1705 Notification

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
TANF Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Notification

Effective Date:

May 2023

Chapter:

1700

Policy Number:

1705

Previous Policy Number(s):

MT 64

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-72

Requirements

An assistance unit (AU) must receive proper notification of action taken on a case.

Basic Considerations

Written Notice

Written notice to the AU is required when any of the following occurs:

  • approval or denial of an application for cash assistance,

  • an increase or decrease in the AU’s benefit level,

  • addition or deletion of an individual in an AU,

  • denial or termination of an individual’s cash assistance resulting from a penalty, IPV disqualification or ineligibility because of citizenship requirements,

  • imposition of a sanction,

  • approval or denial of a hardship waiver and an extension of cash assistance,

  • termination of all cash assistance to the AU.

Written notifications must include the following information:

  • the proposed action,

  • the reason for the action,

  • the effective month of the action,

  • the AU’s right to a fair hearing,

  • the condition under which the AU may receive a continuation of benefits pending a hearing,

  • the AU’s liability for benefits received during the hearing process for which the AU is ineligible,

  • the availability of free legal representation, and the telephone number and name of a person to contact for additional information.

Notices must contain the citation of the manual section supporting the action.

Written notice is program specific and is either generated by the system or completed manually.

Written notice can be mailed to the AU or hand-delivered to the AU during an interview. Written notice is either adequate or timely.

Adequate Notice

Adequate notice is a written communication provided to the AU no later than the date on which the action is taken.

Adequate notice is sufficient when informing the AU of a change that impacts cash assistance in a positive manner.

Adequate notice is sufficient in the following situations that negatively impact cash assistance:

  • a mass change in cash assistance initiated by the state or federal government,

  • a reliable report of the death of all members of the AU,

  • a request from the AU to voluntarily close the case to avoid a sanction involving a reduction in benefits,

  • a verbal or written statement from the AU requesting termination of cash assistance for the entire AU,

  • a disqualification because of an Intentional Program Violation (IPV),

  • a reduction or termination of cash assistance if the AU was previously informed of the change and its effective date,

  • the approval of SSI for an AU member,

  • a reliable report of the death of a recipient or payee, with no other relative to serve as payee,

  • the admission of an AU member to a public institution,

  • the admission of an AU member to a nursing home,

  • the removal of a child from the home as a result of judicial determination or voluntary placement in foster care,

  • the signing of the Form 102, Waiver of Timely Notification, by the client, allowing benefits to be reduced or terminated, or

  • the whereabouts of the AU is unknown, and mail sent to the AU has been returned by the Post Office with no forwarding address indicated.

    The cash assistance must be made available to the AU if the AU is located and is otherwise eligible.

The list above is all-inclusive of negative actions for which adequate notice is sufficient.

Timely Notice

Timely notice is a written communication provided to the AU with at least a 14-day waiting period before the date the proposed negative action can become effective.

Timely notice is provided in all circumstances for which adequate notice is not sufficient.

The proposed change is implemented effective the month following the month in which the 14-day period of timely notice expires. An overpayment may occur when the system does not correctly issue benefits in accordance with what must be the effective month of change. Refer to Section 1720, Changes for additional information regarding overpayments.

If the AU provides information within the 14-day waiting period that may have an impact on the proposed change, the action must be stopped, and the AU’s circumstances reevaluated.

The system automatically tracks the 14-day timely notice period when the action is entered in the system.

Hearing Requests

The AU has the right to request a hearing within 30 days of the date on the notice and, during the 14-day timely notice period, may request a continuation of benefits at the benefit level prior to the negative action.

The AU meets the requirement to request a hearing and a continuation of benefits if the following occur:

  • the timely notice period ends on a weekend or holiday, and

  • the request is received on the first workday following the weekend or holiday.

Refer to Appendix B for additional information regarding hearings.

Manual Notice

A manual notice must be sent when the system-generated notice does not provide sufficient information. The system-generated notice and the system’s tracking of the timely notice period are waived.

The 14-day timely notice period must be manually tracked when a manual notice is sent, and the action is not entered in the system.

The manual notice must inform the AU of the eligibility, benefit level and any special requirements.

A manual notice must be sent in the following situations:

  • cash assistance is not extended after the lifetime limit has been reached, and

  • any other situation in which the system-generated notice does not provide sufficient information.

The following forms can be used to provide manual notice:

  • Form 191, Disposition Notification TANF Hardship Waiver

  • Form 192, Disposition Notification TANF Lifetime Limit Termination or Denial.

  • Form 249, TANF Notification Form

  • Form 329, Disposition Notification TANF Sanction

The original notice is sent to the AU and filed in Web Center Enterprise Capture (WEC). Other copies are provided as required by policy.

Use the following chart to determine the type of notification required for a given action.

Chart 1705.1 - Required Notification
ACTION TAKEN NOTICE REQUIRED

An eligible child has been removed from the home because of a judicial determination or voluntary placement in foster care.

Adequate

An AU member is approved for SSI.

Adequate

An AU member is admitted or committed to a public institution.

Adequate

An AU member is placed in a nursing home.

Adequate

The AU’s whereabouts are unknown and agency mail has been returned by the Post Office indicating no forwarding address.

Adequate

Cash assistance is reduced upon approval of the application and the AU was notified of the reduction at the time of approval.

Adequate

Cash assistance was previously approved for a specific time period, and the AU was informed in writing of the proposed reduction or termination in benefits.

Adequate

A reliable report of the death of all members of the AU is received.

Adequate

An AU requests closure of its case to avoid a sanction involving a reduction in benefits

Adequate

A change in the AU’s circumstances causes a decrease or termination of cash assistance for an individual or the entire AU.

Timely

An individual is disqualified.

Adequate

The agency has information concerning the death of a recipient or payee, and there is no one to serve as grantee relative or emergency payee.

Adequate

Mass changes in cash assistance are initiated by the state or federal government, including the following:

  • TANF, RSDI and SSI cost of living increases

  • increases in financial standards and benefits levels

  • increases in deductions.

Adequate

The client signs a Form 102, Waiver of Timely Notification, allowing cash assistance to be reduced or terminated.

Adequate

The AU submits an unambiguous written request to voluntarily terminate the case.

Adequate

The entire AU has moved out of state.

Adequate

The agency has verified that the entire AU has moved out of state and is currently receiving benefits in the other state.

Adequate