department of health and social services
Division of Social Services
PUBLIC NOTICE
general notice
Temporary Assistance For Needy Families (TANF) Program Work Verification Plan
DSS PUBLIC NOTICE #06-43
In compliance with the State's Administrative Procedures Act (APA - Title 29, Chapter 101 of the Delaware Code) and under the authority of Title 31 of the Delaware Code, Chapter 5, Section 512, Delaware Health and Social Services (DHSS) / Division of Social Services initiated proceedings to provide information of public interest with respect to the TANF Work Verification Plan.
This notice is being given to provide information of public interest with respect to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Work Verification Plan.
On February 8, 2006, the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-171) was signed into law. It includes provisions to reauthorize TANF and build on this program's successes. The new law addresses the needs of families by maintaining the program's overall funding and basic structure, while focusing increased efforts on building stronger families.
The interim final rule that HHS published on June 29, 2006 implements the statutory changes enacted in the reauthorization of TANF in the DRA. Under the rule, a State must establish and employ procedures that include submitting a completed Work Verification Plan to the Secretary for approval.
The text of 45 CFR §261.62 specifies what a State must do to verify the accuracy of its work participation information, including the required contents of the Work Verification Plan. The plan is organized into six sections: countable work activities; hours engaged in work; work-eligible individuals; internal controls; verification of other data used in calculating the work participation rates; and, submittal procedures.
A State's Work Verification Plan is a planning document that may be phased-in over a period of time and may also require substantial revision in future months. All procedures and internal controls must be in place by October 1, 2007. The State should describe the program it will have in effect on October 1, 2006, but States are also encouraged to reflect its intended program design based on the information available to it at the time of submission. If actual practice differs from future intent, the State will explain where those differences appear. The State may amend its Work Verification Plan at any time during the course of the fiscal year in accordance with the regulations at 45 CFR §261.63(c).
Copies are available upon request by contacting Stacey McKiernan, Employment and Training Administrator, at 302-255-9622. The TANF Work Verification Plan can also be viewed on the Division's website at:
http://www.dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dss/index.html.
