A nonresident who meets all other eligibility conditions may be eligible for temporary assistance if he or she: 55 Pa. Code § 147.23(e) & 55 Pa. Code § 147.24(6)
Wants to return to his or her home state or go to another state to establish residence; and
Has a definite plan for self-support in that state.
NOTE: The CAO must not authorize a payment for a person to return to Pennsylvania from another state.
The CAO must find out the specifics of the plan. Self-support includes any resource the person has to meet his or her needs, such as income from employment, help from agencies in the other state, or income from friends or relatives.
To help process applications from homeless clients efficiently, the CAO must appoint a staff member to help a homeless nonresident who wishes to return to his or her home state.
If the person can provide enough information about his or her plan for self-support, the CAO must authorize an OTI to enable the person to reach his or her destination. The grant includes the minimum cost of transportation such as $0.12 per mile for private auto, plus tolls, or the minimum cost of public transportation.
The grant also includes $2 per person per day for food for the travel days plus one day after arrival. If overnight travel is necessary, lodging costs may be authorized. See Chapter 138, Appendix A for maximum allowances for lodging. The following OTI codes are used for data entry:
232—Private Auto
233—Public Transit
234—Taxi
235—Paratransit
236—Lodging
237—Meals
If further proof of the self-support plan is needed, the CAO must do the following:
Promptly contact the appropriate parties in the other state for verification.
If all other eligibility requirements are met, authorize an OTI for seven days or less, as was requested, to meet the budget group's needs while the facts are being verified. The budget group must receive a prorated payment based on the county's monthly allowance for the budget group.
Example: The Murphy family was referred to the Dauphin CAO by the Salvation Army. The family left their home state of Oklahoma to find work in New York. Work was not available. Mrs. Murphy became ill, and they decided to return home. Their car broke down as they were traveling through Pennsylvania. On July 10, Mr. Murphy, his wife and his two children ask for assistance from the Dauphin CAO to return home. He reports no income and no resources remaining after repair of the car. The CAO will not be able to get necessary proof from Oklahoma and New York for several days.
The CAO authorizes an OTI for seven days in the amount of $114.30 (FSA for four = $248.50 semimonthly, prorated for seven days). On July 15, the CAO verifies that the Murphy family received no benefits from either New York or Oklahoma and that Mrs. Murphy's family will provide support until her husband finds work. The CAO authorizes a grant to cover the cost of mileage, one night's lodging, and food for three days.
Reissued September 21, 2012; replacing January 31, 2012