Washington Administrative Code

(1) In Loco Parentis caregiver means:(a) You are acting as a parent for a child living with you;(b) The child is not related to you; and(c) You do not have a court order that gives you legal custody or guardianship of the child.(2) You are required to complete a financial intervi…

To get TANF or SFA, a child must live with a parent, other relative, court-ordered guardian, court-ordered custodian, or other adult acting in loco parentis.(1) We consider the following people as parents for TANF and SFA:(a) The child's natural or adoptive parent; or(b) A steppa…

The temporary absence policy described in this WAC applies to the temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) and state family assistance (SFA) programs. In some situations, a child receiving TANF/SFA can continue to be eligible for TANF/SFA cash assistance when there is a tem…

A child or caretaker is temporarily absent from the home to attend school or training when:(1) The child's caretaker is attending a department approved vocational training program; or(2) The child attends school or training away from home, as long as:(a) The child returns to the …

(1) The department makes a reasonable effort to contact the parent with whom the child last lived when we find out that a child applying for assistance lives with someone other than the child's parent. We tell the parent:(a) Within seven days of the date we approve assistance for…

(1) A lump sum payment is money that someone receives but does not expect to receive on a continuing basis.(2) For cash assistance, we count a lump sum payment:(a) As a resource, under WAC 388-455-0010, if it was awarded for wrongful death, personal injury, damage, or loss of pro…

(1) If you receive a lump sum payment, we count it as a resource if it was awarded for:(a) Wrongful death;(b) Personal injury;(c) Damage; or(d) Loss of property.(2) If some of your lump sum payment is designated for medical bills or to repair or replace damaged property, we do no…

This section applies to cash assistance programs.(1) If you receive a lump sum payment that is not awarded for wrongful death, personal injury, damage, or loss of property, we count this payment as income to your assistance unit. We budget this income according to effective date …

(1) When you apply for or get benefits, we send you letters to tell you about your case.(2) If you speak another language and cannot read English, we send letters to you in your primary language.(3) There are seven basic types of letters that we send to you:(a) Withdrawals;(b) De…

(1) We send you a withdrawal letter when you tell us that you no longer want to apply for benefits.(2) On this letter, we tell you:(a) The date we stopped processing your application; and(b) Your right to have your case reviewed or ask for a fair hearing.(3) We send this letter t…

(1) When we finish processing your application, we send you a denial letter if you cannot get benefits.(2) On this letter, we tell you:(a) Why you cannot get benefits;(b) The rules that support our decision;(c) The date we finished processing your application; and(d) Your right t…

(1) When we finish processing your application, we send you an approval letter if you can get benefits.(2) On this letter, we tell you:(a) What kind of benefits you get;(b) If you applied for cash or food assistance, the amount of benefits you get;(c) How long you will get the be…

(1) We send a request letter to you when we need some information from you or you have to do something in order to get benefits.(2) On the letter, we tell you:(a) What is needed;(b) The date it is due; and(c) What will happen to your benefits if you don't do what we ask.(3) You g…

(1) We send you a change letter if the amount of benefits you are getting is changing.(2) On the letter, we tell you:(a) What your benefits are changing to;(b) When the change is going to happen;(c) The reason for the change;(d) The rules that support our decision; and(e) Your ri…

(1) We send you a termination letter when your benefits stop.(2) On the letter, we tell you:(a) When your benefits are going to end;(b) The reason they are ending;(c) The rules that support our decision; and(d) Your right to have your case reviewed or ask for a fair hearing.(3) W…

(1) We give you ten days notice before reducing or stopping your benefits so that you have some time to either:(a) Get the needed information to us; or(b) Prepare yourself and your family for the change.(2) You can also use this time to request a fair hearing.[Statutory Authority…

(1) If you ask for an administrative hearing within the 10-day notice period, you may keep getting the amount of benefits you were getting before the change. This is called continued benefits.(2) If the 10th day falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next business day …

Yes. We also send you letters in special circumstances. These letters are specific to your situation. Here are some examples:(1) Appointment letters;(2) Overpayment letters; and(3) Fair Hearing letters. [Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. WSR 01-16-087, § 388-458-0…

(1) Cash and child care assistance may be issued in the name of the following persons:(a) A client who is the recipient of the benefits;(b) An ineligible parent or other relative getting benefits on behalf of an eligible child;(c) A person, facility, organization, institution or …

Your basic food assistance unit (AU) can choose an adult who is not a member of the AU to act on their behalf. This is called an authorized representative.(1) A responsible member of the AU can name, in writing, an authorized representative. A responsible member of the AU is eith…

(1) If you live in a qualified developmental disabilities administration (DDA) group home under WAC 388-408-0040, you may choose to apply for basic food benefits:(a) On your own behalf;(b) Through an authorized representative of your choice; or(c) Through the DDA group home actin…

(1) If you are acting as an authorized representative for basic food, we disqualify you from being an authorized representative for one year is we determine that you:(a) Knowingly provided false information to the department;(b) Misrepresented the circumstances of the basic food …

(1) A protective payee is a person or an employee of an agency who manages client cash benefits to provide for basic needs - Housing, utilities, clothing, child care, and food. They may also provide services such as training clients how to manage money.(2) Clients are assigned to…

