Washington Administrative Code

Some people must register for work to receive basic food.(1) If you receive basic food, we register you for work if you are:(a) Age sixteen through fifty-nine; and(b) Not exempt from work registration under WAC 388-444-0010.(2) If you are required to register for work, we registe…

If you receive basic food, you are exempt from work registration and the requirements in chapter 388-444 WAC if you meet any one of the following conditions:(1) Are age sixteen or seventeen, and:(a) Not the head of household;(b) Attend school; or(c) Are enrolled at least half tim…

The basic food employment and training (BFET) program is the name for Washington's voluntary supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) employment and training program.(1) If you receive federally funded basic food benefits, SNAP, and are at least 16 years of age or older (…

The BFET program may support certain expenses needed for you to participate in the BFET program based on contractors' programs. The BFET program may support the following expenses:(1) Transportation related costs;(2) Books and training supplies;(3) Clothing;(4) Educational or cre…

(1) An able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) is a person who:(a) Is age 18 through 64 beginning July 4, 2025; and(b) Is fit for work and not exempted under WAC 388-444-0035.(2) A nonexempt ABAWD is not eligible to receive food assistance for more than three full months (wh…

Some people who receive basic food are exempt from able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) time limits and minimum work requirements. You are exempt from ABAWD time limits and work requirements under WAC 388-444-0030 if you meet any one or more of the following:(1) You are e…

May I volunteer for an unpaid work program to meet the work requirements under WAC 388-444-0030?(1) To meet the work requirements of WAC 388-444-0030, you may volunteer for workfare, an unpaid work program that includes work with public or private nonprofit agencies contracted wi…

(1) If you have received three months of benefits as an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) and are not eligible due to nonparticipation in the work requirements of WAC 388-444-0030, you may regain eligibility after reapplying for basic food by:(a) Working eighty hours o…

(1) If we have registered you to work, you may have a good reason (good cause) for refusing or failing to meet work requirements under WAC 388-444-0005.(2) Good cause reasons include, but are not limited to:(a) You were injured or ill;(b) A household member who needs your help wa…

(1) If we register you for work you must meet the work requirements under WAC 388-444-0005 or 388-444-0030 unless you have good cause as defined in WAC 388-444-0050. If you do not follow these rules, you will become an ineligible assistance unit member as described under WAC 388-…

If we register you for work, you must accept a bona fide offer of suitable employment in order to be eligible for basic food. We consider employment unsuitable when:(1) The wage offered is less than the federal or state minimum wage, whichever is highest;(2) The job offered is on…

(1) You are not eligible for basic food if you voluntarily quit your current job without good cause as defined in WAC 388-444-0070, and:(a) You were working or self-employed for thirty hours or more per week or you had weekly earnings at least equal to the federal minimum wage mu…

Unless otherwise specified the following rules apply to all persons receiving basic food.(1) You must have a good reason (good cause) for quitting a job or reducing your work effort, as defined in WAC 388-444-0065, or you will be disqualified from receiving basic food under WAC 3…

(1) If you have applied for basic food and have voluntarily quit a job or reduced your work effort as defined under WAC 388-444-0065 without good cause within thirty days before applying for basic food, we will deny your application and impose a penalty period as described under …

(1) We consider it fraud if you misrepresent your circumstances in order to be eligible for or to receive more benefits than you would receive based on your actual circumstances. This includes misrepresenting:(a) Who is in the household;(b) The income of people in your assistance…

(1) An applicant or recipient who has been convicted of unlawful practices in obtaining cash assistance is disqualified from receiving further cash benefits if:(a) For TANF/SFA, the conviction was based on actions which occurred on or after May 1, 1997; or(b) For aged, blind, or …

(1) An applicant or recipient is disqualified from receiving cash benefits under TANF if convicted of fraud by misrepresentation of residence in order to receive assistance from two or more states at the same time from any assistance program funded by the following:(a) TANF and a…

(1) An intentional program violation (IPV) is an act in which someone intentionally:(a) Misrepresents, conceals, or withholds facts in order to be found eligible for benefits or to receive more benefits than their actual circumstances would allow including making a false statemen…

(1) Breaking a rule on purpose for food assistance is known as an intentional program violation (IPV) under WAC 388-446-0015. These rules apply to all DSHS food assistance programs including:(a) Washington basic food program or basic food;(b) The Washington combined application p…

(1) For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:(a) "We" and "us" mean the department of social and health services.(b) "You" means the applicant or recipient.(c) "Incapacitated" means you cannot be gainfully employed due to a physical or mental impairment t…

(1) To determine whether a medically determinable impairment exists, we consider medical evidence from "acceptable medical sources." "Acceptable medical sources" include the following:(a) For a physical impairment, a health professional licensed in Washington state or where the e…

You must provide medical evidence of your impairment(s) and how your impairment(s) affects your ability to perform regular and continuous work activity. Medical evidence must be in writing and be clear, objective and complete.(1) Objective evidence for physical impairments means:…

(1) "Severity rating" is a rating of the extent of your impairment and how it impacts your ability to perform the basic work activities detailed in WAC 388-447-0001. Severity ratings are assigned in Steps II through IV of the progressive evaluation process (PEP). The following ch…

