Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD)

Revised May 12, 2008

Clients that meet the definition of Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) must satisfy certain employment and / or training requirements to receive Basic Food benefits for more than 3 months in a 36-month period. See EAZ Mananual WAC 388-444-0030.
The user enters information about the ABAWD client's employment and / or training history on the WORK in the FS section, in the Work Status, Non-Qualifying Work Mths, Requalifying, and Subsequent Non-Qualify Mth fields.
ACES uses the information entered on the WORK plus the other client demographics to determine eligibility for Basic Food.
In most instances, on a new case or a case in which the Partic Stat Date field on the WORK was previously blank, ACES defaults to the most appropriate valid value based on client demographics. For most ABAWD cases the default value will be AB.

If this default value is not correct the user must change it. If an entry had previously been made in this field the system will not change it.

On the WORK when the valid value in the Partic Stat field is AB, the Work Status field in the FS section becomes mandatory.
On theWORK the fields in the FS section of the screen are for Basic Food ABAWD clients. The dates and valid values entered in this section of ACES were developed based on policy. Check eligibility results carefully to ensure they are correct for ABAWD clients.

Loses Basic Food Eligibility

If an ABAWD client loses Basic Food eligibility, they are no longer consider as non-household members. These clients are now treated the same as non-IPV disqualified ineligible household members. Their income and deductions must be prorated to the other members of the client's AU.

An open assistance unit with an ABAWD member currently coded as an NM will change to an ND when eligibility is recalculated on the case for any reason. For this reason it is imperative that the benefit calculation be checked carefully on these cases.

Ineligible ABAWD s will now be included in the AU and must have a portion of their income counted in determining eligibility for the eligible members of the AU.
At application and recertification for Basic Food, add any ineligible ABAWD s who must be in the AU to the assistance unit.
Enter the ineligible ABAWD s income, resources, and expenses as appropriate.
If the ABAWD has not regained eligibility for Basic Food, they will be ineligible AU members.
The client's financial responsibility code on STAT / ELIG will be ND.
If income is entered on the ND member’s income screen, ACES prorates the income based on the number of eligible and ineligible household members. It then uses the eligible member’s portion of the income in the Basic Food calculation.
ACES looks to see if the ND member with income has rent / mortgage expenses and / or utilities coded on their SHEL.
If there are rent / mortgage expenses coded on the ND member’s SHEL:

ACES takes the total rent / mortgage expense and prorates it based on the number of household members. It then uses the prorated portion for the eligible members in the food stamp calculation.

If the rent / mortgage expense is coded on theSHEL of an eligible household member that is not an ND, ACES uses the entire allowable rent / mortgage expense in the food stamp calculation. In this situation the rent / mortgage expense is not prorated.

If the UTILITY STANDARD on any household member’s SHEL is coded S or L, ACES determines the appropriate standard. If using the SUA, the amount is based on the total number of household members.

If the household contains an ND member, the SUA amount is prorated based on the number of eligible household members.
The prorated shelter and utility amounts are used to determine how much of a shelter deduction the household is allowed.
On FSFI review the benefit computation to ensure that all income and resources are being counted correctly in determining the household's Basic Food benefits.
Confirm the benefits and commit the data.

This change in policy does not change the way that income and deductions for an ineligible household member are counted in determining benefit level for the eligible members of a Basic Food household.

Non-Qualifying Work Months Field

In the ongoing month enter [the month and year for each month the ABAWD client failed to meet the work requirement].
There are fields to enter the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd months.
This information is cumulative and copies forward from month to month, but is not protected so it can be changed if necessary.
Dates entered in these fields must be in chronological order.
ACES closes the client / AU according to adverse action rules when a month and year is entered in the Non-Qualifying Mth - 3^RD field.
Edit Message 1982 - Entered Date is not Within the Current 3 Year ABAWD Period - prevents users from entering data for months from the previous 36 month period in benefit month 01/00 or beyond.

This edit displays whenever a user enters a date prior to 01/2000.

Requalifying Date Field

This field is used when an ABAWD client was previously denied or closed because they did not meet ABAWD program requirements and is now reapplying for benefits.
Enter the [date the client has done everything needed to meet ABAWD program requirements and re-qualify, including the date ABAWD requirements are met].
ACES uses this date plus the application date to determine the begin date of the client's Basic Food benefits.
For the system to open a previously disqualified ABAWD client the date in the Requalifying Dt field must be less than or equal to the application date, but not more than 30 days prior to the application date.
If the date is outside this time frame the AU / client is denied for Reason 258 - Failed ABAWD Requirement.

EXAMPLE

ABAWD client was previously determined to be ineligible for Basic Food benefits effective 7/31, because he did not meet work requirements. The client reapplies on 8/15.The client is interviewed and the worker determines the client has worked 80 hours within the last thirty days.

Enter [8/15] in the Requalifying Dt field.

If otherwise eligible, the begin date of Basic Food benefits is 8/15/00.

EXAMPLE

Same situation as above, except when the client is interviewed on 8/20 the worker discovers that as of 8/15 the client had worked only 75 hours. He did not work 80 hours until 8/19.

Enter [8/19] in the Requalifying Dt field.

ACES will deny the application.

For the client to be eligible in this situation he/she would have had to have worked the 80^th hour 7/15 through 8/15. The user must then screen a new assistance unit using 8/19 as the application date. Do not reopen the previously denied AU.

In this situation, when the denial and approval are both processed on the same day, do not reopen the denied AU.

When an AU is denied and reopened on the same day, ACES does not retain the historical information regarding the denial and no denial letter is generated.

If the denial and the approval are processed on different days, the originally denied AU can be reopened by entering the [date that the client meet ABAWD requirements] in the Appl Date field on theINCH.

Subsequent Non-Qualifying Months Field

After an initial non-qualifying three-month period, if the client re-qualifies, then again fails to meet the ABAWD requirements, he/she is eligible for another three months of benefits.
This second three months, after the initial non-qualifying period, can only happen once per client. ACES determines eligibility and tracks this using the Subsequent Non-Qualifying Mth field.
Once the client has re-qualified and then again fails to meet ABAWD requirements, enter [the month and year the client failed to meet ABAWD requirements] in the Subsequent Non-Qualifying Mth field in the ongoing month.
Based on the date entered in this field ACES determines the months of the second three-month period of eligibility.
This three-month period is the three consecutive months immediately following the date entered in the Subsequent Non-Qualifying Mth field.
If the client is in the middle of a certification period, ACES will close the case using Reason Code 258 - Failed ABAWD Requirements - at the end of the third month or at the end of the certification period whichever is earlier.

Work Status Field

Enter the [appropriate valid value based on the client's participation status]. This is the participation status that meets the ABAWD work requirement.

	ACES	Search for:

Acronyms Alerts Screens WAC Number Index WCCC DSHS Home