SI BOS00830.407 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Related Programs – Rhode Island (TN x — 01/2021)

A. Background

TANF Rhode Island (also known as Rhode Island Works) is a support service for Rhode Island families.  The purpose of TANF Rhode Island is to provide financial and medical assistance to needy dependent children and the parents or relatives with whom they are living.  Eligible TANF households receive monthly cash and Medicaid benefits. TANF uses state funds to provide cash assistance to families.

Under TANF, eligible adults are limited to receiving benefits for a total of 60 months in their lifetime, including months of TANF-funded assistance granted in other states. Once this limit is reached, that adult and all members of that adult's FA household are ineligible to receive any more TANF benefits. The 60 months need not be consecutive, but rather each individual month in which TANF-funded benefits are received is included in the lifetime count.

B. The Administration of TANF in Rhode Island

1. TANF

TANF funding is partially derived from Federal block grants. Therefore, TANF payments are considered income based on need (IBON). The individual’s share of a TANF grant is counted dollar for dollar as income and the $20.00 general income exclusion does not apply to this income. See SI BOS00830.407C. for development.

2. Clothing Allowance

RI DHS may pay a $30 clothing allowance once a year and generally in the fall to certain eligible children between the ages of 5 and 12. The RI General Assembly authorizes this benefit each year depending on the budget. Since the benefit is based on need and State funded, it is excluded from income as Assistance Based on Need (ABON). See SI 00830.175.

3. State Agency Administering TANF and Clothing Allowance

The Rhode Island Department of Human Services (RI DHS) administers these programs. Information on these programs can be found on the Agency’s website at http://www.dhs.ri.gov and the RI DHS Code of Rules for TANF at https://www.policy.dhs.ri.gov.

4. Simultaneous SSI/TANF Eligibility

In Rhode Island, an individual may not be included in a TANF grant for the same months the individual is eligible for SSI. The monthly amount of any SSI payment must be reduced dollar for dollar by the individual’s share of a TANF grant, until the State removes the individual from the grant. SI BOS00830.407C and SI BOS00830.407D below provide instructions for verifying the individual’s share of the TANF grant and the TANF termination date.

5. Frequency of Payment

RI DHS makes two payments per month to each household. The head of household who is applying for/receiving assistance for the household is the grantee. RI DHS makes those payments through an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system. Cash benefits are credited to an EBT account in the recipient's name by 5:00 A.M. on the first and sixteenth of the month, including weekends and holidays.

Even though the household receives two payments per month, removal from the grant is effective with the first of the following month upon notice of SSI eligibility and payment.

 

6. How Rhode Island Computes TANF Grants

Rhode Island uses an incremental method to determine the TANF grant amount for a family. The amount of the grant is increased or decreased, as the number of people in the family increases or decreases.

Assistance begins as of the date of application for TANF or the date the applicant meets all eligibility requirements - provided this date does not precede the date of application. Benefits for the first month of TANF eligibility are prorated automatically by the RI DHS system based on the date of application. For instance, if an individual applies on 9/10/2020, the individual would be entitled to 21 days of benefits.

 

7. Family Cap on Incremental Rate Grant

Rhode Island has no family cap.

8. Child Support Pass-Through

TANF recipients assign their child support rights to the RI DHS as part of their obligation to cooperate with child support enforcement efforts. From the child support the RI DHS collects each month, the agency pays the first $50.00 per month to the household. RI DHS excludes this pass-through payment in determining need and the amount of the benefit payment. Assume that a regularly recurring payment of $50 or less made by RI DHS is not income to the SSI recipient unless there is only one child in the family. If there is only one child in the family, accept the individual’s allegation that the household receives the $50 pass-through payment and consider this to be child support to the child. See SI 00830.425D.4.

9. Individual Development Accounts (IDA)

Rhode Island does not offer Individual Development Accounts.

C. Procedure – Determining and Documenting an Individual’s Share of a TANF Grant

Because funding for TANF comes partially from Federal block grants, TANF payments are considered income based on need (IBON). The individual’s share of a TANF grant is counted dollar for dollar as income and the $20.00 general income exclusion does not apply to this income.

RI DHS issues a statement to TANF beneficiaries showing: the current TANF amount as of the statement date; a total amount for the last 3 months; a total amount for the year to date; a total amount for the last 12 months; and the family members included on the grant. Use this statement and/or the recipient’s allegation to determine the recipient’s share of the TANF grant amount if the statement and/or allegation cover the period requiring verification and the grant amount matches exactly to a grant amount in the standard payment chart in SI BOS00830.407E. Use the grant amount in the chart for the number of household members included in the TANF benefit (as indicated in the statement). Exclude any other individuals listed on the statement that do not have a TANF designation.

