Revised: March 5, 2020
Purpose:
WAC 388-444-0005 Am I required to work or look for work in order to be eligible for Basic Food?
Exempt clients (per WAC 388-444-0010) are not required to register for work, so they are not work registrants.
Non-exempt clients are people who receive Basic Food and must be registered for work. They are considered work registrants, and further divided into two groups:
Work Registrants
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- Clients age 16 through 59 who do not meet an exemption listed in WAC 388-444-0010 must register for work and meet Work Registration requirements.
- There are no time limits for non-ABAWD work registrants.
- Participation in Employment & Training is voluntary in Washington State.
- Work registrants who voluntarily reduce their work hours below 30 hours a week will face a penalty
- DSHS registers the clients for work by completing the WORK Registration screen in ACES/3G.
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Work Registrants Who are ABAWDs
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- Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) are a subset of Work Registrants who must meet further requirements in order to remain eligible for benefits.
- Able-bodied adults ages 18 through 49, without dependents, and without a physical or mental disability preventing them from working, and who live in an non-waived area, are required to participate in specific activities outlined in the ABAWD WACs to stay eligible for Basic Food and avoid the three month time limit.
- ABAWD clients are referred to options to meet their participation requirements.
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- During application, add a person or eligibility review, determine if members of the Basic Food household are non-exempt work registrants or exempt.
- For any exempt work registrants, code the most appropriate exemption per current procedure.
- For any non-exempt work registrant, determine if the client(s) is considered ABAWD.
- If a WorkFirst household is sanctioned, determine whether or not the sanctioned persons are exempt from Basic Food work requirements. Disqualify non-participating members of the TANF household from receiving Basic Food unless they are exempt under WAC 388-444-0010.