Need for protective payment is established in the following circumstances:
The applicant/recipient fails to cooperate without good cause with support requirements as defined in Cash Assistance Handbook Chapter 131, Support, and the County Assistance Office (CAO) removes the non-cooperating applicant/recipient.
A sanction is imposed because the individual who is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) payment name fails without good cause to comply with employment and training requirements.
A TANF payment name has problems managing money which severely affects the recipient's welfare or that of their family. This means that the individual has misused funds to such an extent that allowing them to continue to manage the cash assistance payment is a threat to the health or safety of themselves or their family.
An individual who has been appointed by Social Security Administration SSA as a representative payee for SSA benefits for an applicant whose application is pending with SSA, may apply for protective payment on behalf of the applicant.
When identifying money management problems, the CAO will consider the following:
Appearance of neglect of living quarters or dress.
The individual complains about their own inability to manage.
Complaints from the community that the individual is repeatedly failing to meet their financial obligations.
The individual is at least three months late in their rent.
The family experienced some emergency or extraordinary event which caused the expenditure of available funds.
Expenses exceed recipient’s assistance payment.
The individual's exercise of their consumer rights to withhold payment when there is a dispute regarding the terms of an agreement.
Updated July 30, 2024, replacing October 12, 2018