Under federal law, states have the option to extend TANF beyond 5 years (60 months) to a limited number of families on the basis of hardship. The Department recognizes that some families, due to domestic violence, a mental or physical disability, or other barriers will not achieve self-sufficiency within the 60 month time limit for receipt of TANF assistance. Extended TANF (ETANF) gives families the ability to receive cash assistance contingent upon participation in employment or other work activities designed to move them toward economic independence.
When an individual has received 60 months (1,830 days) of TANF, an alert is created. The budget automatically changes to a Program Status Code (PSC) 07, which indicates the case is now in the contingency period. The contingency period is intended to give CAOs time to complete a partial redetermination and to determine if the individual is eligible for ETANF. The PSC remains 07 on the Case Summary screen in eCIS until the CAO takes action on the budget. The CAO must determine eligibility for ETANF and, if eligible, change the PSC within 30 days of the receipt of the alert.
If the budget is determined eligible for ETANF, the CAO must change the PSC 07 to either:
PSC 08 which indicates eligibility for ETANF; or
PSC 09 which indicates eligibility for ETANF because of domestic violence.
The CAO must then process the budget through the Extended TANF screen in eCIS.
An individual with more than 60 months of TANF may apply for Extended TANF. A TANF recipient must complete a partial redetermination. See Section 135.81. Individuals must meet all TANF eligibility requirements and must also meet the following criteria:
The adult must meet the requirements of one of the Extended TANF tracks See Section 135.821.
The adult must complete a new or updated AMR which specifies the ETANF track and the participation requirements of that track.
The adult must participate for 30 hours per week, regardless of the age of the children, unless the adult meets an exemption or establishes good cause.
If the circumstances change so that the individual no longer meets the eligibility criteria for a particular ETANF track, the CAO must determine if the individual is eligible using a different track.
Each track has a corresponding tracking exemption (TE) code on the Extended TANF screen in eCIS. The TE code in conjunction with the correct PSC (PSC 08 or PSC 09) is needed to authorize Extended TANF in eCIS.
To be determined eligible to receive Extended TANF, the adult must meet the requirements of one of the following tracks:
TRACK 1
Domestic Violence (TE 38)
A family with an adult or other family member who was a victim, is currently experiencing, or is at risk of further domestic violence.
TRACK 2
Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) (in Philadelphia only) (TE 31)
A family with an adult who is exempt from participation in RESET because of a verified physical or mental disability that temporarily or permanently precludes the individual from any form of employment or work related activity for more than 90 days. (ETP 53). An individual may also qualify if there are multiple barriers to participation, and the individual has demonstrated a pattern of being terminated from E&T programs due to these barriers.
TRACK 3
Deferral (TE 34)
A family with an adult who has a temporary good cause situation or certain exemptions from RESET that makes immediate referral to an Extended TANF program inappropriate.
A TANF parent providing care for a disabled family member living in the home (ETP 54) is also placed in this track. The need for a caregiver must be verified on the Caregiver Review Form (PA 1820).
NOTE: This track is time-limited to 30 days for those in the Compliance Review Process (Compliance Code 45).
TRACK 4
Enrolled in an Approved Employment and Training Program (TE 35).
A family with an adult who is required to or who volunteers to participate in RESET and who is currently enrolled in an approved E&T program.
TRACK 5
Work Plus Program (WPP) (TE32)
A family with an adult who is mandatory or who volunteers to participate in RESET and is either:
Not employed or employed less than 20 hours per week and capable of working 30 hours per week.
Not employed or employed less than 20 hours per week and has established good cause for not working or participating in work related activities for a combined total of 30 hours per week.
Employed 20-29 hours per week and has established good cause for not working or participating in work related activities for a combined total of 30 hours per week.
Agrees to enroll in WPP (in counties with WPP), a CAO directed activity or EARN (in counties that do not have WPP) and cooperate in obtaining a vocational assessment.
TRACK 6
Employed an Average of Less than 30 Hours per Week (TE 33)
A family with an adult who is employed an average of 20-29 hours per week and is participating in job retention activities in EARN.
TRACK 7
Employed 30 or More Hours per Week (TE 35)
A family with an adult who is mandatory to participate in RESET and is employed 30 or more hours per week.
Domestic Violence
An individual who is or has been a victim of domestic violence (TE 38) may receive Extended TANF if the individual has:
Already received a waiver of support, RESET or other TANF requirements, or a Time-Out based upon domestic violence; or
Disclosed past, present or risk of further domestic violence that has affected the individual or another family member and completes the Domestic Violence Verification Form (PA 1747).
NOTE: No further verification of domestic violence is required.
The individual who has good cause related to domestic violence may choose to participate in an employment and training program approved by the Department.
Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) (in Philadelphia only)
An individual may qualify if there are multiple barriers to participation, and the individual has demonstrated a pattern of being terminated from E&T programs due to these barriers.
An individual who has a verified physical or mental disability, which is not expected to be resolved within 90 days, may receive Extended TANF while enrolled in MPP (TE 31) if the individual:
Has a verified physical or mental disability that precludes the individual from any form of employment or work-related activity.
Agrees to enroll and participate in MPP, including an assessment.
Agrees to comply with an MPP Service Plan (PA 1726). The Service Plan is intended to be a strategy that will help eliminate barriers and move the family toward self-sufficiency.
