R986.  Workforce Services, Employment Development.
R986-400.  General Assistance.
R986-400-401.  Authority for General Assistance (GA) and Applicable Rules.
	(1)  The Department provides GA financial assistance pursuant to Section 35A-3-401, et seq. as funding permits.
	(2)  Rule R986-100 applies to GA, except as noted in this rule.
	(3)  Applicable provisions of R986-200 apply to GA except as noted in this rule.
	(4)  The citizenship and alienage requirements of SNAP apply to GA.

R986-400-402.  General Provisions.
	(1)  GA provides temporary financial assistance to single persons and married couples who have no dependent children residing with them 50% or more of the time and who have a physical or mental health impairment that prevents basic work activities in any occupation.  This means that the applicant or client is unable to work any number of hours at all in any occupation.
	(2)  The impairment must be expected to last at least 60 days after the date of application.
	(3)  Drug addiction and/or alcoholism alone is insufficient to meet the impairment requirement for GA as defined in Public Law 104-121.
	(4)  Married couples meet the impairment criteria and time limits on an individual basis.  If the household includes an ineligible spouse, the income and assets of the ineligible spouse must be counted when determining the eligibility of the household and the ineligible spouse will not be included in the financial payment.  The household can consist of any combination of impaired, non-impaired, short term disabled, or long term disabled as long as at least one spouse meets the eligibility requirements.
	(5)  GA is only available to a client who is at least 18 years old or legally or factually emancipated.  Factual emancipation means the client has lived independently from his or her parents or guardians and has been economically self-supporting for a period of at least twelve consecutive months, and the client's parents have refused financial support.
	(6)  A client claiming factual emancipation must cooperate with the Department in locating his or her parents.  The parents, once located, will be contacted by the Department.  If the parents continue to refuse to support the client, a referral will be made to ORS to enforce the parents' child support obligations.
	(7)  A person eligible for Bureau of Indian Affairs assistance is not eligible for GA financial assistance.
	(8)  In addition to the residency requirements in R986-100-106, residents in a group home that is administered under a contract with a governmental unit or administered by a governmental unit are not eligible for financial assistance.
	(9)  An individual receiving SSI is not eligible for GA.  This ineligibility includes persons whose SSI is in suspense status, has been terminated, or who is not eligible for SSI due to the imposition of a penalty as defined by 20 CFR Part 416.1320 through 416.1340.  An individual whose SSI benefits are suspended because he or she has not attained U.S. citizenship, may be eligible for GA if the individual actively pursues U.S. citizenship to regain SSI eligibility.  If SSI was terminated because the client's disability ended, the client may be eligible for GA if an unrelated physical or mental health condition develops and is verified.

R986-400-403.  Proof of Impairment.
	(1)  An applicant must provide current medical evidence of an impairment that prevents basic work activities in any occupation due to a physical or mental health condition and that the impairment is expected to last at least 60 days from the date of application.  Evidence consists of a statement from a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathy, a licensed Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, a licensed Physician's Assistant, a licensed Mental Health Therapist as defined in UCA 58-60-102.  If an applicant has been approved for SSI/SSDI, and is waiting for the first check, no further medical evidence of impairment is necessary.  Verification and evidence of social security approval must be included in the case record.
	(2)  An applicant must cooperate in the obtaining of a second opinion if requested by the Department.  Only the costs associated with a second opinion requested by the Department will be paid for by the Department.  The Department will not pay the costs associated with obtaining a second opinion if the client requests the second opinion.

R986-400-404.  Participation Requirements.
	(1)  A GA client with an impairment that is expected to last 12 months or longer is required to sign the General Assistance Agreement Form within 30 days after the initial financial benefit has been issued.  A GA client with an impairment that is expected to last at least 60 days, but less than 12 months, will not be required to sign the General Assistance Agreement Form.
	(2)  The requirement to sign the General Assistance Agreement form, complete an assessment and negotiate an employment plan is limited to clients with long term impairments expected to last 12 months or longer.
	(3)  If the impairment is expected to last 12 months or longer, the client must apply for SSI/SSDI benefits.
	(4)  A client must accept any and all offers of appropriate employment as determined by the Department.  "Appropriate employment" means employment that pays a wage that meets or exceeds the applicable federal or state minimum wage law and has daily and weekly hours customary to the occupation.  If the minimum wage laws do not apply, the wage must equal what is normally paid for similar work and in no case less than three-fourths of the minimum wage rate. The employment is not appropriate employment if the client is unable, due to physical or mental limitations, to perform the work.
	(5)  A client must cooperate in obtaining any and all other sources of income to which the client may be entitled including, SSI/SSDI, VA Benefits, and Workers' Compensation.
	(6)  A client who meets the eligible alien status requirements for GA but does not meet the eligible alien requirements for SSI can participate in activities that may help them to become eligible for SSI such as pursuing citizenship.

