C.M.R. 10, 144, ch. 331, Introduction and General Definitions
On October 1, 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services submitted a State Plan to the Secretary of Health and Human Services to eliminate and replace its Aid for Families with Dependent Children Program with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as authorized by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The Department refers to its financial assistance programs under this Act as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Parents as Scholars (PaS) programs. These programs provide assistance to families while parents prepare for, accept, and retain employment which supports them. The job preparation program is referred to as ASPIRE-TANF or ASPIRE-PaS.
Federal and State statutes provide the authority for TANF/PaS. Maine statutes place the responsibility for administering these programs with the Maine Department of Health and Human Services ("Department"). Within the Department, the program is administered by the Office for Family Independence (OFI).
The TANF/PaS programs are administered in a manner consistent with the objectives of the programs and respect the rights, privacy and personal dignity of the individual under the United States Constitution, the Social Security Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Families who are otherwise eligible for the TANF program who seek one-time, short-term assistance to obtain or retain employment may elect Alternative Aid Assistance instead of TANF. Alternative Aid Assistance is described in Chapter IX.
In addition to the basic TANF/PaS programs and the one-time, short-term Alternative Aid Assistance program, the Department administers a limited program of Emergency Assistance (EA) described in Chapter VIII.
All individuals have the right to apply for any assistance without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender orientation, religion, or handicap.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, no qualified individual with a disability shall, by reason of such disability, be excluded from participation or be denied the benefits of the services, programs or activities of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, or be subjected to discrimination by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Additionally, applicants and recipients are assured confidentiality, equitable and courteous treatment in a trauma informed and linguistically appropriate manner. Applicants and recipients may appeal decisions and have fair hearings should they disagree with any action taken affecting their benefit.
Furthermore, the Department provides interpreters at no cost to non-English speaking individuals applying for or participating in Department Programs.
Assistance may not be given to a family that includes an adult who has received assistance for 60 or more months, whether or not consecutive, under any TANF cash assistance program, including PaS. The Department shall disregard any month for which assistance was provided with respect to the individual and during which the individual was:
Extension of benefits beyond 60 months is explained in Chapter I, Time Limit.
A
Acceptable Medical or Mental Health Source - The following are acceptable medical sources:
Licensed physicians; Physician's assistants; Nurse Practitioners; Licensed osteopaths; Licensed or certified psychologists; Licensed podiatrists for impairments of the foot and/or ankle; Qualified speech-language pathologists for speech and language impairments only; Licensed optometrist for the measurement of visual acuity and visual fields; and Persons authorized to provide copies of the summaries of medical records of medical institutions.ADA -Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, P.L. 101-336. 104 Stat. 328 (1990).
Additional Support for People in Retraining and Employment - ASPIRE - The employment and training program for TANF/PaS recipients.
Adequate Notice - Written notification provided to the individual no later than the date of intended action or the date benefits would have been received. Adequate notice includes a statement of the action the agency intends to take, the reason for the action, the agency policy and state and federal regulations supporting the action, the right to request a fair hearing, the person to contact for additional information, the availability of continued benefits and liability for such benefits if found ineligible in the hearing decision.
Administrative Error - An action or lack of action by the Department resulting in the underpayment or overpayment of an individual's level of benefit or resulting in an incorrect determination of eligibility or ineligibility.
Adverse Action - Decision intended to discontinue, terminate, disqualify/sanction, or reduce assistance, or to impose such conditions as protective payments or participation requirements.
Affordable child care - Affordable child care arrangements are those for which the participant incurs minimal (TCC parent fee) or no cost or is reimbursed by another program such as ASPIRE or through a deduction for child care from income by the TANF program or by any combination of these methods.
Allocation - A deduction from one person's income for the maintenance needs of others.
AmeriCorps - A network of national service programs that aim to improve lives and foster civic engagement. The Corporation for National and Community Service administers several AmeriCorps programs, which include AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
Annuity - A contract under which a sum is paid yearly or at other specific times in return for the prior payment of a fixed sum.
