PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: November 1, 2009.
Purpose: The purpose of the rule change is to eliminate the forty-five day processing timeframe for general assistance applications filed by a person in confinement in a correctional facility or institution.
In addition, the rule change will correct a typographical error in subsection (2)(d) that currently reads, "your applied" and should read "you applied."
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-406-0055.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.060, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090.
Other Authority: SSB 6024 (chapter 198, Laws of 2009).
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 09-17-101 on August 18, 2009.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: September 25, 2009.
Stephanie E. Vaughn
Rules Coordinator
-4131.1(1) Cash assistance, your benefits start:
(a) The date we have enough information to make an eligibility decision; or
(b) No later than the thirtieth day for TANF, SFA, or RCA; or
(c) No later than the forty-fifth day for general
assistance (((GAU))) (GA) unless you are confined in a
Washington State public institution as defined in WAC 388-406-0005 (6)(a) on the forty-fifth day, in which case your
benefits will start on the date you are released from
confinement.
(2) Basic Food, your benefits start from the date you applied unless:
(a) You are recertified for Basic Food. If you are recertified for Basic Food, we determine the date your benefits start under WAC 388-434-0010;
(b) You applied for Basic Food while living in an institution. If you apply for Basic Food while living in an institution, the date you are released from the institution determines your start date as follows. If you are expected to leave the institution:
(i) Within thirty days of the date we receive your application, your benefits start on the date you leave the institution; or
(ii) More than thirty days from the date we receive your application, we deny your application for Basic Food. You may apply for Basic Food again when your date of release from the institution is closer.
(c) We were unable to process your application within thirty days because of a delay on your part. If you caused the delay, but submit required verification by the end of the second thirty-day period, we approve your benefits starting the first day of the month following the month you applied for benefits. We start your benefits from this date even if we denied your application for Basic Food.
(d) We initially denied your application for Basic Food
and your assistance unit (AU) becomes categorically eligible
(CE) within sixty days from the date ((your)) you applied. If your AU becoming CE under
WAC 388-414-0001 makes you eligible for Basic Food, the date
we approve Basic Food is the date your AU became CE.
(e) You are approved for transitional food assistance under chapter 388-489 WAC. We determine the date transitional benefits start as described under WAC 388-489-0015.
(f) You receive transitional food assistance with people you used to live with, and are now approved to receive Basic Food in a different assistance unit:
(i) We must give the other assistance unit ten days notice as described under WAC 388-458-0025 before we remove you from the transitional food assistance benefits.
(ii) Your Basic Food benefits start the first of the month after we remove you from the transitional benefits. For example, if we remove you from transitional benefits on November 30th, you are eligible for Basic Food on December 1st.
(3) Medical assistance, the date your benefits start is stated in chapter 388-416 WAC.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. 05-19-060, § 388-406-0055, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-22-039, § 388-406-0055, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. 02-14-023, § 388-406-0055, filed 6/21/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-406-0055, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]