WAC 388-410-0015 Recovery of cash assistance overpayments by mandatory grant deduction

1. All overpayments of cash assistance are recovered by means of a mandatory deduction from future continuing assistance grants except as specified by WAC 388-410-0010. 

2. All members of an overpaid assistance unit are responsible for repayment of an overpayment. Repayment may be from:

   1. Resources and/or income; or

   2. Deductions from subsequent grants; and

   3. An assistance unit member's estate.

3. The mandatory grant deduction of an intentional overpayment is ten percent of the monthly grant payment standard.

4. A monthly grant deduction of up to one hundred percent of the grant can be established when:

   1. The overpayment is intentional;

   2. The client has liquid resources available but refuses to use these resources in full or partial satisfaction of the overpayment; and

   3. The amount of income and resources remaining available to the assistance unit is not less than ninety percent of the grant payment standard.

5. An unintentional overpayment is recovered by grant deduction of five percent of the monthly grant payment standard unless the client voluntarily requests a larger deduction in writing.

6. A monthly deduction for overpayment recovery can be established against the clothing and incidental grant of a recipient in a nursing facility, intermediate care facility, or hospital. A monthly deduction cannot be established against the vendor payment to the nursing facility, intermediate care facility or hospital.

7. When the monthly grant deduction is equal to or more than the current grant for which the client is eligible had no overpayment occurred, the grant is suspended.

8. No more than the total amount of an overpayment may be collected by mandatory deduction from a client's public assistance grant. The client will receive compensation for an underpayment resulting from any erroneous monthly deduction.