State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services

HISTORY

The policy on this page is from a previous version of the handbook. 

View History

21-01 Version of 1.3 FSET Program Delivery in Wisconsin

1.3.1 FSET Administrative Regions

Wisconsin is divided into eleven FSET administrative regions, which mirror the boundaries of Wisconsin’s Workforce Development Areas (WDA). Each FSET region administers and delivers FSET services within the region by partnering with local service providers and community organizations. Wisconsin’s FSET regions include:

• FSET Region 1 – Southeast: Kenosha, Racine, and Walworth Counties
• FSET Region 2 – Milwaukee: Milwaukee County
• FSET Region 3 – WOW: Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha Counties
• FSET Region 4 – Fox Valley: Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago Counties
• FSET Region 5 – Bay Area: Brown, Door, Florence, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto, Outagamie, Shawano, and Sheboygan Counties
• FSET Region 6 – North Central: Adams, Forest, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Oneida, Portage, Vilas, and Wood Counties
• FSET Region 7 – Northwest: Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Iron, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Washburn Counties
• FSET Region 8 – West Central: Barron, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix Counties
• FSET Region 9 – Western: Buffalo, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Trempealeau, and Vernon Counties
• FSET Region 10 – South Central: Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Marquette, and Sauk Counties
• FSET Region 11 – Southwest: Grant, Green, Iowa, Lafayette, Richland, and Rock Counties

In addition, eight Wisconsin tribes operate their own independent tribal FSET program, including:

• Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
• Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
• Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
• Forest County Potawatomi Community
• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
• Sokaogon Chippewa Community
• Stockbridge-Munsee Community

1.3.2 Voluntary FSET Program

Since 2008, Wisconsin has operated a voluntary FSET program, an allowable state option under federal SNAP regulations. The shift to a voluntary FSET program was a provision of Wisconsin’s 2007-2009 biennial budget.

A voluntary FSET program means that an ABAWD may choose to meet the ABAWD work requirement through participation in FSET. See the FoodShare Handbook 3.17.1.7 ABAWD Work Requirement for the complete list of ways that ABAWDs may meet the ABAWD work requirement. ABAWD eligibility for FoodShare is limited to three months of TLB  in a 36-month period if an ABAWD is not meeting the ABAWD work requirement and does not have a qualifying exemption. The three TLB months do not have to be consecutive.

Non-ABAWDs and ABAWDs meeting the work requirement may also choose to participate in FSET. See the FoodShare Handbook 3.17.1 Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents for more information on the ABAWD work requirement and ABAWD status determination.

A voluntary FSET program also means that FoodShare work registrants are not required to participate in FSET in order to meet the work registration requirements. See the FoodShare Handbook 3.16.1 Work Requirements for more information on the FoodShare work registration requirements.

1.3.3 Service Delivery to ABAWDs

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) limits the receipt of FoodShare benefits to three full months in a 36-month time period for ABAWDs who do not meet the work requirement or meet an exemption from the work requirement.

From 2002 through 2014, the State of Wisconsin was granted approval from the federal Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to waive the federal time limit on FoodShare benefits for ABAWDs who failed to meet ABAWD work requirements. As specified in the Wisconsin 2013-2015 biennial budget, the state implemented the federal time limit on FoodShare benefits for ABAWDs statewide effective April 1, 2015. For more information about ABAWD TLBs and the 36-month period, see the FoodShare Handbook 3.17.1 Able-Bodied Adults without Dependents.

During a 36-month period, an ABAWD may continue receiving FoodShare benefits as long as the ABAWD is meeting the work requirement or is later determined to be a non-ABAWD. Participating in the FSET program is one way for ABAWDs to meet the work requirement and maintain ongoing eligibility for FoodShare. Once FoodShare eligibility is confirmed, an ABAWD is systematically referred to FSET, so that he or she has the opportunity to choose to participate, as soon as possible, and not exhaust his or her time-limited benefit months.

In order to meet the work requirement through FSET participation, ABAWDs must participate in ‘qualifying’ activities. FSET agencies are required to provide qualifying activities so that all ABAWDs who enroll in FSET are able to meet the work requirement by participating in FSET, if they choose.

---

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