NOTE: The payment standard is reduced by fifty dollars ($50) for any family residing in subsidized housing. Subsidized housing is defined as housing for a family whose rent is restricted to a percentage of its income. Therefore, if using the chart, you must determine from the individual whether they reside in subsidized housing. See the example in SI BOS00830.407F.

It is possible to use a combination of the allegation and the TANF statement in order to verify the entire applicable period, as long as there is an exact match between the statement/allegation and the chart after determining the monthly amount. From the TANF statement, divide any total amounts by the number of months the total represents (i.e., the “last 3 months” total is divided by 3 or use the applicant’s allegation as to the monthly amount for the period requiring verification).

If you are verifying the first month of TANF using the TANF statement and/or recipient’s allegation, determine the prorated amount for the first month using the proration method described in SI BOS00830.407B.6.

If the current grant amount on the statement/allegation or any applicable past grant amounts (divided by the appropriate months) do not match the grant amount in the chart, you must contact RI DHS to verify the grant amounts and then determine the individual’s share of the TANF payment. Generally, if a household has wages or other income, it is unlikely that the TANF grant amount will match an amount in the chart exactly. Direct contact with RI DHS is necessary in these situations.

Record all pertinent information related to the TANF grant on a Report of Contact page, or complete a paper SSA-5002 with the information below and scan it into Evidence Portal for Non-MSSICS cases. Specifically, record the following:

  • Agency name and contact person (if applicable);

  • Source used to verify TANF grant (e.g., DHS statement, phone contact with DHS employee, etc.);

  • Amount of TANF grant paid to the household unit for each month of SSI eligibility;

  • Amount the grant would be without the SSI claimant/recipient for each month of SSI eligibility;

  • Explanation of any discrepancies between the grant amount verified by DHS against the standard grant amount chart in Section E of this reference (e.g., payment standard was reduced due to subsidized housing);

  • If you are using the Report of Contact screen, lock the Report of Contact page to secure the information.

Input the grant information on the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families page per MS 08114.008. For Non-MSSICS inputs, input the individual's countable share as type "F" income in the UM field per SM 01005.180-SM 01005.185.

 

D. Procedure – Verifying TANF Termination

RI DHS does not allow an individual to receive TANF concurrently with SSI. Take the following actions upon approval of the claim:

  • Advise RI DHS of the individual’s eligibility to SSI and the date of the first SSI payment.

  • Request the date that the individual will be removed from the TANF grant.

Record all pertinent information related to the TANF grant on a Report of Contact page, or complete a paper SSA-5002 with the information below and scan it into the Evidence Portal (EP) for Non-MSSICS cases. Specifically, record the following:

  • Agency name and contact person (if applicable);

  • Source used to verify TANF termination (e.g., DHS statement, phone contact with DHS employee, etc.);

  • Date of TANF termination;

  • If you are using the Report of Contact screen, lock the Report of Contact page to secure the information.

Input the end date on the Temporary Assistance For Needy Families page per MS 08114.008. For Non-MSSICS inputs, input an end date for the type "F" income in the UM field per SM 01005.180-SM 01005.185.

E. Rate Chart For TANF In Rhode Island

Standard Payment Chart

To utilize the table below, select the appropriate amount from the cash assistance monthly standard column according to the number of eligible persons in the assistance plan. Take into consideration the fifty dollar ($50) subsidized housing reduction.

Example: Individual provides RI DHS statement dated July 21, 2020 showing the current TANF payment of $399 and 1 other household member is receiving TANF. Since $399 is not shown below, ask if they reside in subsidized housing. If yes, assume the standard payment amount is the monthly standard ($449) for a family of two minus the $50 subsidized housing reduction or $399. If the individual were removed from the grant, the new monthly standard would be $277 ($327 minus $50). The individual’s share is $122 ($399 minus $277).

FAMILY SIZE

MONTHLY STANDARD

SEMI-MONTHLY AMT

1

$327.00

$163.50

2

449.00

224.50

3

554.00

277.00

4

634.00

317.00

5

714.00

357.00

6

794.00

397.00

7

874.00

437.00

8

954.00

477.00

9

1,034.00

517.00

10

1,114.00

557.00

11

1,194.00

597.00

12

1,274.00

637.00

13

1,354.00

677.00

14

1,434.00

717.00

15

1,514.00

757.00

Add for each person over 15:

$80.00

$ 40.00

F. References

 


To Link to this section - Use this URL:
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0500830407BOS
SI BOS00830.407 - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Related Programs – Rhode Island (TN x — 01/2021) - 01/24/2023
Batch run: 10/22/2024
Rev:01/24/2023