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VA TANF - Diversionary Assistance

The diversionary assistance program is intended to prevent potential TANF recipients from becoming ongoing TANF recipients. If immediate intervention with short-term aid will resolve a crisis situation and prevent the need for ongoing TANF, the assistance unit may be granted diversionary assistance.

Eligibility Factors

Only TANF applicants may be approved for diversionary assistance. Current recipients of TANF are not eligible. Applicants must verify all of the following factors:

·      The applicants are eligible to receive TANF.

o    The caretaker relative does not have to meet the conditions of eligibility (provision of a social security number, VIEW participation, compliance with the school attendance requirement, and cooperation with DCSE). However, if the caretaker relative excluded for reasons listed in TANF Assistance Unit, or if the caretaker relative is under a VIEW sanction, the assistance unit is ineligible for diversionary assistance.

o    Note, however, that case closure due to failure to sign the Agreement of Personal Responsibility is not a VIEW sanction (since individuals are not VIEW participants until the agreement is signed). Therefore, a diversionary assistance case may be approved after a case was closed for failure to sign the Agreement of Personal Responsibility.

·      The assistance unit meets TANF income limits;

·      The assistance unit has a temporary loss of income or delay in starting to receive income; (such a loss of income cannot be a loss of TANF benefits) and

·      The Department of Social Services (DSS) eligibility worker determines that diversionary assistance will resolve the emergency.

Payment Amount

The amount of the payment is based on the immediate needs of the applicant. However, the payment cannot exceed the total TANF payments that the recipient would otherwise be eligible to receive in four months. The amount of assistance is the maximum TANF amount for four (4) months or the amount of the needs of the applicant, whichever is less.

Vendor Payments

Diversionary assistance payments must be made in the form of a vendor payment. If, however, the worker cannot issue a vendor payment due to systems limitations, then a payment may be made to the recipient.

See Also:

VA TANF - Assistance Unit

VA TANF - Eligibility

VA TANF - Financial Eligibility

VA TANF - Grant Amount Calculations

VA TANF - Time Limit

VA TANF-UP - Overview

VA TANF-UP - Assistance Unit

VA VIEW - Overview

VA VIEW - Exemption Criteria

VA VIEW - Time Limit

VA VIEW - Grant Amount Calculations

Back To:

VA TANF - Overview

VA Benefit Information System Welcome and Introduction

Source:

VA TANF Policy Manual Section 801.1, 801.4, 801.5 and 801.8

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