Anticipated Change - A change that is expected to occur in the future.
Applicant - A person who has submitted a request for assistance for whom no decision has been made regarding eligibility, and whose application has not been acted upon or voluntarily withdrawn.
Application - A request for assistance made by submitting a signed and dated application document (including electronic format) including a name and address.
Application Date - The date an application is received by the Department.
ASPIRE Support Services - Supports paid for by the Department for such services as child care, transportation, eye and dental care. These supports enable the participant to comply with their signed Family Contract Amendment.
Assets - Cash, other liquid resources or real or personal property.
Assignment of Rights to Support - A process whereby the right to receive and collect an individual's child support is transferred to the Department for the purpose of reimbursing TANF financial assistance.
Assistance Group (AG) - A set of individuals composed of the eligible child(ren) and the eligible specified relative(s) who are living together, with or without benefit of a dwelling, whose needs, income, and resources are considered and combined when determining eligibility and the amount of financial assistance.
Authorized Representative - A person acting for an applicant/client through the individual's written authorization, through a signed Department authorized representative form.
B
Benefit Month - A calendar month for which benefits are issued.
Budget Month - The month that the financial and nonfinancial criteria of the filing/assistance unit are evaluated to determine eligibility and to calculate the benefit amount. When using prospective budgeting, the budget month is the same as the benefit month.
Budgeting - Calculating the amount of money to be paid to the assistance unit for the benefit month.
Bureau of Indian Affairs - BIA - An agency of the federal government of the United States whose responsibilities include providing health care to American Indians.
C
Care and Control - The physical care, guidance or maintenance of a child or children provided by a responsible parent or specified relative.
Cash Surrender Value - The amount of money which the owner of a life insurance policy would receive if the policy were converted to cash.
Cash Value - For assets- the amount that would be paid, in the community of residence, if the resource was sold or converted to cash. For income- the amount of the income or the value assigned to the services rendered for in-kind earned income.
Child Support - Voluntary or court ordered payment by an absent parent to meet the financial needs of the child(ren).
Child Support Supplemental Payment / Gap - A payment issued to TANF/PaS families based on current child support collected from a non-custodial parent. The Gap payment cannot exceed the difference between the Standard of Need and the maximum grant for the household size.
Collateral Contacts - Knowledgeable individuals or sources who serve to support or confirm information provided by the applicant/client.
Confidential Information - Applicant or client information that may only be shared for establishing eligibility, determining amount of assistance, and/or providing services, with related federally mandated and assisted programs and agencies under contract to the Department and/or pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding.
Corrective Payment - The payment of money to an individual who has received less than they were entitled to receive as determined by the Department, including decisions made by the Department Fair Hearings Officer.
Cost-of-Living Adjustment - COLA - A change to income based on the expected change to the basic cost of living.
Countable Income - The total of earned and unearned income, minus disregards, that is not excluded by policy, and is expected to be received by the assistance unit for the budget/benefit month.
D
Deduction - The amount subtracted from an income which represents an expense that has been made or must be made by an assistance group member or an individual whose income is counted when determining eligibility. This expense is also known as an "allowable deduction".
Deemed Income - Income of certain individuals who live with and are related to the minor child but who are excluded from the assistance group and do not receive benefits.
Deeming - A budgeting process which considers a portion of income of one person as the income of a second person. This process assumes a legal obligation of the first person to support the second person.
Deficit Reduction Act -The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which contains federal language and regulations regarding the reauthorization of the TANF program.
Dependent - A child who receives more than 50% of their support from a specified relative.
Direct Child Support - Support payments a custodial parent receives directly from a non- custodial parent.
Disability - The physical or mental impairment of an individual that may be either temporary or permanent.
Disabled - Prevented from working because of physical or mental impairment, disease, vision loss, or a combination of these conditions as determined by the Social Security Administration or the Department's Medical Review Team.
Disregard - A dollar amount or percentage designated for a specific purpose that is not counted in the determination of eligibility and/or the amount of assistance.
Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery - DSER - a unit within the Department's Office for Family Independence which is responsible for the development and implementation of the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures necessary to assure that all non-custodial parents are contributing to the economic support of their children.
Domestic/Family Violence - Physical, sexual, mental, and/or emotional abuse of a member of the assistance unit by a person with whom that member lives or with whom that member has recently lived.
E
Earned Income - Cash or in-kind benefits received as payment for work performed either as an employee, through the receipt of wages, salaries, tips, or commissions, or as a self-employed individual.
Earned Income Disregard - A dollar amount subtracted from earned income that is designated for a specific purpose that is not counted in the determination of eligibility or the amount of assistance.
Earned Income Tax Credit - EITC - A federal and/or state refundable tax credit for low or moderate income working individuals and families. This may be received once a year as a refund.
Electronic Benefit Transfer - EBT - The method of issuing financial assistance benefits to an account which is accessed by an individual through a magnetic striped debit card.
Electronic Funds Transfer - EFT - The method of issuing financial assistance benefits as a direct deposit into an individual's personal bank account.
Elderly - Age 65 or older as of the last day of the month consistent with 22 M.R.S. §3762(3) (B)(2)(a).
Eligibility Period - The period of time the individual is determined to be eligible for benefits.
Eligible Child - A child under age 18, or between the ages of 18 and 20 enrolled as a full- time student in a high school or an equivalent instruction alternative, leading to a high school diploma.
Emancipated Minor - A minor child who is no longer a dependent of their parent(s) due to court action or marriage. For eligibility purposes such child is considered an adult.
Emergency Assistance - EA - A short-term program benefit to assist families in an emergency situation caused by the occurrence of an unforeseen circumstance.
Equity Value - The current fair market value minus any encumbrances against the property as of the date of evaluation.
Evidence - Something that furnishes proof.
Excess Child Support - Money received from the absent parent that is in excess of the monthly TANF/PaS grant.
Excluded Asset -Any real or personal property that is not counted toward the general asset limit.
Excluded Income - Specific types of income which are not counted in the determination of eligibility or the amount of assistance.
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) - conducts immigration court proceedings, appellate reviews and administrative hearings.
Exempt Months - Months that are not counted toward the 60-month lifetime limit.
Extension - A Department decision which permits families to receive additional months of TANF beyond the 60-month lifetime limit if certain criteria is met.
F
Fair Hearing - An opportunity for any persons whose claim for assistance has been denied, or has had other negative action taken on their case, to present convincing evidence to reverse the original decision.
Fair Market Value - The amount of money that the sale of property would bring on the open market in the community where the property is located.
Family Contract - A Department form signed by a representative of the Department and each TANF/PaS specified relative that states the responsibilities of the parties to the agreement, including but not limited to cooperation in child support enforcement and determination of paternity, and the requirements of the ASPIRE Program participation.
Federal Poverty Level - FPL - A measure of income used to determine eligibility and when applicable, recipient premiums for many low income programs. The poverty guidelines are updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the authority of 42 U.S.C. 9902(2).
Filing Unit - The group of family members drawn into the assistance group according to their relationships with one another.
Fleeing Felon - An individual who has been convicted of a felony and is fleeing prosecution or incarceration.
Foster Care - A legal action that places a child in the custody/control of a person or entity other than the child's natural or adoptive parents by a state.
Fraud Investigation and Recovery Unit - FIRU - The unit of the Department's Office for Family Independence authorized under 22 M.R.S. §13 to investigate fraud, attempted fraud, commingling or misapplication of funds.
G
Garnishment - A legal action to deduct a specified amount of money from a person's earned or unearned income.
Good Cause - An acceptable reason for an individual's action/inaction that removes the penalty for that action/inaction or relieves a requirement. When and how good cause may be established is described in further detail throughout the manual.
Grant - The TANF/PaS cash assistance money payment issued to an assistance group.
Gross Earned Income (employed by another) - The total amount of wages, salaries, tips, commissions, and/or the dollar value of in-kind benefits received by an employee as compensation for work performed before any payroll deductions or garnishments are subtracted.
