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IMA POLICY MANUAL
PART V: PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND SANCTIONS
Chapter 1: WORK REQUIREMENTS
| BOTH |
In both TANF and FS, an individual who voluntarily quits without good cause a suitable job of 30 or more hours per week, or which paid the equivalent of 30 hours per week at federal minimum wage, is disqualified from receipt of benefits. An individual who voluntarily reduces work effort without good cause and, after the reduction, is working less than 30 hours a week is disqualified from receipt of benefits. However no sanction should be imposed if the individual is exempt from work requirements.
If an applicant for TANF and/or FS voluntarily quits a suitable job or reduces work effort in a suitable job without good cause in the 60-day period preceding the date of application, the individual is disqualified from receipt of benefits for 90 days from the date of the voluntary quit (or the date that work effort was reduced).
If a recipient of TANF and/or FS voluntarily quits a suitable job or reduced work effort in a suitable job without good cause while receiving program benefits, the individual is disqualified from benefit receipt for three consecutive months, beginning with the first month in which benefits can be
reduced after timely and adequate notice has been provided.
In both programs, only the individual who voluntarily quits or reduces work effort without good cause is removed from the unit.
The sanction can be lifted prior to the end of the sanction period if the individual secures 'comparable employment' (see Section 1.9.3: Comparable Employment in this Part) or begins to meet a work exemption criteria of the relevant program. The sanction is lifted effective the first issuance after the date the individual secures comparable employment or meets the exemption criteria provided the change was reported timely. If there is insufficient time to adjust the monthly issuance cycle, a benefit adjustment should be made such that the benefits received in the month equal the total amount for which the group is eligible. If the change is not reported timely, the Department must adjust benefits effective the first issuance after the reported change.
If the disqualified person joins another group or otherwise reapplies prior to the end of the sanction period, the disqualification will 'follow' the individual, unless s/he has found comparable employment or now meets an exemption criteria.
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On June 26, the SSR learns that Mr. Garcia, a FS recipient, voluntarily quit a job without good cause in May. Mr. Garcia and his son are included in the FS unit. The SSR sends a notice of adverse action on June 29 indicating that Mr. Garcia will be removed from the unit effective August 1 (the sanction cannot be imposed in July because of the 15-day timeliness requirement for notices of adverse action). Mr Garcia is disqualified and does not receive August benefits, though his son remains eligible for FS benefits. In September, Mr. Garcia informs the SSR that he has found a job with similar hours and wages. His disqualification is lifted effective for the October issuance. The SSR must send a notice to Mr. Garcia informing him that his sanction will be lifted effective October 1.
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Ms. Hopkins is currently disqualified from TANF because she voluntarily quit a job without good cause. The disqualification period is from September to November. In October, Ms. Hopkins falls ill and meets the exemption criteria based on illness and/or incapacity. Ms. Hopkin's voluntary quit sanction should be lifted effective November 1. If the SSR does not have time to affect the November issuance, the SSR should issue a supplemental benefit for November. |
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Voluntarily Reducing Work Effort 1.9.1
| BOTH |
An applicant/recipient is considered to have voluntarily reduced his/her work effort if s/he reduces the number of hours s/he works and, after the reduction, the individual is working less than 30 hours per week. |
| TANF |
Good cause reasons for voluntarily quitting a job or reducing hours include circumstances beyond the individual's control such as, but not limited to, the following:
- illness of the individual,
- illness of another household member requiring the presence of the individual,
- a household emergency (including domestic violence),
- unavailability of transportation,
- lack of adequate or affordable child care for children who are under six,
- discrimination by an employer in violation of District or federal law,
- work demands or conditions that render such continued employment unreasonable, such as working without being paid on schedule,
- resignations by persons age 60 years or more which are recognized by the employer as retirement, and
- job no longer meets the definition of 'suitable' (see Section 1.9.4: Suitable Employment in this Chapter).
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| FS |
Good cause reasons for voluntarily quitting a job or reducing hours include circumstances beyond the individual's control such as, but not limited to, the following:
- discrimination by an employer based on age, race, gender, color, handicap, religious beliefs, national origin, or political beliefs;
- unreasonable work demands or conditions;
- acceptance by the head of the group of new employment;
- enrollment by the head of the group of at least half-time in any recognized school, training program, or institution of higher education that requires the head of the group to leave employment;
- acceptance of employment by any other group member or enrollment at least half-time in any recognized school, training program, or institution of higher education in another jurisdiction which requires the group to move and thereby requires the head of the group to leave employment;
- resignations by persons under the age of 60 who are recognized by the employer as retired
- wage offered is less than the highest of applicable federal minimum wage, District minimum wage, or 80 percent of the federal minimum wage if neither the federal nor District wage is applicable;
- acceptance of a bona fide offer of employment of more than 20 hours per week, or in which the weekly earnings are equivalent to or greater than the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours, which either does not materialize or results in employment of less than 20 hours a week or weekly earnings of less than the federal minimum wage multiplied by 20 hours;
- leaving a job with patterns of employment in which workers are frequently moving such as migrant farm labor or construction work;
- individual had to quit a job because s/he experienced one of the good cause situations related to failing to participate in work activities such as illness, incapacity, inability to secure child care, or s/he met one of the exemption criteria; and
- job no longer meets the definition of 'suitable' (see Section 1.9.4: Suitable Employment in this Chapter).
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