Washington Administrative Code

(1) A person who has possession of a warrant payable to a deceased payee must return the warrant to the department for cancellation.(2) A person who has possession of a warrant payable to an assistance unit payee who has left the home and is not likely to return during the month …

The following applies to replacements of warrants issued to clients and to vendors.(1) The department does not replace a warrant or the cash proceeds from a warrant which was endorsed by a client or vendor.(2) Clients or vendors asking for a replacement of a warrant which was not…

Under certain conditions, we may replace your benefits.(1) You may get either your EBT cash or food assistance, or both replaced if:(a) We make a mistake that causes you to lose benefits;(b) The EBT card mailed to you is stolen from the mail, you never had the ability to use the …

(1) What is the purpose of DSHS cash benefits?(a) DSHS cash assistance benefits are provided to low-income residents who qualify for public assistance programs. These benefits are intended to help pay for basic living expenses as described under RCW 74.04.770. TANF cash grants mu…

(1) What is "categorically eligible" (CE)?(a) Being categorically eligible (CE) means that you have already met requirements for the program. If you are CE, you do not have to meet every program requirement to be eligible for basic food. (b) If your assistance unit (AU) is CE, yo…

(1) The length of time the department determines your assistance unit (AU) is eligible to get Basic Food is called a certification period. The department may certify your AU for up to 12 months, unless:(a) You receive food assistance under the Washington state combined applicatio…

(1) You must report changes to the department based on the kinds of assistance you receive. We inform you of your reporting requirements on letters we send you about your benefits. Follow the steps below to determine the types of changes you must report:(a) If you receive cash be…

(1) If your household has a change of circumstances you are not required to report under WAC 388-418-0005, then you do not need to contact us about this change. If you tell us about this change, we take action based on the new information. This includes:(a) Asking for more inform…

(1) A mid-certification review (MCR) is a form we send you to ask about your current circumstances during your certification period. We use the answers you give us to decide if you are still eligible for benefits and to calculate your monthly benefits.(2) If you receive cash assi…

(1) The rules in this chapter refer to cash and basic food benefits unless otherwise specified.(2) If you report a change that happened between the date you applied for benefits and the date we interview you under WAC 388-452-0005, we take this change into consideration when we p…

(1) Food assistance is only available to a resident of a drug and alcohol treatment center when the treatment center is administered by a public or private nonprofit agency. In addition, the residential treatment center must be:(a) Licensed by the department of health (DOH) as a …

(1) The following definitions apply to this chapter:(a) "We" means the department of social and health services.(b) "You" means a person applying for or getting benefits from us.(c) "Benefits" means TANF or SFA cash assistance.(d) "Support" means the money paid to meet a support …

(1) When you get benefits, you must cooperate with DCS as required to establish or collect child support, unless you have a good reason for not cooperating.(2) DCS defines what cooperating with them to establish or collect child support means in WAC 388-14A-2040.(3) If you are a …

(1) You can be excused from cooperating with DCS when you have a good reason. A good reason not to cooperate is also called good cause. You have a good reason when you can prove that:(a) Cooperating with DCS would result in serious:(i) Physical harm to you or the child in your ca…

(1) If DCS collects current support that is more than your TANF or SFA cash benefit for two months in a row, your cash benefit stops at the end of the third month.(2) You may be able to get continued food assistance benefits.(3) You can read WAC 388-310-0800 to see what kinds of …

For the purposes of determining an individual's citizenship and immigration status for public assistance, the following definitions apply:(1) "Lawfully present" are immigrants or noncitizens who have been inspected and admitted into the United States and have not overstayed the p…

WAC 388-424-0006(1) A person who physically entered the U.S. prior to August 22, 1996, and who continuously resided in the U.S. prior to becoming a "qualified alien" (as defined in WAC 388-424-0001) is not subject to the five-year bar on receiving TANF.(2) A person who entered th…

(1) An immigrant in one of the following categories is considered a member of the armed forces or a veteran for purposes of establishing eligibility for federal means-tested benefits as defined in WAC 388-424-0008:(a) On active duty in the U.S. military, other than active duty fo…

(1) For purposes of determining Social Security work quarters, the following are considered federal means-tested benefits: Temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), nonemergency medicaid, state children's health insurance program (SCHIP), supplemental security income (SSI),…

(1) Any person who has applied for a Social Security number (SSN) as part of their application for benefits cannot have benefits delayed, denied, or terminated pending the issuance of the SSN by the Social Security Administration (SSA).(2) The following benefit applicants are not…

(1) To receive temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), an individual must meet all other eligibility requirements and be one of the following as defined in WAC 388-424-0001:(a) A United States (U.S.) citizen;(b) A U.S. national;(c) An American Indian born outside the U.S.…

(1) To receive state family assistance (SFA) benefits, you must be:(a) A "qualified alien" as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 who is ineligible for temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) due to the five-year bar as described in WAC 388-424-0006;(b) A "nonqualified alien" who m…

WAC 388-424-0020(1) If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. national as defined in WAC 388-424-0001 and meet all other eligibility requirements, you may receive federal basic food benefits.(2) If you are not a U.S. citizen or U.S. national, you must fall within (a) or (b) of this subse…

