The department of social and health services (DSHS) has a program called diversion cash assistance (DCA). If your family needs an emergency cash payment but does not need ongoing monthly cash assistance, you may be eligible for this program.

(1) To get DCA, you must:

(a) Meet all the eligibility rules for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF)/state family assistance (SFA), and once DSHS finds you eligible, you are not required to fulfill the following TANF-related requirements:

(i) Participation in workfirst as defined in chapter 388-310 WAC; and

(ii) Assignment of child support rights or cooperation with the division of child support as defined in chapter 388-422 WAC;

(b) Have a current bona fide or approved need for living expenses;

(d) Have or expect to get enough income or resources to support you and your family for at least twelve months.

(2) You may get DCA to help pay for one or more of the following needs:

(a) Child care;

(b) Housing;

(d) Expenses to get or keep a job;

(e) Food costs, but not if an adult member of your family has been disqualified for food stamps;

(f) Medical costs, except when an adult member of your family is not eligible because he or she failed to provide third party liability (TPL) information as defined in WAC 182-503-0540.

(3) DCA payments are limited to:

(a) One thousand two hundred fifty dollars once in a twelve-month period that starts with the month DCA benefits begin; and

(b) The cost of your need.

(4) We do not budget your income or make you use your resources to lower the amount of DCA payments you can receive.

(5) DSHS may make DCA payments:

(a) All at once; or

(b) As separate payments over a thirty-day period that starts on the date of your first DCA payment.

(6) We will pay your DCA benefit directly to the service provider when possible.

(7) You are not eligible for DCA if one or more of the following applies:

(a) Any adult member of your assistance unit got DCA within the last twelve months;

(b) Any adult member of your assistance unit gets TANF/SFA currently;

(c) Any adult member of your assistance unit is not eligible for cash assistance for any reason unless one parent in a two-parent-assistance unit currently receives SSI;

(d) Your assistance unit does not have a needy adult, such as when you do not receive TANF/SFA for yourself but for your children only;

(e) Any adult member of your assistance unit is not eligible for cash assistance for any one of the following sanctions:

(i) TANF/SFA closure because of a noncompliance sanction (NCS) termination;

(ii) TANF/SFA closure while in workfirst sanction on or after July 1, 2010; or

(iii) Noncooperation with division of child support.

(8) If you apply for DCA after your TANF/SFA grant is terminated, we consider you an applicant for DCA.

(9) If you apply for TANF/SFA and you received DCA less than twelve months ago, we set up a DCA loan:

(a) The amount of the DCA loan is one-twelfth of the total DCA benefit times the number of months that are left in the twelve-month period;

(b) The first month begins with the month your DCA benefits began; and

(10) If you stop getting TANF/SFA before you have repaid your DCA loan, we will stop collecting the loan unless you get back on TANF/SFA.

PDFWAC 388-432-0005

Can I get help from DSHS for a family emergency without receiving monthly cash assistance?