H
Higher Opportunity for Pathways to Employment - HOPE - An assistance program for students who are parents of minor children. This program provides support services such as child care and transportation and voluntary student navigation services.
HIPAA -The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, P.L. 104-191, 110 Stat 1936, requiring the protection and confidential handling of Protected Health Information.
Head of Household - Primary contact person in a household.
Hearing Request - A clear expression, orally or in writing, by the applicant/client, or the authorized representative acting on their behalf, to the department requesting the opportunity to present their case to a higher authority due to a dispute in case determination.
Home - The principal place of residence; the family setting in which the child lives with a specified relative, who provides the day-to-day care and control of the child. For resource purposes: a home is the current place of residence which is owned by the specified relative and which includes any building and the land upon which it is located, the land that appertains (belongs) to the home and all the buildings and/or mobile homes located thereon.
Homeless - Having no fixed address nor living in a permanent dwelling.
Household - People who live together.
I
Immigration Court - is the primary function of the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) within the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) under delegated authority from the United States Attorney General.
Inaccessible Assets - Resources not legally available to the individual. Resources which may become legally available to the individual through reasonable effort, regardless of penalty incurred, are not considered inaccessible. Any penalty incurred or which would be incurred in accessing the resource must be deducted from the value of the resource for the purpose of determining eligibility.
Incapacity - A physical or mental illness or impairment diagnosed by an Acceptable Medical or Mental Health Source as sufficiently serious enough to eliminate or substantially reduce the client's ability to obtain or retain employment.
Income - Cash payments or in-kind benefits which are regular and recurring, or which are treated as available for use regardless of actual receipt, such as deemed income.
Income-in-Kind - Goods, commodities, or services (such as meals, clothing, lodging) provided as a contribution or compensation for work instead of cash.
Income Producing Property - Property that is, in and of itself, producing income.
Individual Income - All available income received on behalf of or by one person.
Individual Retirement Account - IRA - A tax deferred pension or plan that sets aside money now for the planned needs of the person after retirement.
Indian Country - Within the geographical boundaries of a reservation.
Indian Custodian - Any Indian person who has legal custody of an Indian child under tribal law or custom or under State law or to whom temporary physical care, custody, and control has been transferred by the parent of such child.
Ineligible - Not entitled to receive benefits because of not meeting one or more of the specified financial or non-financial eligibility requirements.
Inheritance - Property received or anticipated to be received from a relative or other person by legal succession or will.
Initial Eligibility Determination - The act of evaluating eligibility factors for each child and specified relative who apply for TANF/PaS cash assistance and finding the case eligible or ineligible.
Insurance Settlement - The money received by a person(s) from a company for damage to property or injury to person.
Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children - ICPC - An agreement among all 50 states that coordinates the movement of children across state lines for the purpose of placement in foster care, adoptive homes, group homes, residential treatment centers, or on a trial basis with a parent.
J
Joint Custody - A domestic relations agreement that both parents are to function as providers of maintenance, physical care, and guidance of the child(ren). The actual circumstances may or may not indicate this is occurring.
Jointly Owned Property - Property presumed to be owned in equal shares by each of the persons holding a legal interest, unless otherwise specified in a legal document such as a deed or divorce decree. A court-ordered right of ownership takes precedence over any contrary verbal claim or stipulation on any document.
L
Legal Guardian - A person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person as determined by the court.
Lien/Encumbrance - A security interest or claim upon real or personal property to ensure satisfaction of a debt. The lien amount must be paid up for title to the property to be transferred from one owner to another.
Living With - To be "living with" a specified relative the child must live in that relative's home. The home is where the family lives or is staying. It does not have to be their own home or their permanent home. It does not have to be an apartment or a house.
Liquid Assets - Resources which can be readily converted to cash, such as cash, checking or savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and stocks or bonds.
Loan - A transaction in which money is given to another and must be repaid.
Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program - LiHEAP - A federal program that helps low income households pay for heating or cooling their homes.
Lump Sum Payment - Cash received on a non-recurring or irregular basis that may not reasonably be anticipated. Includes insurance settlements, inheritances, retroactive payments of RSDI, VA, SSDI, SSI and Unemployment Insurance.
M
Maintenance - The provision of the supplies or funds needed to sustain basic needs.
Minor Child - A child who is under age 18.
Minor Parent - An individual under age 18 who has a minor child; who is not married or emancipated by the court.
Month Received - The benefit month in which money may be reasonably anticipated to be available to the applicant or client or in which the person will receive money in-hand. SSA and SSI payments are exceptions to this definition, as the payment is made at the end of a month (usually because of holiday mail) for use during the following month.
Mutual Fund - A company without fixed capitalization, freely buying and selling its own shares and using its capital to invest in other companies.
N
National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car Guide - A private publication giving standard values for motor vehicles.
Net Earned Income - An individual's monthly gross earned income minus all allowable employment-related disregards. Also known as net monthly earned income.
Net Income - Gross income minus all allowable income disregards and deductions.
Noncitizen - A person residing in the United States who is not a United States citizen.
Noncitizen Sponsor - A person or any public or private agency or organization who executed an affidavit of support or similar agreement on behalf of a noncitizen (who is neither the child of the sponsor nor the sponsor's spouse) as a condition of the noncitizen's entry into the United States.
Non-Custodial Parent - NCP - A natural or adoptive mother or father who is not living in the home of the child.
Nonliquid Asset - A resource which cannot reasonably be readily converted to cash, such as vehicles, buildings, or land.
Non-financial Criteria - Eligibility criteria not based on income or assets.
Non-welfare Child Support - A child support obligation and/or payment received on behalf of a child who is not in receipt of TANF or associated with and outstanding TANF debt.
O
On-going Eligibility - The act of evaluating each open case and finding the case eligible or ineligible.
Orientation - A process to provide applicants with information on program requirements, available supportive services, and their rights and responsibilities.
Otherwise Eligible - Not precluded from eligibility by some other provision of Maine statute, Title IV-A of the Social Security Act or P. L. 104-193, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), and the individual meets all non-financial criteria.
Overpayment - Amount of a financial assistance payment received by or for the benefit of an assistance unit that exceeded the amount for which that unit was actually eligible.
P
Parent - Specified relative who is a natural/adoptive parent or a stepparent (related by marriage to the child's natural/adoptive parent) or a person considered by law to be a parent in the case of a child conceived by artificial insemination.
Parents as Scholars - PaS - A monthly cash assistance program for parents of minor children who are matriculating in postsecondary undergraduate two-year and four-year degree-granting education programs.
Pension Fund - An investment account (typically with an employer) that is intended to provide income at retirement.
Pension Payment - A sum of money paid regularly as a retirement or disability benefit.
Perjury - A willful false statement of a material fact; swearing to what is untrue; or, incompletely answering all questions under oath with an intention to deceive.
Personal Property - All belongings owned by the applicant or client that are not considered real property.
Physical Care - The attention given to the physical needs of a child or children.
Place of Residence - A person's primary abode where they live more than half the time.
Probation/Parole Violator - An individual not fulfilling the requirements of their probation/parole.
Processing Month - The month in which computer entries are made and confirmed.
Proof - Documentation or information that establishes the accuracy of statements made by the individual.
Prorate - To divide or distribute benefits proportionally based on number of days eligible in the benefit month.
Prospective Budgeting - Calculating eligibility and/or benefit amount by using the best estimate of the income and circumstances that are expected to exist in the benefit month.
Protective Payee - The individual, other than the specified relative, to whom payment is made and who manages the family's benefit for the purpose of safeguarding the health and welfare of the child(ren).
PRWORA- Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996- P.L. 104-193 replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. Establishing basic federal program requirements for TANF and strengthening the child support system.
Q
Quality Control - QC - a unit with the Department's Office for Family Independence that regularly conducts internal audit type activities to ensure program integrity in benefit issuance and timeliness.
