NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
April 8, 2008

IM 5034

TO:		County Social Service Directors
Economic Assistance Policy Regional Representatives
Economic Assistance Policy Quality Control Reviewers

FROM:	Tove Mandigo, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	ABAWDs Waivers

SECTIONS 
AFFECTED:	430-05-40-50-10

PROGRAMS:	Food Stamp Program

RETENTION: 	Until Manualized

Effective May 1, 2008, a waiver to exempt Benson, Billings, Eddy, Emmons, Grant, Hettinger, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McLean, Mountrail, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Rolette, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Towner and Wells Counties from the able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) provisions has been approved for a two-year period. The new waiver expires April 30, 2010.  

For exempt counties effective May 1, 2008 when processing recertification applications and ongoing cases for the benefit month of June 2008, TECS will default the code on ABRE for all individuals to “EX”. An informational edit will appear on the ABRE screen “county exempt from ABAWDS requirement” and it will not allow the entry of any coding on this screen for any case in the above counties.  The ABAWD provisions do not apply to any individual residing in any of these counties effective May 1, 2008. 

Individuals initially applying in the exempt counties on May 1, 2008, or later are exempt from the ABAWD provisions. 

We will provide a report the beginning of May 2008 for Billings, Grant, Hettinger, Logan, Oliver, Slope and Wells Counties of open ongoing cases that contain an ABAWD with a code of NE, EE, DI, HR, JT, PG or TA.  Mountrail County will receive a report of all ABAWDs coded NE, EE, DI, HR, JT, PG, TA or SP.  When processing benefits for June 2008, eligibility staff must go through the ABRE and FSAD screens in TECS for these cases prior to authorizing the June benefit on FSBD as the ABAWD provisions will no longer apply to these individuals June 1, 2008. 

Effective May 1, 2008, Bowman, Golden Valley and Mercer Counties will be exempt from the ABAWD provisions using the State’s 15% exemption criteria allowed by federal regulation. We will provide a report the beginning of May 2008 identifying ABAWDs with the following codes: NE, EE, DI, HR, JT, PG and TA. When processing ongoing cases for the benefit month of June 2008, workers in Bowman, Golden Valley and Mercer Counties must go through the ABRE screen in TECS, identify all ABAWDs and code those individuals as “SP” in the REQ/EX column, if they are not otherwise exempt.  For new applications and recertification applications received on or after May 1, 2008, the same policy applies.  The “SP” code must be used as we are required to report the total number of exemptions used on a quarterly basis. 
 
If you have questions, please contact your Regional Representative.