(1) When we receive your medical evidence, we review it to see if it is sufficient to decide whether you meet the incapacity requirements. It must:(a) Contain sufficient information under WAC 388-447-0010;(b) Be written by an authorized medical professional described in WAC 388-4…

If you are diagnosed with a mental impairment by a professional described in WAC 388-447-0005, we use information from the medical evidence provider to determine how the impairment limits work-related activities.(1) We review the following psychological evidence to determine the …

"Severity of a physical impairment" means the degree that an impairment restricts you from performing the basic work-related activities in WAC 388-447-0001. Severity ratings range from one to five, with five being the most severe. We assign severity ratings based on the table in …

(1) If you have more than one impairment, we determine the overall severity rating by deciding if your impairments have a combined effect on your ability to be gainfully employed.(2) When you have two or more diagnosed impairments that limit work activities, we assign an overall …

If you have a mental impairment, we evaluate your cognitive and social functioning in a work setting. "Functioning" means your ability to perform typical tasks that would be required in a routine job setting and your ability to interact effectively while working.(1) We evaluate c…

In Step VI of the progressive evaluation process (PEP), we review the medical evidence provided and determine how your physical impairment limits your ability to work. This determination is then used in Steps VII and VIII of the PEP to determine your ability to perform either wor…

(1) If your overall severity rating is moderate (three) or marked (four) and we have not approved or denied incapacity by this stage of the progressive evaluation process (PEP), then we decide if you are able to do the same or similar work as you have done in the past. We conside…

When we determine you cannot do work you have done in the past, we consider your age, education, and other factors to decide if you are able to perform other work.(1) We evaluate education in terms of formal schooling or other training to acquire skills that enable you to meet jo…

(1) If we determine you are incapacitated and you meet the eligibility requirements in WAC 388-400-0070, you are eligible for referral to the housing and essential needs (HEN) program for a maximum period of twelve months. This is your incapacity authorization period.(2) Your HEN…

(1) You must complete a substance use disorder assessment when we have information that indicates you may have a substance use disorder unless you have good cause.(2) You must participate in substance use treatment if a certified substance use disorder professional indicates a ne…

During a declared state of emergency, the department may implement the following rules to help mitigate impacts to clients:(1) Postpone review of your HEN referral program eligibility beyond the 12 month period if the department determines you are not eligible for the aged, blind…

(1) For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:(a) "We" and "us" mean the department of social and health services.(b) "You" means the applicant or recipient.(c) "Disabled" means the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of…

We deny disability if you are engaging in substantial gainful activity (SGA) when you apply for aged, blind, or disabled (ABD) benefits. "Substantial gainful activity" means you are performing, in a regular and predictable manner, an activity usually done for pay or profit.(1) Yo…

(1) To determine whether a medically determinable impairment exists, we consider medical evidence from "acceptable medical sources." "Acceptable medical sources" include the following:(a) For a physical impairment, a health professional licensed in Washington state or where the e…

You must give us medical evidence of your impairment(s) and how they affect your ability to perform regular and continuous work activity. Medical evidence must be in writing and be clear, objective, and complete.(1) Objective evidence for physical impairments means:(a) Laboratory…

If you have a mental impairment, we evaluate ability to function in a work setting based on an objective clinical assessment from a medical professional as described in WAC 388-449-0010. We may also use other evidence as described in WAC 388-449-0010. Functioning means your abili…

If you have a physical impairment, we evaluate your ability to work based on objective medical evidence from a medical professional as described in WAC 388-449-0010. We may also use other evidence as described in WAC 388-449-0010.(1) "Exertion level" means having strength, flexib…

(1) "Severity rating" is a rating of the extent of your impairment and how it impacts your ability to perform basic work activities. The following chart provides a description of limitations on work activities and the severity ratings assigned to each.Effect on Work ActivitiesDeg…

If you are diagnosed with a mental impairment by an acceptable medical source described in WAC 388-449-0010, we use information from medical sources described in WAC 388-449-0010 to determine how the impairment limits work-related activities.(1) We review the following psychologi…

We must decide if your physical impairment is serious enough to significantly limit your ability to perform substantial gainful activity. "Severity of a physical impairment" means the degree that an impairment restricts you from performing basic work-related activities (see WAC 3…

(1) If you have more than one impairment, we decide the overall severity rating by determining if your impairments have a combined effect on your ability to be gainfully employed.(2) When you have two or more diagnosed impairments that limit work activities, we assign an overall …

When we receive your medical evidence, we review it to determine if it is sufficient to decide whether your circumstances meet disability requirements.(1) We require written medical evidence to determine disability. The medical evidence must:(a) Contain sufficient information as …

We approve disability when we determine your impairment(s) meet a listing described in appendix 1 to Subpart P of Part 404 within Title 20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74…

(1) If we neither deny disability at Step 1 or 2 nor approve it at Step 3, we consider our assessment of your physical and/or mental functional capacity, per WAC 388-449-0020 and 388-449-0030, to determine if you can do work you have done in the past.(2) We evaluate your work exp…