October 2005 Volume 11, Issue 3 Get Emergency Cash from new Welfare Program If you suddenly find yourself in a financial crisis due to a temporary loss of income, you may be eligible for a new program that the Department of Public Welfare has. The new program, TANF Diversion, provides financial assistance to individuals whose earned income has been reduced due to loss of a job or a reduction in earnings. Diversion is short-term assistance until self-sustaining income begins again. It is a one-time payment, maximum amount is equal to up to three months of a monthly grant for a particular family size. For instance, a family of four can receive up to $1491.00 for expenses. Applicants must: Be eligible for regular TANF (meet income requirements in the month of application) Be currently employed or have received earned income within 90 days of application Have a verified financial need Work expenses, such as uniforms, tools, etc. Transportation expenses, such as car repairs/inspections, car payment or car insurance Child Care costs Housing expenses such as mortgage payments, rent, home repairs or utilities Costs to relocate to secure employment Be expecting self-sustaining income Employment Child Support Workers Compensation Unemployment Compensation Veterans Compensation Retirement/Pension Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income TANF Diversion is different from TANF because: There is no child support requirement; Client receives the entire amount of any child support payments. There is no employment and training requirement. It does not count toward the TANF time clock. Also: There is an option to receive Extended Medical Coverage for up to one year if the applicant chooses to apply for Medicaid. Benefits are put on the EBT card Anyone applying for TANF Diversion must not have received cash assistance for any days in the month of application and can only apply once in a 12 month period. Receiving a Diversion payment will not affect your other benefits such as food stamps, Medicaid and child care. To apply for Diversion you need to fill out the regular application, but be sure to inform your caseworker or intake worker that you want to apply for TANF Diversion and not TANF. Call Just Harvest if you have questions or run into problems. “Everyday you are faced with choices; those choices make your future...so why not make a choice that makes your future a better place?” -Author Unknown TANF Still May Be Cut Because of the immediate attention needed to address Hurricane Katrina and all of its devastation, Congress has extended TANF Reauthorization until December 31, 2005. There is still a very high risk of TANF being cut in the Budget Reconciliation Process, which has been extended through the end of October. Please continue to call your Senators and Representatives and tell them not to cut TANF in the Budget and to reauthorize TANF as a stand-alone bill that does no more harm to families!! Experiences to Learn from... Consumer A’s food stamps were suspended because she was due to re-certify. Consumer was not notified that she needed to come in to re-certify or that her food stamps were being suspended. Consumer B’s food stamps were also suspended because it was time for her to re-certify. Again, consumer was not notified, she called the caseworker and found out that she needed to recertify and went in right away to do it. Once the recertification was completed, the consumer still had to wait more than 30 days for her food stamps to be reinstated. The food stamps were ultimately reinstated in both cases, but if DPW’s policies were followed, they may have never been suspended. DPW’s Policy states: That Notice of Expiration (PA 10-SP) should go out to a client at least 30 days before recertification is required; along with that is a recertification form, appointment notice and verification checklist (income and resources). If a client cannot make the appointment that is given by the caseworker, another time and day can be negotiated. A client has 30 days to provide the necessary verification required to recertify. A client who completes a recertification should receive their food stamps within 30 days from the date of the recertification application. Remember - If a decision is made regarding your benefits that you feel is wrong, you can APPEAL the decision! For more information on how to appeal, call Rochelle at Just Harvest. DPW Makes Changes to MPP Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) is a welfare program to help people address their barriers to employment and temporarily exempts them from the mandatory work requirement. The goal is to help participants improve their personal and family circumstances by providing services that ultimately lead to self-sufficiency and long term success. At first there was no time limit for a person who was enrolled in the program, but as of July 2005 the program limits participation to 18 months. The multi-disciplinary team assigned to work with the participant identifies those who are ready to move into traditional welfare-to-work activities and those who may have long term disabilities and need to apply for SSI. MPP is a great