(1) Clients may ask for a particular protective payee, but the department makes the final choice.(2) Protective payees must contract with the department, except for employees of the department who are assigned this function as part of their job duties.(3) The contracted protectiv…

An emergency or temporary protective payee is assigned when a caretaker relative or adult acting in loco parentis per WAC 388-454-0005 is not available to take care of and supervise a child due to an emergency.[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08A.010(4), 74.08A.340, 74.08.090, 74.04.…

(1) The decision to assign a person to a protective payee because of mismanagement of funds must be based on law or with proof the client is unable to manage their cash benefits. The proof must be current and show how this threatens the well being of a child or client on public a…

Pregnant or parenting minors who are not emancipated under court order must be assigned to protective payees if the clients are:(1) Head of a household;(2) Under age eighteen;(3) Unmarried; and(4) Pregnant or have a dependent child.[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, …

(1) In emergency cases where a person is physically or mentally unable to manage their own funds, the client is referred to other divisions of the department for full care, including guardianship.(2) In cases where a child is eligible for TANF/SFA and the caretaker relative does …

The protective payee's responsibilities are to:(1) Manage client cash and child care assistance benefits to pay bills for basic needs, such as housing and utilities, or as directed in the protective payee plans;(2) Provide money management for client if this item is included in t…

A protective payee plan may be developed when a case is assigned to a protective payee.(1) A copy of the plan is provided to the protective payee and the client.(2) All cases must be reviewed:(a) After an initial three-month period; and(b) At least every six months beyond the ini…

A client may be removed from a protective payee status when a:(1) Protective payee requests the client be reassigned;(2) The department assigns a different protective payee; or(3) Protective payee is no longer required.[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08A.010(4), 74.08A.340, 74.08.09…

You have the right for a fair hearing if you disagree with the department's decision to:(1) Assign payment of benefits through a protective payee,(2) Continue the assignment,(3) Change the protective payee selected for you, or(4) Change the contents of your protective payee plan.…

(1) If you are already receiving TANF or SFA benefits, your pregnancy will not change your eligibility or benefit level.(2) If you are not currently receiving TANF or SFA benefits, you may be eligible for these benefits if your pregnancy and expected date of delivery has been ver…

(1) To be eligible for basic food assistance, transitional food assistance (TFA), or the Washington combined application project (WASHCAP), all household members must cooperate in the quality control (QC) review process.(2) If someone who must cooperate under subsection (1) of th…

(1) You may be eligible for refugee cash assistance (RCA) if you can provide documentation that shows you are:(a) Admitted as a refugee under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationalities Act (INA);(b) Paroled into the U.S. as a refugee or asylee under section 212 (d)(5) of th…

(1) Who can apply for refugee cash assistance (RCA)?Anyone can apply to the department of social and health services (DSHS) for refugee cash assistance and have their eligibility determined within 30 days.(2) How do I know if I qualify for RCA?You may be eligible for RCA if you m…

(1) How does DSHS count my income and resources when determining my eligibility for refugee cash assistance?We determine your eligibility for RCA using the TANF rules about income and resources in chapters 388-450 and 388-470 WAC, except we do not count a onetime resettlement cas…

(1) What are refugee employment and training services?Refugee employment and training services provided to eligible refugees may include information and referral, employment-oriented case management, job development, job placement, job retention, wage progression, skills training…

(1) For both cash and food programs, you:(a) Must live in Washington state, but not for any specific period of time to be a resident;(b) Must not receive comparable benefits from another state or tribe during the same month;(c) Are a resident of the state where you are physically…

(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 the department.(c) "Fair market value" or "FMV" means the price at which you could reasonably sell the re…

Yes we do. We count the resources of certain people who live in your home, even if they are not getting assistance. Their resources count as part of your resources.(1) For cash assistance, we count the resources of ineligible, disqualified, or financially responsible people as de…

(1) We count the following resources toward your assistance unit's resource limits for cash assistance to decide if you are eligible for benefits under WAC 388-470-0005:(a) Liquid resources not specifically excluded in subsection (2) of this section, including but not limited to:…

(1) For basic food, if your assistance unit (AU) is not categorically eligible (CE) under WAC 388-414-0001, we count the following resources toward your AU's resource limit to decide if you are eligible for benefits under WAC 388-470-0005:(a) Liquid resources easily changed into …

(1) If you are a sponsored immigrant as defined in WAC 388-450-0155, and you are not exempt from deeming under WAC 388-450-0156, we count part of your sponsor's resources as available to you.(2) We decide the amount of your sponsor's resources to count by:(a) Totaling the countab…

(1) A vehicle is any device for carrying persons and objects by land, water, or air.(2) The entire value of a licensed vehicle needed to transport a physically disabled assistance unit member is excluded.(3) The entire value of one vehicle is excluded when the vehicle is used by …

This rule applies to the Washington Basic Food program only.(1) A vehicle is a motorized device that the client can use as a regular means of transportation.(2) If you own a licensed vehicle we (the department) do not count its entire value if the vehicle:(a) Has an equity value …

For the purposes of this chapter, "we" and "us" refer to the department and "you" refers to the applicant or recipient.(1) If you apply for or get cash, a referral to the housing and essential needs (HEN) program, or food assistance benefits you have the right to:(a) Have your ri…