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Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA)

Revised April 24, 2009

Purpose:

Who is eligible for Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA)?   How long is the DCA certification period?   How does ACES determine the begin date for DCA?   How do I screen in a DCA AU?   How do I process a pending DCA AU?   How do I finalize a DCA application?   How do I authorize an additional DCA payment?   How do I reissue a DCA vendor payment to another vendor?   How do I reissue a lost/stolen DCA warrant?   How do I close DCA when TANF is pending?     How do I establish a DCA overpayment?   Will ACES approve DCA for a client in sanction?     Who is eligible for Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA)?   ·         Diversion Cash Assistance (DCA) is an emergency cash benefit available to families that meet the eligibility criteria for TANF or SFA but do not need ongoing monthly cash assistance.   ·         See EAZ Manual – WAC 388-400-0005 Who is eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families? and EAZ Manual – WAC 388-400-0010 Who is eligible for State Family Assistance?   ·         See EAZ Manual – WAC 388-432-0005 Can I get help from DSHS for a family emergency without receiving monthly cash assistance?   How long is the DCA certification period?   ·         The default DCA certification period is 12 months.   ·         For more information, see EAZ Manual – WAC 388-432-0005 Can I get help from DSHS for a family emergency without receiving monthly cash assistance?   How does ACES determine the begin date for DCA?   ·         When eligibility for DCA benefits is determined to exist in the month of application, the begin date is the application date.   ·         When eligibility for DCA benefits begins in any month after the date of the original application, the begin date is the first of that month.

NOTE: If the client is financially ineligible in the current month, but appears eligible for the next month, users must wait and process the case after monthly issuance.

How do I screen in a DCA AU?   ·         To screen in a DCA AU, take the following steps:   1.      From the Welcome Back page in aces.online, click the Screen New Application link at the top of the page. The Applicant page displays in a new window.   2.      On the Applicant page enter the head of household’s Name, Residential and Mailing Addresses.   3.      On the Programs page,   o        Click the checkbox next to Cash, and   o        Click the Next button.   4.      Continue the screening process until you reach the Finalize page.   5.      On the Finalize page:   o        Click the checkbox next to the Diversion Assistance (DA) program.   o        Enter the application date.   6.    Click the Commit button to commit the screening data.

NOTE: All household members listed on the DCA AU need to be eligible for benefits.  If any adult household member is denied, the entire AU will be denied.  (i.e. Do not list any household members of 18 years of age on the AU.)

How do I process a pending DCA AU?   ·         To process a pending DCA AU, take the following steps:   1.      From the AMEN screen, select Option O – Interview.   2.      On the PEND screen, enter a [Y] in the DA AU selection field to initiate the Interview.   3.      On the STAT screen, complete the Finl Resp field as follows:   o        [PN] – Applicant for all applicants.   4.      Complete the interview following instructions in the Interview chapter.   5.      On the BOND screen, enter the following information in the month DCA will begin:   o        The [appropriate need type] in the Need Type field.  See <F1> Help.    o        The [amount of money the client requests]  in the Need Amount field.   o        The [amount of money being authorized] in the Auth Amount field.   o        The [appropriate verification valid value code] in the V field.  See <F1> Help.    o        The [date the client incurred the need] in the Need Date field.   o        A [Y] in the Vendor field if the Auth Amount is to be paid to a vendor.   o        The [appropriate future support valid value] in the Future Support field.  See <F1> Help.

NOTE: When money is to be issued to more than one vendor for the same need type code, DO NOT COMBINE THE AMOUNTS ON THE BOND SCREEN. The amounts must be entered separately so the correct number of VEND screens display when the AU is finalized.

6.      Follow the instructions in the Process Application Month chapter for all pending months.   How do I finalize a DCA application?   1.      From the AMEN screen, select Option Q – Finalize.   2.      From the APP2 screen, press <TRANSMIT> to begin application finalize.   3.      Confirm eligibility on the ELIG screen.    4.      On the CAFI screen:   o        Update mandatory fields.   o        If an N displays in the Vendor field in the month the DCA payment is authorized, enter [Y] to manually request the VEND screen.   o        Press <TRANSMIT>.   5.      On the VEND screen:   o        Confirm that the vendor has been assigned a vendor ID, that the effective date is set to the first of the month the DCA payment is to be made, and the vendor is active. See What must be done prior to processing a Vendor Payment? for more information.   o        Update required fields. See the How do I make a vendor payment in the ongoing month?  for more information.   6.      For all subsequent months, confirm eligibility on ELIG and CAFI, and commit the data.   How do I authorize an additional DCA payment?   ·         To authorize an additional DCA payment, take the following steps:   1.      From the AMEN screen, select Option R – Interim/Hist Change for the month DCA began.    2.      On the BOND screen:   o        Enter the [appropriate need type] in the Need Type field. See <F1> Help.  Do not delete existing DCA entries.    o        Enter the [amount of money the client requests] in the Need Amount field.     o        Enter the [amount of money being authorized] in the Auth Amount field. If the amounts entered in the Auth Amount field totals more than $1500, workers receive Edit 1775 - TOTAL AUTH AMOUNT CANNOT EXCEED THE SET MAXIMUM FOR DIVERSION ASSISTANCE.    o        Enter the [appropriate verification valid value code] in the V field. See <F1> Help.

