WAG 03-22-04-a: Applying the Sanction

PM 03-22-04-a.

  1. (FCRC) Upon receipt of Form 541A, sanction the TANF Cash case through ACM by completing sanction information on the Sanction Information screen or complete Form 552 as follows:
    Item 3 -Enter TA 31.
    Item 8 -Keep the case in protective payee status.
    Item 33 -Enter TAR 16.
    Item 80 -Enter code 166 SSNC, the effective month/year of the sanction under DATE, 01 under REASON, the client's RIN, and the level of sanction (1, 2, or 3) under LEVEL.
  2. (System) Sends Form 157C to the client with one of the following messages:
    • Level 1: You failed to cooperate with the School Attendance Initiative. Your cash benefits will be reduced until you cooperate. You must cooperate within 3 months, or you will not get any cash benefits after that.
    • Level 2: You failed to cooperate with the School Attendance Initiative. Your cash benefits will be reduced for 3 months. You must cooperate before the 3 months is over, or you will not get any cash benefits after that.
    • Level 3: You failed to cooperate with the School Attendance Initiative. You will not get any cash benefits for 3 months. You will get cash benefits again in 4 months only if you cooperate before then and you meet all the other requirements for getting aid.
  3. (System) Enters Item 90 code 512 and, when applicable, Item 34 code C.
  4. (System) Sends a Reminder Warning (Form 3291) to the client at schedule closing for the 2nd and 3rd effective months of a level 1 or 2 sanction. The notice is sent if the reason with code 166 is still 01 and the case is not in zero grant. The notice reminds the client that all cash benefits will stop for the 4th month if they don't cooperate before then.

    NOTE: For level 1 and 2, code 512 reflects 50% of the Payment Level before any income is budgeted or the cash benefit amount, whichever is less. For level 3, code 512 equals the cash benefit amount. When code 512 equals the cash benefit amount, the system enters zero grant reason C in Item 34. 

  5. (FCRC) At cancellation, the system changes code 166 reason 01 to reason 92. When restoring assistance, you must replace reason 92 with 01, 00, or 90, or delete the entire code 166. Use reason 01 to reactivate the sanction. Use reason 00 if the client has cooperated or reason 90 if the client is unable to cooperate. When it is appropriate to restore assistance without a 30-day wait, use TA 12/TAR 92 in IPACS (see PM 19-04-00 and WAG 19-04-00).

If the family reapplies after the first 3 months of the sanction period and more than one month after cancellation, delete the sanction codes in AIS by entering DL under Reason. The family gets a fresh chance to cooperate.

After the case has been canceled for 3 months (without a medical extension), all sanction codes are centrally deleted and do not appear in AIS if the family reapplies. Do not reenter the codes if they do not appear in AIS.