(1) If you are not a U.S. citizen and are not eligible for federally funded basic food benefits, you may be eligible for state-funded benefits under the food assistance program (FAP) if you are:(a) A "qualified alien" as defined in WAC 388-424-0001, who does not meet the eligibil…

(1) Applicants may provide a verbal self-attestation to verify that they meet the requirements of WAC 388-424-0001(4). Alternative proof, such as supporting documents, may also be provided.(2) Absence of the following documents shall not affect eligibility for benefits for applic…

If you do not agree with a decision we made or an action we took, you can make a complaint. We address your concerns based on the nature of your complaint.Civil Rights:(1) We will not discriminate based on your race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or poli…

(1) When TANF or SFA has been approved for a child who is living with a nonparental caretaker, the address and location of the child may be released to the child's parent when:(a) The parent has legal custody of the child or is allowed visitation rights or residential time with t…

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 t…

(1) If you receive cash assistance, the department reviews your eligibility for assistance at least once every 12 months.(2) If you receive ABD cash assistance and reside in a public institution, as defined in WAC 182-500-0050, the department reviews your eligibility at least onc…

To keep getting basic food benefits after your certification period in WAC 388-416-0005 ends, we must determine if you are still eligible for benefits. This is called recertification.(1) To be recertified for basic food, you must:(a) Sign and turn in an application for benefits a…

DSHS has a program called additional requirements for emergent needs (AREN). If your family has an emergency and you need assistance to get or keep safe housing or utilities, you may be eligible. The AREN payment is in addition to the regular monthly cash grant your family may al…

(1) CEAP is available to the following:(a) A pregnant woman in any stage of pregnancy; or(b) Families with dependent children, including families who have stopped receiving their TANF grant under WAC 388-310-1600 so long as:(i) The dependent child is living with a parent or a rel…

(1) The following persons living in the household must be included as members of the CEAP assistance unit:(a) All full, half, or adopted siblings under eighteen years of age, including a minor parent; and(b) The parent, adoptive parent, or stepparent living with the child or chil…

(1) You are ineligible for CEAP if you, or a household member, are eligible for any of the following programs:(a) TANF or SFA, unless the family has had its case grant terminated due to WAC 388-310-1600;(b) Pregnant women assistance (PWA);(c) RCA;(d) Aged, blind, or disabled (ABD…

(1) Estimated income, resources and circumstances of the following persons are used in determining need and payment for CEAP:(a) All persons included as members of the CEAP assistance unit;(b) If living in the home, the spouses and minor brothers and sisters of persons included a…

Resources and income listed below will not be considered in determining need or payment for CEAP:(1) A home as defined under WAC 388-470-0045;(2) One vehicle, running and used regularly by the assistance unit, with an equity value not to exceed one thousand five hundred dollars);…

The following deductions are allowed when determining the CEAP assistance unit's net income:(1) A ninety dollar work expense from each member's earned income;(2) Actual payments made by a member with earned income for care of a member child up to the following maximums:HoursWorke…

(1) To be eligible for the consolidated emergency assistance program (CEAP), the assistance unit's nonexcluded income, minus allowable deductions, must be less than or equal to 90 percent of the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) payment standard. The net income limit…

Disaster cash assistance program (DCAP) is paid through the consolidated emergency assistance program (CEAP) and is designed to provide cash assistance to individuals and families who face an emergency and do not have the money to meet their basic needs.(1) DCAP is available if y…

The amount of money you can get from DCAP depends on your available resources, income and household size as determined below:(1) Available resources and income are determined by using WAC 388-436-0035. Excluded resources and income is in WAC 388-436-0040.(2) We determine your inc…

(1) What is the pandemic emergency assistance fund (PEAF)?The pandemic emergency assistance fund (PEAF) is administered by the department of social and health services and provides a one-time cash benefit to low income families with at least one qualifying child, to support them …

(1) In the event of a disaster, the department works with the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to change some requirements for the Washington Basic Food program and help ensure that people in a disaster area have access to food. This is kn…

Starting March 2020, assistance units (AUs) eligible for either federal or state-funded food assistance, or both, will receive emergency allotments that bring the AU up to the maximum benefit for their household size. (1) The amount is the maximum food assistance benefit allotmen…

(1) The pandemic electronic benefits transfer (P-EBT) program is a temporary federally funded nutrition program authorized specifically through the families first coronavirus act. P-EBT provides food benefits to eligible children who do not have access to meals at a covered child…

(1) Pandemic electronic benefit transfer (P-EBT) benefits will be deposited into an account accessible with a designated P-EBT card. A P-EBT card and eligibility notice will be issued to each eligible student or child under age six. Each P-EBT card will be:(a) Linked to a P-EBT a…

(1) To be eligible for federally funded pandemic electronic benefits transfer (P-EBT) benefits for children under age six, a child must be:(a) A member of a household that received supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) between September 1, 2022, and May 11, 2023;(b) Un…

(1) During the summer period of July and August 2023, schools will be deemed as closed. (2) To be eligible for the pandemic electronic benefits transfer (P-EBT) benefit during the summer period after the 2022-2023 school year, prior to August 31, 2023, a child must be an eligible…