NOTE: Need Types coded with CS – Client Statement, RE – Not Verified Refused, or FA – Not Verified Failed are excluded from the DCA payment.

o        Enter the [date the client incurred the need] in the Need Date field. The date entered in the Need Date field on the BOND can be prior to the date of application but cannot be a future date.

NOTE: A Need Type entered on the BOND with a date later than the 30th day following the DCA begin date will not be included in the DCA payment.

o        Enter a [Y] in the Vendor field if the authorized amount is to be paid to a vendor.   o        Enter the [appropriate code] in the Future Support field.  See <F1> Help.   3.      Call DONE and confirm eligibility on the ELIG screen.    4.      On the CAFI screen:   o        Enter [CH] - Underpayment Due to Change in Situation - in the UP Reas field on the CAFI.  The user must confirm the underissuance BEG following procedures in How do I confirm an underpayment?   5.      Commit the data.    How do I reissue a DCA vendor payment to another vendor?   ·         See How do I reissue a cash payment to a different vendor?   How do I reissue a lost/stolen DCA warrant?   ·         See How do I process a reissuance?   How do I close DCA when TANF is pending?    ·         Before closing the DCA AU, make sure the client is eligible to receive TANF.    ·         Close the DCA AU for all months in which the client is eligible for TANF. Process the most recent month first and work backwards to ensure the DCA overpayment proration is accurate.   ·         To close a DCA AU when TANF is pending, take the following steps:   1.      From the AMEN screen, select Option R – Interim/Hist Change for the ongoing month.    2.      On the STAT screen, enter Reason Code 585 - DCA Adult Eligible for TANF, Establish Loan Repayment – For Administrative Use Only in the first AU Status Reasons field.    3.      Call DONE and the ELIG screen displays.   4.      On the ELIG screen confirm closure.   5.      On the CAFI screen, enter [DA] - Diversion Assistance Loan (OP for DA) in the OP Reas field.   6.      Commit the data.   7.    Repeat steps 1 through 6 for each historical month.

NOTE: If Edit Message 0585 – CLIENT CANNOT RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM TWO AUS, REVIEW CLIENT STATUS appears when finalizing the TANF AU, enter [O] - Previous Benefit was Overpayment in the Concurrent Receipt CA field on the DEM1 screen for each person in the DCA AU who is now being opened on TANF.

How do I establish a DCA overpayment?   1.      Close the DCA AU for all months in which the client was not entitled to DCA using either:   o        Reason code 585 - DCA Adult Eligible for TANF, Establish Loan Repayment - For Administrative Use Only.   o        Reason Code 586 - DCA Ineligible – which is used to close DCA for not meeting other eligibility factors.   ·         When the ongoing month is closed, the overpayment is 1/12th of the total DCA payment issued multiplied by the number of months remaining in the DCA certification period.    ·         For all historical months, the overpayment is 1/12th of the total DCA issued.

EXAMPLE ·         Client applies and is determined eligible for $1200 DCA with a begin date of 11/10/07. ·         He loses his job on 3/30/08. He is determined eligible for TANF with a begin date 5/3/08. ·         The DCA 12 month period of eligibility is 11/07 through 10/08. ·         The client is approved for TANF in 5/08 so he is eligible for the DCA benefits he received 11/07 through 4/08. ·         A loan repayment exists for months 5/08 through 10/08. Once established, this amount does not change. Even if the client’s TANF closes in 7/08, the loan amount stands as originally established. ·         The loan calculation is: o        $1200 ÷ 12 months = $100 per month o        O/P for 5/08 is $100 o        O/P for 6/08 is $500 ($100 mo x 5 mo left in 12 mo period) o        Total DCA loan amount due for repayment = $600

2.      Complete the overpayment process by following the steps in How do I confirm an overpayment?   Will ACES approve DCA for a client in sanction?   ·         ACES does not prevent the authorization of a DCA payment for food or medical needs to a person sanctioned from food assistance or for not cooperating with TPL.   ·         For more information, see EAZ Manual – WAC 388-432-0005 Can I get help from DSHS for a family emergency without receiving monthly cash assistance?

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Modification Date: April 24, 2009

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