ACT 250 (Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance One-Time $100 Supplemental Cash Payment)
Action Change Transmittal Letter No. 250
May 26, 2010
TO: All Cash Assistance Manual Holders
FROM: Douglas E. Lumpkin, Director
SUBJECT: Ohio Works First and Refugee Cash Assistance One-Time $100 Supplemental Cash Payment

This Action Change Transmittal establishes the authority for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to issue a one-time $100 cost of living supplemental payment to Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) recipients. Pursuant to 45 CFR 400.66 the state must provide the same supplemental payment to RCA recipients as Ohio Works First (OWF) families.

Background: The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as the "stimulus bill." The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund is available to states for increases in three categories of TANF spending: cash assistance, nonrecurring short term benefits, and subsidized employment. Ohio has been able to take advantage of the fund because the state has experienced increases in subsidized employment and cash assistance expenditures. Included in allowable expenditures for the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund cash assistance category are supplemental or short term grant increases.

The RCA program provides eight months of cash assistance to refugees who are not eligible for other state and federal programs, including TANF. Ohio's RCA program is operated consistent with the rules pertaining to the OWF program.

One-time supplemental payment: Pursuant to federal RCA regulations, the state will be providing the same supplemental payment to RCA recipients as OWF families. RCA is 100% federally funded through the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement. In calendar year 2010, OWF families did not receive the annual cost of living increase in benefits that is required under state law because the increase is tied to the cost of living increase determined by the Social Security Administration for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for 2010, and because there was no cost of living adjustment for SSI, there was no corresponding increase to OWF payments. The lack of a cost-of-living adjustment comes at a time of greatest need for an increasing number of families struggling to make ends meet due to the poor economy. The TANF Emergency Contingency Fund allows the state to provide additional cash benefits to the most vulnerable Ohioans. This supplemental payment will provide an immediate help to the neediest Ohio families and an immediate stimulus to the economy.

Prior Policy: None

New Policy: Assistance groups receiving an OWF or RCA benefit in the month of May 2010 (both initial prorations or recurring payments) will receive the one-time $100 supplemental cash payment in June 2010. In the following circumstances, the OWF or RCA assistance group will not receive the one-time supplemental payment:

  • The assistance groups do not receive a recurring benefit because they are eligible for less than the minimum payment of $10 or the grant has been reduced to $0 to recoup an overpayment;
  • The assistance groups have a 'failed but issued' (FBI) status for the May 2010 recurring benefit. Cases will have an 'RE' in the TY field with reason code '102' as well as an 'RB' in the TY field with reason code '104' with a $0 amount on IQCH.

Effect on Cash Assistance, Child Care, Food Assistance and Medicaid benefits: The supplemental payment is considered a non-recurring lump sum for Medicaid, Child Care, cash and food assistance. Since the supplemental payment is considered a non-recurring lump sum it is not considered 'countable income' and will have no impact for any of the above program benefits.

The one-time supplemental payment will also not impact the number of hours for which a work-eligible recipient is required to participate for OWF or Food Assistance Employment and Training.

Action Required: No action is needed by county agencies. The payment will be issued to eligible OWF and RCA assistance groups by CRIS-E in the same way the assistance group receives the monthly recurring cash assistance benefits, either through direct deposit or on the EPPICard™.

County agencies will receive an exception report listing which assistance groups did not receive the supplemental payment, and an ad hoc notice will be sent to all assistance groups that will be receiving the supplemental payment.