TO:	Commissioners, TA Directors, FS Directors, Staff Development Coordinators

FROM:	Patricia A. Stevens, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Temporary Assistance

SUBJECT:  Clarification of FS TBA policy

EFFECTIVE DATE:	Immediately

CONTACT PERSON:	Eastern Regional Team @ 1-800-343-8859, ext. 3-1469	

This message is in response to questions received regarding the automated transitional benefits alternative food stamp process (Auto TBA FS).  The Auto TBA FS process was introduced in the January 30th, 2004 WMS CNS Coordinator Letter and the systems support was effective Monday, February 09, 2004. The Auto TBA process will automatically perform the TBA Food Stamp separate determination process for eligible TANF households that are closing, including recertification closings, based on the TA and FS case reason codes, the absence of any disqualifying TA or FS individual reason codes and the presence of a correct FS budget.  This automated systems process was developed to support the TBA provision that provides five months of transitional food stamp benefits to qualifying households leaving the Family Assistance (FA) and Federally Participating Safety Net Assistance (SNA FP) households.

This is to clarify that TANF households closing during a certification period or at recertification for failure to provide verification (WMS TA case reason code = V20, V23, V24 and V25) that they qualify for transitional food stamp benefits, will have the TBA Food Stamp eligibility determination process automatically performed.

As indicated in 02 ADM 7, Six Month Change Reporting Rules were expanded to include most food stamp households, including TA FS households.  Furthermore, as outlined in 01 ADM 9, FS Six Month Change Reporting Households, including TA FS households, are not required to report changes between certification periods in any household circumstances except when total gross monthly income exceeds 130% of the household's poverty level.  Changes reported and verified that change the TA budget, however, are also changes made to the FS budget.  When a TA household reports a change and is requested to provide verification to determine ongoing TA eligibility, but the TA case closes for failure to provide the verification, FS eligibility must be separately determined. TA households that recertify but fail to verify new information may qualify for the TBA because new information is not used in calculating the TBA benefit.  If these households are otherwise TBA eligible, the Auto TBA Process will be supported.  TA closings, including recert closings, using a case reason code = V20, V23, V24 and V25, that are otherwise eligible for the TBA, require an entry of FS case reason code J05 or J06 (Separate Food Stamp Notice will be provided).

TA households that fail to recertify are not eligible for TBA.

In addition, Districts should note that eligible TBA households may include FS Mixed cases.  As indicated in 01 ADM 16, TBA eligible households include those consisting of FA recipients and non-TA recipients (FS-Mixed case type) whose FA cases are closing, as long as the households no longer receive TA benefits.  FS Mixed cases are not included in the Auto TBA Food Stamp process, however; they must continue to be processed for the TBA as long as the FS household no longer receives TA.  Please refer to ABEL Transmittal 02-5 regarding how to process the TBA through the non-automated separate determination process.