible for FS for up to 36 months. See Appendix F for details on FSET worker time frames for taking action related to tracking and monitoring participation in the FSET Tool.
FSET agency staff must collect and record attendance information for assigned activities. All participation documentation must be obtained from the FSET participant, work site or other education and training providers on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. The documentation must be maintained in the participant’s electronic case file (ECF).
FSET agencies are responsible for collecting group activities when multiple participants are engaged in the same activity at one location. It is the primary responsibility of the participant to return the paperwork to the agency verifying participation in activities that involve an activity log. The agency should make arrangements to get the paperwork directly from the service provider when possible.
6.5.2 Education and Training Participation
For most types of assigned activities, countable hours of participation correspond directly to time spent engaged in the activity. However, for some education and training activities, a certain amount of study time can also count toward meeting the work requirement.
For these activities, count the number of hours the person is in the classroom and up to one hour of unsupervised study time for each hour of class time. Supervised study time may also be assigned under this activity and tracked for attendance purposes. A statement from the educational program indicating that an additional amount of study time may be required to successfully complete the course can be included in the assigned number of hours.
See Appendix E for details on the specific FSET component activities for which study time can be counted toward meeting the work requirement.
6.5.3 Reasonable Anticipation of FSET Participation
Although FS benefits are issued prospectively at adverse action, knowledge of FSET participation compliance is retrospective. When a non-exempt ABAWD has exhausted three months of TLBs, FS eligibility will end unless s/he is meeting the work requirement or is exempt. For individuals who have begun participating in FSET as described below, the FSET worker must indicate whether it is reasonably anticipated that the non-exempt ABAWD will meet the current month’s work requirement through FSET participation so that the individual can continue receiving FS. (See section 6.5.4.3 for time frames related to recording that an individual is anticipated to meet the work requirement by the end of the month).
Reasonable anticipation of FSET participation is based upon the FSET worker’s assessment of FSET participation since the beginning of the current month and whether participation is expected to continue in order to meet the work requirement by month’s end. The reasonable anticipation of FSET participation information entered into the CWW FSET Tool is used by CWW to determine FS eligibility prospectively for the next month. Reasonable anticipation of FSET participation is designed to prevent FS from being incorrectly terminated, should the ABAWD begin meeting the work requirement through FSET participation during the third TLB or second and third additional benefit months.
Reasonable anticipation of meeting the work requirement through FSET participation may only be applied when the FSET worker determines that one of the following conditions is met:
Once the FSET worker initiates reasonable anticipation of meeting the work requirement through FSET participation during the current FSET participation period, the worker must continue to make this determination each month going forward if the individual is a non-exempt ABAWD and remains enrolled in FSET.
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Example 1: Tamika, a non-exempt ABAWD, received a TLB for July and another for August. Tamika enrolled and began participating in FSET on September 2. On September 13, the second Saturday of the month, Tamika’s FSET case manager determines that based on Tamika’s participation during the first two weeks of September, she can reasonably anticipate that Tamika will meet FSET participation requirements for the month of September. If Tamika failed to meet the work requirement for September and did not have good cause, the IM worker would have to recover the FS benefits for that month. |
Note: FSET workers should evaluate whether a participant is reasonably anticipated to meet the requirement by the end of the month on a case by case basis. If the FSET worker indicates that a non-exempt ABAWD is anticipated to meet the work requirement by the end of the month, but the participant does not follow through, the participant may have erroneously received FS benefits for that month. In these cases, the participant may be subject to an overpayment and may need to repay these benefits.
FSET agencies are responsible for tracking the following within the specified time frames (see Appendix F for details on FSET worker time frames):
By the fifth of the current month, the FSET agency is responsible for recording all prior month participation hours in the CWW FSET Tool.
By the fifth of the current month, the FSET agency is responsible for recording whether the prior month’s work requirement was met. This determination should take into account FSET participation hours and any good cause granted.
This action should be taken only for non-exempt ABAWD participants who must meet the work requirement. The FSET agency’s timely recording of this information is used by CWW to determine a non-exempt ABAWD’s ongoing eligibility for FS. If the agency does not indicate timely whether the work requirement was actually met, an individual’s eligibility for FS may end incorrectly, resulting in FSET disenrollment and a lapse in FSET services.
6.5.4.3 Anticipated to Meet Work Requirement
By the second Saturday of the month, the FSET agency is responsible for recording whether a participant is anticipated to meet the ABAWD work requirement by the end of the current month.
This action should only be taken for all non-exempt ABAWDs who are enrolled, fully participating in FSET, expected to meet the ABAWD work requirement through FSET participation by the end of the current month, and:
The FSET agency’s timely recording of this information tells the CARES system that FS benefits may be issued prospectively for the next month. If the agency does not indicate timely whether it is anticipated that the ABAWD work requirement will be met by the end of the month, an individual’s eligibility for FS may end incorrectly, resulting in FSET disenrollment and a lapse in FSET services.
Note: Recording whether a participant is in the third TLB month, third additional month, or any extended benefit month is anticipated to meet the ABAWD work requirement must be completed taken each month ongoing, for the remainder of the individual’s FSET participation period. This keeps an individual from inaccurately being determined FS ineligible and allows the CARES system to issue benefits prospectively for the following month by updating the FS clock to ‘Active in FSET’ status.
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Example 2: Susie is a non-exempt ABAWD. In March, her second TLB month, Susie enrolls and is participating in FSET in order to meet the ABAWD work requirement. The FSET worker determines that Susie is anticipated to meet the March ABAWD work requirement by the end of the month. The FSET worker updates the ‘Anticipated to Meet Work Requirement?’ indicator on the Track Participation and Good Cause page to ‘Yes’ prior to the second Saturday in March so that Susie can maintain FS eligibility and continue participating in FSET. Now that the policy has been applied, the FSET worker should continue to update this indicator each month based on Susie’s current and expected FSET participation. |
If the FSET worker enters 'No' to the "Anticipated to Meet Work Requirement?" question and then the FSET participant completes the ABAWD work requirement for that month, the FSET worker must contact the IM agency as soon as they become aware or at least by the 5th of the following month so the IM worker can adjust the members case to reflect this new information.
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Example 3: Mary’s third TLB month is in December. She enrolled in FSET on December 8 and completed 10 hours that week. This scenario does not meet the requirements to mark the “Anticipated to Meet Work Requirements?” question as 'Yes' so the FSET worker updates this question on the Track Participation page to 'No'; Mary’s FoodShare case will close on December 31st. Mary turns in her participation logs on the last day of December and she participated 80 hours in the month of December.
Since Mary met the ABAWD work requirement by the end of the month, Mary’s FoodShare clock should be updated to reflect this participation. The FSET agency must contact the IM agency as soon as they become aware the individual met the ABAWD work requirement but no later than the 5th of the following month. The FSET agency must enter the participation information and also add PIN comments. IM agency staff should update the FoodShare clock, issue an auxiliary payment for January, and case comment actions taken on the Mary’s case. This process is only necessary for members who are in their third TLB month and the “Anticipated to Meet Work Requirements?” question is answered 'No' and the individual meets the ABAWD work requirement in that month. |
This page last updated in Release Number: 16-01
Release Date: 04/12/2016
Effective Date: 04/12/2016
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-00419