R986-400-405.  Interim Aid for SSI Applicants.
	(1)  A client who has applied for SSI or SSDI benefits may be provided with GA financial assistance pending a determination on the application for SSI or SSDI.  If the client is applying for SSI, he or she must sign an "Agreement to Repay Interim Assistance" form and agree to reimburse, or allow SSA to reimburse, the state of Utah for any and all GA financial assistance advanced pending a determination from SSA.
	(2)  Financial assistance will be immediately terminated without advance notice when SSA issues a payment or if the client fails to cooperate to the maximum extent possible in pursuing the application which includes cooperating fully with SSA and providing all necessary documentation to insure receipt of SSI or SSDI benefits.
	(3)  A client must fully cooperate in prosecuting an appeal of an SSI or SSDI denial at least to the Social Security ALJ level. If the ALJ issues an unfavorable decision, the client is not eligible for financial assistance unless an unrelated physical or mental health condition develops and is verified.
	(4)  If a client's SSI or SSDI benefits have been terminated due to a physical or mental health condition, the client is ineligible unless an unrelated physical or mental health condition develops and is verified.

R986-400-406.  Failure to Comply with the Requirements of an Employment Plan.
	(1)  If a client fails to comply with the requirements of the employment plan without reasonable cause, financial assistance will be terminated immediately. Reasonable cause under this section means the client was prevented from participating through no fault of his or her own or failed to participate for reasons that are reasonable and compelling and may include reasons like verified illness or extraordinary transportation problems.
	(2)  If a client's financial assistance has been terminated under this section, the client is not eligible for further assistance as follows:
	(a)  the first time financial assistance is terminated, the client must resolve the reason for the termination and participate to the maximum extent possible in all of the required activities of the employment plan.  The client does not need to reapply if he or she resolves the reason for termination by the end of the month following the termination;
	(b)  the second time financial assistance is terminated, the client will be ineligible for financial assistance for a minimum of one month and can only become eligible again upon completing a new application and participating to the maximum extent possible in the required employment activity; and
	(c)  the third and subsequent time financial assistance is terminated, the client will be ineligible for a minimum of six months and can only become eligible again upon completing a new application and actively participating in the required employment activity.

R986-400-407.  Income and Assets Limits, Amount of Assistance, and Assistance Start Date.
	(1)  The provisions of R986-200 are used for determining asset and income eligibility except;
	(a) the income and assets of an SSI recipient living in the household are counted if that individual is legally responsible for the client;
	(b) the total gross income of an alien's sponsor and the sponsor's spouse is counted as unearned income for the alien.  If a person sponsors more than one alien, the total gross income of the sponsor and the sponsor's spouse is counted for each alien.  Indigent aliens, as defined by 7 CFR 273.4(c)(3)(iv), are not exempt;
	(c)  one vehicle, with a maximum of $8,000 equity value, is not counted.  The entire equity value of one vehicle equipped to transport a disabled individual is exempt from the asset limit even if the vehicle has a value in excess of $8,000  Beginning October 1, 2007, all motorized vehicles will be exempt.
	(2)  The financial assistance payment level is set by the Department and available for review at all Department local offices.
	(3)  If otherwise eligible, assistance will be paid effective the first day of the month following the month the application is received by the Department provided the application is completed within 30 days.  If the application is not completed within 30 days, but is completed within 60 days, the first day the client can be eligible is the day all verification requested by the Department is received by the Department.  If the application is not completed within 60 days, a new application is required.  An application is complete when all information and verification requested by the Department has been provided by the applicant.

R986-400-408.  Time Limits.
	(1)  An individual cannot receive GA financial assistance for more than 12 months out of a rolling 60-month period.  Any month in which a client received a full or partial GA financial assistance payment count toward the 12 month limit.
	(a)  A client with a short term impairment that prevents basic work activities in any occupation lasting at least 60 days from the date of application but less than 12 months can receive up to six months of GA financial benefits in a rolling 12 month period.  Clients are limited to a total of 12 months of financial assistance within a rolling 60-month period.
	(b)  A client with a long term impairment that prevents basic work activities in any occupation and the impairment is expected to last 12 months or more, can receive a total of 12 months of GA financial benefits in a rolling 60 month period.
	(2)  There are no exceptions or extensions to the time limit.
	(3)  Advanced written notice for termination of GA financial assistance due to time limits is not required.

KEY:  general assistance (GA), SNAP
Date of Enactment or Last Substantive Amendment:  July 1, 2016
Notice of Continuation:  September 3, 2015
Authorizing, and Implemented or Interpreted Law:  35A-3-401; 35A-3-402