Payment standards for ongoing additional requirements.
See Ongoing Additional Requirements in the Eligibility A-Z Manual for more information about role of the Financial Worker in setting up service for the client.
Definition
An "Ongoing Additional Requirement" is a benefit that is needed by a person that maintains their independent living situation or allows them to live in an environment that is as independent as possible.
Eligibility Determination
A person may request Ongoing Additional Requirements benefits from either their Financial or Social Worker. If the request is made to the Financial Worker, the Financial Worker must give a referral to the Social Worker.
The Social Worker verifies the need and determines eligibility for these benefits through an assessment. This may include an interview, collateral contacts, or a home visit.
Notify the Financial Worker via inter-office memo of your decision.
We do not approve Ongoing Additional Requirement benefits if:
a. The assistance they are requesting is available to them through another program, or
b. The person lives in a licensed adult family home or boarding home.
WAC 388-473-0010
WAC 388-473-0010
Effective October 17, 2005
WAC 388-473-0010 What are ongoing additional requirements and how do I qualify?
“Ongoing additional requirement" means a need beyond essential food, clothing, and shelter needs and is necessary to help you continue living independently.
We may authorize ongoing additional requirement benefits if you are active in one of the following programs:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Tribal TANF;
State Family Assistance (SFA);
Refugee Cash;
General Assistance Cash; or
Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
You apply for an ongoing additional requirement benefit by notifying staff who maintain your cash or medical assistance that you need additional help to live independently.
We authorize ongoing additional requirement benefits only when we determine the item is essential to you. We make the decision based on proof you provide of:
The circumstances that create the need; and
How the need affects your health, safety and ability to continue to live independently.
We authorize ongoing additional requirement benefits by increasing your monthly cash assistance benefit.
We use the following review cycle table to decide when to review your need for the additional benefit(s).
Program
Frequency (Months)
TANF/RCA
6 Months
GA
12 Months
SSI
24 Months
All – Any time need or circumstances are expected to change.
Monthly payment standards for ongoing additional requirements are described under WAC 388-478-0050.
You are physically or mentally impaired in your ability to prepare meals; and
Getting help with meals would meet your nutrition or health needs and is not available to you through another federal or state source; such as the community options program entry system (COPES), Medicaid personal care (MPC), or informal support such as a relative or volunteer.
When we decide to provide meals as an additional requirement, we choose whether to authorize this benefit as restaurant meals or home-delivered meals.
We authorize restaurant meals when:
You are unable to prepare some of your meals;
You have some physical ability to leave your home; and
Home-delivered meals are not available or would be more expensive.
We authorize home-delivered meals when:
You are unable to prepare any of your meals;
You are physically limited in your ability to leave your home; and
WAC 388-473-0040 Food for service animals as an ongoing additional requirement.
A "service animal" is an animal that is trained for the purpose of assisting or accomodating a person with a disability's sensory, mental or physical disability.
We authorize benefits for food for a service animal if we decide the animal is necessary for your health and safety and supports your ability to continue to live independently.
1.Assess the person’s need for a service animal. The following criteria must be met to approve Food for Service Animals as an Ongoing Additional Requirement:
a.The animal must be trained for the purpose of assisting or accommodating a person with a disability’s sensory, mental, or physical disability.
i.The animal does not need to be trained at a school or training facility, but the animal does need to be specifically trained to assist the person with tasks related to their disability.
ii.Service animals are trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks.
iii.General information about service animals may be found in the links below.
b.The animal must be necessary for the health and safety of the person.
c.The animal must be necessary to support the person’s ability to live independently.
2.Approve Ongoing Additional Requirements when the above criteria are met.
3.Notify the Financial Worker of your decision via an inter-office communication memo (available in ICMS).
WAC 388-473-0050
WAC 388-473-0050
Effective September 1, 2000
WAC 388-473-0050 Telephone services as an ongoing additional requirement.
We authorize benefits for telephone services when we decide:
Without a telephone, your life would be endangered, you could not live independently, or you would require a more expensive type of personal care; and
You have applied for the Washington telephone assistance program (WTAP) through your local telephone company.
Before authorizing benefits for telephone services, verify the person is receiving local telephone service under the Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP). You can verify this by contacting the local telephone company.
WAC 388-473-0060
WAC 388-473-0060
Effective September 1, 2000
WAC 388-473-0060 Laundry as an ongoing additional requirement.
We authorize benefits for laundry when we decide:
You are not physically able to do your own laundry; or
You do not have laundry facilities that are accessible to you due to your physical limitations.
WAC 388-478-0050 Payment standards for ongoing additional requirements.
An "ongoing additional requirement" is a continuing need that you have for which you require additional financial benefits in order to continue living independently. The "payment standard" for ongoing additional requirement benefits is the amount of money needed to pay for these items or services. We use the following payment standards for ongoing additional requirements approved under WAC 388-473-0020 through WAC 388-473-0060:
Restaurant meals: $187.09 per month (or $6.04 per day with the payment rounded down to the nearest dollar amount);
Laundry: $11.13 per month;
Service animal food: $33.66 per month;
Home delivered meals: The amount charged by the agency providing the meals;
Telephone: The local flat rate for the area; or the discounted amount established under the Washington telephone assistance program (WTAP) rate, whichever is less.
If the amount the person needs is higher than the standards in WAC 388-478-0050, the worker should request an exception to rule to allow a higher payment standard.
