Part II. Eligibility Requirements
22VAC40-35-20. Cooperation in obtaining support.
A. As a condition of eligibility, each applicant for or recipient of TANF shall be required to cooperate (unless good cause for refusing to do so is determined to exist in accordance with federal regulations at 45 CFR 232.40 through 232.43). Cooperation shall mean all of the following actions necessary for the identification and location of noncustodial parents and the establishment and collection of child support owed to the person applying for or receiving public assistance:
1. Identifying the parent of a child for whom aid is requested. The applicant or recipient shall provide, under penalty of perjury, the first and last name of the individual against whom paternity or an obligation to provide support is sought to be established, modified, or enforced. If the applicant or recipient is not certain of the child's paternity, he shall identify all individuals with whom the mother had sexual intercourse who may be the father.
2. Providing, under penalty of perjury, additional informational items sufficient to verify the parent's identity including, at a minimum, three of the following: the noncustodial parent's social security number; race; date of birth; place of birth; telephone number; address; schools attended; occupation; employer; driver's license number; make and model of motor vehicle; motor vehicle license plate number; places of social contact; banking institutions utilized; and names, addresses or telephone number of parents, friends, or relatives.
3. Appearing at an office of the local social services agency or the Division of Child Support Enforcement as necessary to provide verbal or written information or documentary evidence known to, possessed by, or reasonably attainable by the applicant.
4. Appearing as a witness at judicial or administrative hearings or proceedings.
B. If the caretaker-relative is not a parent of the child for whom aid is requested or received, subdivisions A 1 and 2 of this section shall not be required.
C. If the parent is unsure of the identity of the father of the child, she is to name all potential persons who may be the father of the child. The Division of Child Support Enforcement will provide paternity testing for up to five potential fathers at its expense. After five potential fathers have been tested, the parent must assume full responsibility for any additional testing. If the parent fails or refuses to pay for further paternity testing, this will be considered to be noncooperation.
Statutory Authority
§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009.
22VAC40-35-30. Cooperation in establishing paternity.
A. As a condition of eligibility, the caretaker-relative shall cooperate, as defined in 22VAC40-35-20, with the Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) and the local department of social services in establishing paternity.
B. If the caretaker-relative does not cooperate, the adult portion of the grant shall be denied or terminated until the individual has disclosed the required information.
C. If, after six months of receipt of TANF, paternity has not been established and the local department determines that the caretaker-relative is not cooperating in establishing paternity, the local department shall terminate the entire grant for a minimum of one month and until cooperation has been achieved. An individual whose TANF case was terminated due to such noncooperation must cooperate and file a new application for TANF to receive further benefits.
Statutory Authority
§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia; 45 CFR 261.22.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 30, Issue 20, eff. July 18, 2014.
22VAC40-35-40. Diversionary assistance program eligibility criteria.
A. An assistance unit shall be eligible to receive diversionary cash assistance if:
1. Verification is provided to the local department of social services that the assistance unit has a temporary loss of income or delay in starting to receive income resulting in an emergency;
2. The assistance unit meets TANF requirements specified in § 63.2-617 of the Code of Virginia; and
3. The local department of social services determines that diversionary assistance will resolve the emergency.
B. The amount of assistance provided shall be up to the maximum TANF amount for 120 days that the family would otherwise be eligible to receive, or $1,500, whichever is greater. The amount of the payment is based on immediate needs of the applicant. Local agencies shall strive to provide the most cost-effective solution to the one-time emergency.
C. If an assistance unit receives a diversionary assistance payment, all assistance unit members shall be ineligible for TANF for 1.33 times the number of days for which assistance is granted, beginning with the date that the diversionary assistance is issued.
D. An assistance unit shall be eligible to receive diversionary assistance once in a 12-month period.
E. Receipt of diversionary assistance is voluntary.
F. Local social services agencies shall determine eligibility for diversionary assistance within five working days of the receipt of the final verification that substantiates eligibility, or within 30 days of the date of the receipt of the signed application, whichever occurs first.
Statutory Authority
§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia; 45 CFR 261.22.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009; Volume 25, Issue 23, eff. August 19, 2009; Volume 30, Issue 20, eff. July 18, 2014; Volume 37, Issue 2, eff. October 15, 2020.
22VAC40-35-50. School attendance.
A. The Virginia Department of Social Services shall develop procedures with the Department of Education to receive notification from local school divisions of any student who is truant. If notification is received from another source, the local department shall verify such truancy by contacting the school.
B. When verified by the school of such truancy, the local social services department shall do the following:
1. The local department shall send a written notice to the caretaker-relative advising him that the truant recipient is in jeopardy of losing eligibility for TANF benefits. The caretaker-relative must contact the local department within five days of the notice to cooperate in developing a plan to achieve compliance with compulsory school attendance laws. The notice must also specify that failure to contact the local department may result in the truant recipient's ineligibility for TANF due to noncooperation.
2. If the caretaker-relative fails to respond within five days of the notice, the local department shall make a personal contact which may include a direct telephone contact with the caretaker-relative to explain the requirement to develop a plan to return the child to school and the result of not cooperating with the requirement.
3. If the local department is unable to make personal contact, the local department shall mail a written advance notice of proposed action to the caretaker-relative advising that TANF benefits will be reduced if the caretaker-relative fails to contact the local department to develop a plan to return the child to school.
C. If the local department of social services denies or terminates TANF for noncompliance, the caretaker-relative shall notify the local department in writing of the truant individual's compliance with this section and file a new application for TANF. The local department shall verify compliance by contacting the school.
Statutory Authority
§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009.
22VAC40-35-60. Minor parent residency requirement.
A. To be eligible to receive TANF, a minor parent shall reside in the home maintained by his parent or person standing in loco parentis unless he meets the good cause exception outlined in subsection B of this section. The local department shall ensure that the following priority order for the minor parent's living arrangements is considered: in a home maintained by a parent, other adult relative, legal guardian, or other adult determined by the department to be acting in place of a parent.
B. The minor parent residency requirement shall not apply if the local department of social services determines, by clear and convincing evidence, that the physical or emotional health or safety of the minor parent or his dependent child would be jeopardized if the minor parent and dependent lived in the same residence with the minor parent's parent or person standing in loco parentis. Such a claim shall be corroborated by evidence such as court, medical, criminal, child protective services, psychological, or law-enforcement records.
C. The local department of social services shall maintain a list of available housing to be used to refer a minor parent who is in need of an adult-supervised supportive living arrangement. If the local department of social services makes a referral, it will be deemed that the local department has made diligent efforts to locate such housing.
D. As a condition of eligibility, the minor parent shall reside at the local housing to which he is referred by the local department.
Statutory Authority
§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009.
22VAC40-35-70. (Repealed.)
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 12, Issue 15, eff. July 1, 1996; amended, Virginia Register Volume 25, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2009; repealed, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 2, eff. October 15, 2020.