Any person who wants to apply for cash benefits for himself or herself or on behalf of someone else may contact the County Assistance Office (CAO) to file an application.
Under some circumstances, a new application is not required. See [Chapter 179].
The CAO must mail or give a Common Application Form (PA 600) to the applicant. Only one form is needed for all persons who are applying at the same time. The applicant must list on the PA 600 all persons who are living in the residence at the time the form is signed.
The applicant must complete the PA 600 to the best of his or her ability and submit it to the CAO. The CAO must help if the applicant needs help filling out the PA 600.
The CAO must accept any PA 600 that has the applicant’s name, address, and signature on page 1. The applicant may mail, fax, or give the PA 600 in person to the CAO. A scanned application is acceptable.
NOTE: The CAO must accept a PA 600 from a homeless person without an address listed.
A person may also file an online application for cash benefits using the electronic Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Application for Social Services (COMPASS). Both COMPASS applicants and those using the PA 600 must have a face-to-face interview.
NOTE: A person applying for benefits or on behalf of another person is considered an applicant until benefits are authorized or rejected. A person found eligible to receive benefits is a recipient.
An inquiry differs from an application in that the person is seeking information only and not applying for cash benefits. When someone asks for cash benefits or other services on behalf of a competent adult, the CAO must consider the request an inquiry until verifying that the person wishes to apply for benefits.
The CAO located in the applicant's county of residence must take the application.
If a person is temporarily in a county other than his or her county of residence, that CAO must:
Take the application.
Determine need and eligibility based on the circumstances in the county where the person applied.
Authorize benefits, if the person is eligible.
Transfer the case according to intercounty transfer procedures when the applicant returns to his or her permanent residence. See Chapter 123.
Everyone has the right to apply, to have a full interview, and to receive a written notice of eligibility. A person may apply for himself or herself or on behalf of someone else.
When a person calls the CAO to apply, the CAO must send the applicant a PA 600 or instruct him or her to either come to the CAO to complete a PA 600 or file an electronic application by COMPASS. The CAO must not determine eligibility over the telephone.
A nonresident who wishes to return to his or her home state or go to another state to establish residence may apply. (See Chapter 123.)
A person about to leave a public institution may apply. (See Chapter 192.)
The applicant, regardless of age, must sign the PA 600 before filing the form at the CAO and again at the interview, unless a disability or other exceptional circumstance prevents him or her from signing.
NOTE: The protective payee is not required to sign the PA 600.
The CAO must get the signatures of the following persons either during the application interview or within 30 calendar days from the authorization date:
The payment name, if it is not the same as the applicant.
Anyone applied for who is 18 years old or older.
Any emancipated minor.
NOTE: In TANF cases, there is no deprivation of care due to absence if one parent is serving in the uniformed service. TANF could be authorized if one of the parents is incapacitated. Because both parents are in the budget group, the CAO must have the parent serving in the uniformed service sign when that parent returns home on leave.
The COMPASS application is valid without the signature page. The CAO must process the application as it would a paper application, including sending the appropriate rejection notice for not providing information. (See Section 104.53.) A faxed or scanned signature page is acceptable.
Persons applying for benefits, and registered COMPASS Community Partners applying for their clients, may e-sign the application for any benefit available through COMPASS.
The CAO should be aware that:
The signature block of the COMPASS signature page will display the initials of the person who e-signed and the submission date.
The signature line on page 1 of the PA 600 summary will also display the e-signature information.
CAPWEB will display an “E” behind the print status for all e-signature applications and for COMPASS renewals.
The applicant is required to mail or fax all verification documents to the CAO.
If an applicant submits an e-signed COMPASS application, or if a registered COMPASS Community Partner e-signs a COMPASS application for any benefit available through COMPASS, then the applicant does not have to submit a signed signature page to the CAO. The CAO staff will see the e-signature designator on CAPWEB and can view the e-signature on the COMPASS signature page or the PA 600 summary.
A request to add a mandatory budget group member to an existing budget group is not considered an application. The CAO must require a new PA 600. The payment name needs to provide information only for the person being added and must report other changes.
Example: Adding a parent to a TANF budget group is a partial renewal, not an application.
Reissued April 24, 2015, replacing September 28, 2012