program to help TANF families overcome their barriers to ultimately achieving self-sufficiency. If you want more about the program, contact your caseworker or Rochelle at Just Harvest. Information Workshop The Welfare Justice Project is working with DPW to hold a series of Information Workshops. The next workshop will be: Customer Service/Policies & Procedures for Clients November 9, 2005 United Way Bldg. Heinz Room (lower level) 1:00 to 3:00 pm To RSVP, contact Rochelle at Just Harvest, 412-431-8960. WJP Advocacy Pays Off! KEYS - A New DPW Education & Training Program KEYS stands for Keystone Education Yields Success Program and is a program to assist TANF clients who enroll in a degree or certificate program at CCAC. The purpose of KEYS is to encourage and assist TANF parents in pursuing education by forming a link between DPW and community colleges across Pennsylvania. A KEYS student facilitator has been hired to work individually with TANF parents who are enrolled in the program to: Work closely with the participant to develop an educational plan Assist students in overcoming barriers to success Maintain ongoing and scheduled contact with participants to ensure attendance and monitor progress in classes Communicate with participants’ caseworker, as needed; (should cut down on office visits to the welfare office) Coordinate college supports for participants, mentoring and academic intervention such as tutoring and workshops Make referrals to other community services as needed Assist participants in obtaining supportive services from welfare. The Welfare Justice Project has been pushing education & training for TANF parents for over two years now and the state has made some really good strides. One of the DPW’s goals for this program is increased enrollment in community college and to ensure that participants educational experience is a successful one! The KEYS program is up and running in Allegheny County with a current enrollment of less than 10. If you or someone you know is interested in going to CCAC or if you are already going to CCAC, this is a great program for you. The CCAC Student Facilitator for Allegheny County is Karen Gamble and she is at the CCAC Allegheny Campus on the Northside– her contact information is 412-237-2672. Call her today to enroll, but don’t forget you need to contact your caseworker to!! Stop Utility Cut-Offs– Call Your Elected Offocials As the devastating consequences of Act 201 (Chapter 14) on low-income and poor Pennsylvanians have come to light, legislators have proposed several bills aimed at reforming the new public utility Law. State Sen. Ferlo introduced four bills (HB904-907) that would restore 48-hour notice requirement and limit reconnection deposits to one month. It would restore limits on the ability of Utility Companies to shut-off during the winter without PUC approval and clarify that the PUC can negotiate one payment arrangement. Rep. George has introduced HB1925 that requires utility companies to give a written notice of termination at least 30 days prior to the date of termination. Both sets of bills have been assigned to committees. WE ARE URGING YOU TO CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Tell them to repeal Chapter 14. Short of repealing, he/she should support SB904-907 or HB 1925. Contact Sen. LaValle who is on the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee, to insure his support for SB904-907. 724-774-0444 Contact Rep. Preston who is the Chairman of the Consumer Affairs committee and urge him to support HB1925. 412-361-3692 Hot off the Press!! Do you want to go to school? (A series of brochures that provide helpful tips for pursuing education & training) Choose from one of four or all four: #1 Education & Training for TANF Consumers (DPW’s requirements/benefits), #2 Tips About Finding a School, #3 Local Education & Training Opportunities and #4 Tips About Financing Your Education Order your free brochures today! Join our e-mail listserve to receive updates on national, state and local issues. Call Rochelle to sign up or send your e-mail address to rochellej@justharvest.org. Announcements TRUTH IN POLITICS: Is There Such a Thing? Find out at the 17th Annual Just Harvest Celebration Dinner Guest Speaker: Eric Alterman, Media Critic and Bestselling Author Omni William Penn Hotel Thursday, October 27, 2005 5:00PM VIP Reception 6:00 PM Reception & Silent Auction 7:00 PM Dinner & Program Ticket Prices: $40 each for the dinner $75 each for dinner and VIP Reception $350 for table of 10 Some low-income scholarships available For more details, call 412-431-8960 The Dollar Energy Program started on October 3, 2005 and will continue thru March 1, 2006 - grants up to $500 (but not guaranteed); have to have made a payment of up $150 on utilities in last 90 days. Different conditions apply depending on the utility company, contact Dollar Energy at 1-800-683-7036 for more information. LIHEAP will begin on November 7, 2005 thru March 23, 2006 for the cash and crisis component. The minimum cash grant will be $100 and the maximum will be $300. You can apply at your local welfare office or call 412-562-0330 for more information.