TA Cash Diversion User Guide
Temporary Assistance:
Temporary Assistance Cash Diversion is a single lump sum benefit an applicant may opt to receive instead of monthly Temporary Assistance benefits. This payment is intended to resolve a one-time financial need and to prevent the EU from becoming dependent upon monthly benefits. All other TA eligibility factors must be met, including the lifetime limit. TA Diversion recipients are not subject to the Work Activity Requirement and are not referred to MWA.
TA Diversion payments do not count toward TA Lifetime Limits and may only be received once in a twelve month period and five times in a lifetime.
The reason for TA Diversion must meet Good Cause criteria.
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- ILE – Involuntary job loss not due to poor performance
- ILL – Illness/Accident causing the application to be unable to work
- RWG – Involuntary reduction of wages
- TCC – Temporary loss of child care services
- TFH – Temporary financial hardship caused by death or illness of a household member
- TRN – Temporary loss of transportation to work or school
- TSL – Temporarily deprived of shelter, utilities and/or food
- VIC – Victim of domestic violence or human trafficking
- OTH – Other event as determined by the agency
When processing a TA application, explain TA Diversion during the application interview and ask if the family is experiencing a crisis that a one-time payment can resolve. If the submitted application does not indicate their preference, contact the applicant to discuss this option. If the application opts for TA Diversion, ask for the reason for the request and the amount that would satisfy the need.
If the answer is Yes, do not flow past this screen without entering a comment.
Cash Diversion payments are made in amounts equal to either two or three times the maximum monthly grant for the EU’s size. The EU is ineligible to receive monthly TA payments for that number of months.
Requests in excess of three months TA grant do not meet the eligibility criteria. In these instances, answer N in the Good Cause field and complete the controlled flow to process the TA monthly grant application.
Note: Never suggest a diversion payment amount or provide a maximum payment amount to the applicant. Ask the applicant for the amount that would resolve the crisis and divert the EU from becoming dependent on monthly TA payments. Enter the amount requested in the Requested Amount field.
Cash Diversion may only be approved by specified members of the TA/CC Processing Center. They have access to restricted verification codes in order to approve Cash Diversion.
Once approved, FAMIS determines the amount to be paid and enters a disqualification for the appropriate (two or three) months. TA monthly benefits cannot be authorized for those months.
General Use Verification Code:
- CS – Client Statement
Restricted Verification Codes:
- HC – Documentary verification
- TC – Telephone Call
- CC – Collateral Contact
Entries on TA Diversion Payment (DVERSION/FMDK):
- From DVERSION (FMDK), type an A in the Command line
- Complete the required fields:
- Do you want to participate in TA Diversion Program – type Y/N
- If N, press CTRL and F9=FLOWFWD to process monthly TA benefits application.
- If Y, complete the rest of the required fields.
- Requested Amount – Enter the amount provided by the applicant.
- Do not suggest an amount to the applicant.
- Do you want to participate in TA Diversion Program – type Y/N
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- Reason for Diversion Payment – Prompt out (=F4), type S next to the appropriate code based on discussion with applicant and press CTRL
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- Good Cause (Y/N)? – Type Y/N
- Always type Y as long the applicant provides any Good Cause AND the requested amount is equal to or less than three times the monthly grant amount.
- Only type N if the requested amount is greater than three times the monthly grant amount. Explain the N entry in the comment.
- Good Cause (Y/N)? – Type Y/N
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- Verified – Type CS
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- Press CTRL
- Press F18=COMMENT and record a comment including:
- Applicant’s reason to request TA Diversion payment
- Verification requested/received of the reason and amount requested
- The request was forwarded to the Processing Center
- Press F9=FLOWFWD and complete the controlled flow
- Complete the TA Diversion Application Transmittal Form to summarize the request.
- Email the transmittal form to FSD.GROUPB@dss.mo.gov for processing.
- Document the Diversion request on the TA EUMEMROL summary comment.