Reason Codes

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Reason Codes

Revised March 25, 2011

What are reason codes?

What reason codes can be entered on the STAT screen?

How do I deny or terminate a case with a 500 level reason code?

What if an AU or client is not eligible for multiple reasons?

What are reason codes?

· The system generates reason codes based on case actions taken on a case.

· Reason codes are used to explain why a client or AU has been denied, terminated, placed in sanction, had benefits changed or is ineligible.

· Reason codes display on the STAT, ELIG, CAFI, FSFI or MAFI screens.

o When a client has been denied, terminated, placed in sanction, or is ineligible, the reason code will display in the Rsn field for the client on the STAT and ELIG screens.

o When a change results in the denial or termination of an entire AU, the reason code will display in the AU Status Reasons field on the STAT and ELIG screens.

o When a change results in an increase or decrease in benefits, the reason code will display in the Reasons field on the CAFI, FSFI, or MAFI screens. Depending on the reason, these codes may not display on the related STAT or ELIG screens.

What reason codes can be entered on the STAT screen?

· Reason codes above 500 can be manually entered to deny or terminate an assistance unit or client when the system is unable to.

· The system uses client and AU eligibility data to generate reason codes below 500. These codes cannot be entered by a user.

· Whenever possible, enter the appropriate data and allow the system to deny, terminate, or sanction a case.

· Most reason codes populate denial, termination, and change letters with the associated WAC reference and standard text block explaining the change. Many reason codes also have requirements for freeform text that must be entered on the letter. See EAZ Manual – Letters Reason Code Link Page for more information on WAC references and freeform text requirements.

How do I deny or terminate a case with a 500 level reason code?

· To deny or terminate a case with a 500 level reason code, take the following steps:

1. On the STAT screen, enter the [appropriate reason code] in the AU Status Reasons field when it applies to the entire AU or in the Rsn field when it applies to an individual client. See <F1> Help.

2. Call DONE to commit the data.

What if an AU or client is not eligible for multiple reasons?

· ACES performs eligibility tests on a case based on the case data entered. These occur in a hierarchy that generally follows the ACES screen flow.

· The system will usually only display the first reason code in the AU Status Reasons field on the STAT or ELIG screen based on the order the eligibility tests are conducted.

EXAMPLE

A TANF application for a household of 2 has $1500 earned income and $2000 in available resources. The household is both over the income limit and the resource limit for TANF. In this example, the resource test based on information on the RES1 screen is before the gross income test based on information EARN screen in the ACES flow, so the AU denies for reason code 401-Over Resources instead of 320-Exceeds Gross Income Limit.