Deferral
An individual may receive Extended TANF in the Deferral track (TE 34) if the individual:
Is a parent in a one-parent household who chooses to use the time limited newborn exemption (See section 135.22);
NOTE: Review every 6 months or on the date the 12 month time limit expires, whichever is sooner.
Is the parent or specified relative who is providing care for a child and alternate child care arrangements are unavailable as verified by CCIS;
Has established good cause for not complying with RESET participation requirements;
Is in the process of a compliance review or receiving TANF assistance pending a timely appeal; or
Has a medical condition that is remediable within 90 days.
Was in the Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) and the individual’s barriers stabilized and the individual is awaiting receipt of Social Security benefits.
Is caring for a disabled family member and has completed the Caregiver Review Form (PA 1820). This individual is exempt ETP code 54.
NOTE: Eligibility is reviewed when circumstances change, but not less often than every 90 days.
Enrolled in an Approved Employment and Training Program
If an individual is already enrolled in an employment and training program before reaching 60 months (TE 35), the individual must:
Continue to participate in the approved employment and training program as agreed upon on the AMR, including any program component for at least 30 hours per week regardless of the age of the children; and
Agree to continue to participate in the specified program until that program ends.
Employed an Average of Less than 30 Hours per Week
If an individual is employed for 20 to 29 hours per week (TE 33), the individual must:
Continue employment for an average of 20 to 29 hours per week in, including self-employment;
Have the ability to work or participate in approved work activities for an average of 30 or more hours per week; and
Agree to enhance employment though participation in work activities including job retention.
Employed 30 or More Hours per Week
If an individual is employed for 30 or more hours per week (TE 35), the individual must:
Continue for an average of 30 hours per week, including self-employment. No additional employment or work activity is required.
Agree on an AMR to maintain current employment.
When individuals participating in an approved vocational educational program (including postsecondary education) reach 1830 days on TANF, they may continue in that activity until the end of the semester or term.
If the individual is expected to exhaust his or her voc-ed 12-month lifetime limit during the current semester, however, the ETANF individual must participate in another 30-hour core activity once the voc-ed lifetime limit has been reached in order to receive SPALs to support the education activity.
After the ETANF individual has concluded their current semester or term, they may continue to participate in the educational activity, but are required to comply with ETANFand RESET requirements by participating for at least 30 hours per week in another core activity.
Education activities are not supported in ETANF, unless the activity was approved prior to the individual reaching the 1830 day mark. Therefore, individuals who are not already participating in an approved educational program before they reach 1830 days may not have an educational program activity approved on the AMR.
An individual who is mandatory for RESET is considered to be non-compliant when he or she is not meeting the RESET requirements as specified on the AMR. The CAO will determine whether or not the individual has good cause for the non-compliance through the compliance review process See Section 135.71.
Individuals who are ineligible due to non-compliance include:
Individuals in Extended TANF who are participating in MPP and are non-compliant with MPP requirements are ineligible for Extended TANF benefits, after appropriate compliance review processes occur.
Individuals in Extended TANF who are participating in Work Ready, but willfully and without good cause, fail to meet the eligibility requirements listed on the AMR to remediate a good cause situation, such as attempting to locate appropriate child care, are ineligible for Extended TANF benefits.
Reminder: An exempt individual who volunteers does not lose eligibility for failure to attend or complete an activity.
Individuals who become ineligible, as opposed to sanctioned, for Extended TANF benefits may reapply at any time. Eligibility for Extended TANF begins when the individual agrees to comply with ETANF requirements and completes the AMR.
NOTE: Legislative changes to RESET sanction policy effective in July 2012 apply to Extended TANF clients. See CAH 135.72 for clarification of current policy.
Individuals receiving Extended TANF as mandatory RESET participants and who willfully fail to cooperate with the RESET requirements without good cause are subject to the sanction process. Sanctions received pre-60 months carry over into Extended TANF.
Individuals who are subject to sanction due to non-compliance include:
Individuals in Extended TANF who are employed less than 20 hours/week and willfully fail to meet the Extended TANF eligibility requirements, without good cause, are subject to sanction.
Individuals in Extended TANF who are participating in Work Ready for the number of hours stipulated on their AMR and willfully fail to meet the Extended TANF participation requirements without good cause are subject to sanction.
Individuals in Extended TANF who are participating in a job retention program and willfully fail to meet the eligibility requirements without good cause are subject to sanction.
Individuals in Extended TANF who are employed at least 30 or more hours per week and intentionally quit their job or voluntarily reduce their hours of employment below 30 hours, without good cause, are subject to sanction.
NOTE: When an individual is employed at least 30 hours in unsubsidized employment, and the hours are reduced by the employer or other good cause reasons, the individual returns to the CAO for an appropriate referral rather than receiving a sanction.
An individual sanctioned in Extended TANF must fulfill the durational sanction period and demonstrate and maintain compliance for at least one week and thereafter, or establish good cause or exemption, before receiving ETANF again. See Sections 135.72 and 135.74.
An individual who is eligible for Extended TANF because of domestic violence may participate in an approved employment and training program, but when the individual is noncompliant with the requirements of the program or is not participating in an activity the compliance review process should be initiated to determine if we can assist with barrier remediation. However a sanction cannot be imposed. See Section 135.71.
Updated August 7, 2014, replacing May 20, 2013