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WV WORKS
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WV WORKS State PlAN 2009 - 2010- View the Plan
West Virginia's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program is WV WORKS. It is based on the goals of assisting economically dependent and at-risk families to become self supporting, enhancing the well-being of children, and on assisting families near the poverty level to remain self-sufficient.
WV WORKS provides monthly cash assistance to eligible families. Most people who receive a monthly WV WORKS check also receive SNAP and Medicaid, but these are not guaranteed based just on receipt of a check.
Eligibility
There are 2 steps to the eligibility process. Step 1 is a gross income test. The family's gross income must be below an amount that varies by family size. If this income test is passed, certain other deductions are applied to the income to determine the amount of the benefit. These are: 40% of earned income; child care expenses; and a portion of redirected child support. There is 1 incentive payment paid monthly based on case circumstances, a child support incentive/pass-through payment when child support is redirected to the Bureau for Child Support Enforcement.
In addition to financial eligibility, the client is required to perform 2 additional tasks before final eligibility is determined. Orientation to WV WORKS may be done in a group or individually. Applicants are required to attend orientation to learn about available activities and services and for an explanation of the 60-month lifetime limit for receipt of benefits. In addition, each adult or emancipated minor is required to negotiate a personal responsibility contract. This contract is an agreement between the applicant and DHHR which identifies goals, objectives and actions that must be taken in order to become self-sufficient. The personal responsibility contract may be renegotiated at any time; it is an ever-changing document. Within the first 45 days a home visit will be completed by the WV WORKS Case Manager. Failure of the active recipient to adhere to the personal responsibility contract, without good cause, results in application of a sanction to the household. Sanctions are as follows:
* 1st sanction = 1/3 reduction in the total check amount for 3 months
* 2nd sanction = 2/3 reduction in the total check amount for 3 months
* 3rd and any subsequent sanction = case ineligibility for 3 months
