In addition to the FSA, special items allowances are granted to cover the needs of persons who meet TANF requirements. Some allowances are also available to persons who qualify for SBP, SSI or SNAP.
The CAO will provide special allowances for:
Transportation related to medical care or other special needs. See Section 138.41.
The cost of a move required because of a health hazard.
Clothing and personal care items needed for admission to a rehabilitation center or residential school. Hearing aid repair, maintenance and batteries.
Items related to RESET participation. See Section 135.6.
A special allowance is given only when the budget group has no other resource to meet the need.
The need for a special item may be continuing, may occur infrequently or may occur only once.
The CAO will authorize an allowance for expenses related to transportation for the following:
Transportation to necessary medical care or to obtain prescription drugs. See Section 138.41.
Other special transportation needs.
Transportation related to accepting employment or participating in RESET. See Section 135.6.
Transportation may include one or a combination of the following related costs:
Fares for public transit, taxi, ride share such as Uber or Lyft, paratransit or the expense of operating a private auto.
Lodging expense.
Meal expense.
Expense for child care.
The CAO will authorize an allowance for transportation based on the most economical and practical means of travel required to meet the needs of the individual. Approval will not be based on convenience for the individual involved.
Personal auto costs include transportation provided by the person, volunteer driver, car or van pool, parking fees, highway and bridge tolls.
The allowance is limited to actual mileage not to exceed $ .12 per mile. It may be given if:
The cost is less expensive than available public transit;
Public transit is not available; or
Public transit is impractical due to the hours traveled or the location of the destination.
If travel is by a volunteer driver, car or van pool, the person may receive either:
Actual mileage up to $ .12 per mile;
A proportionate share of the cost; or Actual cost if a flat fee is charged.
Exception: Mileage reimbursement for private transportation for RESET participants is $.20 per mile.
Private auto cost may also include the actual cost of parking and highway or bridge tolls, in addition to mileage.
Public transit is regularly scheduled transportation available to the general public and provided according to published schedules along designated routes with specific points for taking on or discharging passengers. It is licensed and regulated by the Public Utility Commission (PUC) and includes bus, subway, trolley, commuter rail service and passenger air service.
Use public transit where it is readily available, practical and cost efficient. The allowable cost is the actual charge for the least costly service that meets the person’s needs.
The CAO may also approve an allowance for the cost of public transit for a companion if a person is unable to make the trip alone.
The person may receive the actual cost of transportation by taxi/Ride Share (such as Uber or Lyft) if:
The cost is comparable to or less expensive than available public transit;
Public transit is not available; or
Public transit is impractical because of the hours, location of the destination, or the person’s physical condition.
Paratransit is defined as a vehicle specially equipped to carry multiple passengers with severe physical and/or behavioral problems; or a vehicle that has an attendant, other than the driver, who is trained to care for such passengers during transit. Paratransit may or may not be licensed and regulated by the PUC.
The CAO will consider the person’s physical and mental condition when granting an allowance for the cost of paratransit.
If the PUC regulates the carrier, the CAO will allow for the actual cost not to exceed the approved tariff. If the carrier is not PUC regulated, the CAO will allow for the actual cost, not to exceed the lowest rate charged by a PUC certified carrier in the county.
If a carrier claims it is exempt from PUC regulation, the CAO will ask the carrier to provide documentation from the PUC or a statement of reasons why it is exempt. The CAO will forward this information to the Area Manager for review. Contact the Area Manager with any questions about the carrier’s status or rates.
The CAO will allow for the actual cost of lodging and meals not to exceed the maximum state rate for the area if the trip requires the individual to be away from home for one or more nights.
The CAO may also approve an allowance for the actual cost of lodging and meals not to exceed the maximum state rate for the area for one companion if the individual is unable to make the trip alone. The allowance may not exceed the following rates:
|
Lodging per Night |
|
|
$33.00 plus applicable portion of tax for lodging allowance |
Out-of-state location |
|
$33.00 plus applicable portion of tax for lodging allowance |
Within 25 mile radius of: Allentown Erie Harrisburg Philadelphia Pittsburgh Reading Scranton |
| $28.00 plus applicable portion of tax for lodging allowance |
All other locations |
|
Meals* |
|
|
$5.00 |
Breakfast |
|
$5.00 |
Lunch |
|
$14.00 |
Dinner |
|
* $6.00 for half or more of a six-hour period beyond a 24-hour period. |
|
Exception: No payments are issued for lodging in a Ronald McDonald House facility. Lodging is available for a donation or no cost.
Special rules apply to the authorization of special allowances for supportive services to enable participation in RESET. See Section 135.6 when determining or authorizing a request for special allowances for supportive services to enable RESET participation.
The CAO will authorize the allowance as a one time issuance (OTI). It may be authorized in any payment month as a prepayment. The OTI may be issued through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) or central issuance funds. See Chapter 180, Issuing Benefits.
If an OTI is not data entered within 60 days from the date the need for the special item began, the CAO must complete a Request for Approval to Authorize Retroactive Payment (PA 141). See Chapter 181, Delayed and Corrective Payments.
In most instances, the Executive Director or designee must approve special items allowances before data entry and/or check issuance.
The CAO will develop procedures for a prompt review and decision for all special allowance requests.
The CAO will:
1. Enter in the case narrative the date an oral request for a special allowance was made or the date a written request was received.
2. Authorize an allowance or deny the request no later than 10 calendar days from the date the request was received.
3. Provide a Notice to Applicant form authorizing or denying the request and an Advance Notice when decreasing or terminating the allowance.
Exception: Use a Confirming Notice when discontinuing, reducing, or suspending a special allowance for supportive services. The allowance is not continued pending a hearing decision.
The person has the right to appeal any decision concerning special items.
The CAO will assign a special needs allowance reason code to each allowance authorized. See Appendix B for a list of these reason codes.
Access the OTI screen via the Financial Management module in eCIS. See Section 138.417, Issuing the Medical Transportation Allowance to the Transportation Vendor and eCIStance for Central Issuance processing instructions. See the CAOAA Procedures Manual for Local Issuance processing instructions.
Annual and lifetime limits apply to Special Allowance issuances. See Section 135.66 for Special Allowances that may be issued by the CAO along with each allowance and it's annual or lifetime limit.
The program year for Special Allowance issuances follows the State fiscal year which runs from July 1 through June 30.
There may be occasions when a SPAL is issued to cover a period of time that overlaps months. The period may begin in June 2024 and end after July 1, 2024. In these scenarios, the CAO will need to complete two SPAL transactions. The first transaction will be for the State fiscal year which ends June 30, 2024. The second transaction will be issued for the State fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024. This will need to be held for processing until July 1, 2024 to ensure that any amount issued for the period on or after July 1, 2024 is tracked toward the annual or lifetime limit.
Example: A mileage SPAL is requested for the time period of June 2, 2024 through July 31, 2024. The CAO should process the SPAL from June 20,2024-June 30, 2024. The remainder of the SPAL needs to be processed on July 1, 2024. The amount processed on July 1, 2024 will cover the time period of July 1, 2024-July 31, 2024 and tracked towards the annual limit.
CAOs will need to review SPAL tracking screen, in the FM module in eCIS, prior to issuing every Special Allowance to ensure that the limits are not exceeded. Once a lifetime limit is met, eCIS will not allow another issuance in that category and the CAO will receive an error message. Annual limits will be reset to $0 effective July 1 of each fiscal year.
Updated October 29, 2024, Replacing December 26, 2019