Questionable - Inconsistent with- other statements made by the individual, information provided for current or past requests for assistance, or information received by the Department from other sources.
R
Real Property - Resources in the form of real estate, such as land or buildings.
Recoupment - The collection or recovery by the Department of the value of assistance erroneously paid to an individual.
Redetermination - A review of all financial and non-financial requirements affecting eligibility and/or benefit amount.
Resident - A person who lives in Maine with the intent to make it their home.
Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance - RSDI - A program operated by the Social Security Administration that provides a monthly income to retired people, survivors or dependents of insured people, and people with disabilities.
Room and Board Income - Money received for providing meals and/or rooms to people not included in the assistance group.
Roomer - An individual residing with others and paying reasonable compensation to others for lodging, but not for meals.
S
Sanction - A penalty imposed against a client for failure to cooperate with requirements of the ASPIRE Program, DSER, and/or other means tested programs that specifically require such a penalty.
Section 8 Housing - A federal rent subsidy program now referred to as the Housing Choice Voucher Program. The tenant pays a portion of the rental cost based on a percentage of their income. The balance of the rental cost is paid by the federal government. Also known as deep subsidy.
Self-Employment - The act of engaging in a trade or business not under the control or direction of an outside employer with the intent to generate earnings or benefits where those earnings are not reported on a W-2.
Shelter Costs - The amount of money required to provide housing.
Social Security Administration - SSA - A United States government agency that administers specific social programs covering disability, retirement and survivor's benefits.
Social Security Disability Insurance - SSDI - Benefits issued to individuals who can't work because they have a limiting medical condition that's expected to last for at least one year or result in death.
Social Security Number - SSN - A nine-digit number that the United States government issues to all U.S. citizens and eligible U.S. residents who apply for one.
Specified Relative - A person related to the minor child within the fifth degree of kinship by blood, marriage, or adoption who lives with the child; a legal guardian or Indian Custodian who lives with the child.
Standard of Need - The amount of income necessary to meet the full need in relation to household size.
Step Disregard - The method of reducing a certain percentage of a TANF/PaS recipient's earned income for the first six months of employment.
Stepparent - An individual who is currently legally married to a child's natural or adoptive parent but has no biological or adoptive parental relationship to the child.
Striker - Anyone who participates in a strike or work stoppage (including a stoppage due to the expiration of a collective-bargaining agreement) or any concerted slowdown or other interruption of operations by employees.
Subsidized Housing - Housing leased under an agreement in which the household pays a rate based on a percentage of the household's income. The balance of the rent is paid for by the federal government. Also known as deep subsidy housing, conventional public housing, or the Housing Choice Voucher Program (formerly known as Section 8 housing).
Supplemental Security Income - SSI - Federal payments made under authority of Title XVI of the Social Security Act.
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements - SAVE - A process which allows access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) data to validate the immigration status of non-citizen applicants.
T
TANF Cash Assistance - A time-limited cash assistance program designed to provide families with opportunities leading to self-support.
Temporary Absence - The condition created when a member(s) of the assistance unit is away from the home for a specified period of time not to exceed 45 days except in limited circumstances.
Temporary Assistance For Needy Families - TANF - Welfare provided under Title IV-A of the Social Security Act which authorized the TANF block grant as a result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
Termination - The closure of a case and/or removal of an individual from program eligibility.
Timely Notice - Written notification mailed at least ten days prior to the date of the action.
Title IV-A - The section of the Social Security Act authorizing the TANF program.
Title IV-D - The part of the Social Security Act that authorizes establishing paternity and collecting child support.
Title IV-E Foster Care - Foster care payments authorized under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act.
Transfer - The act of moving the right, title or interest in property, or a portion thereof, from one person to another by sale, gift or exchange. Also includes transfers to joint tenancy or to tenancy in common.
Tribal Land Claim Settlements - Settlements of property claims between the Federal government and Indian Tribes under Public Laws 92-03, 94-89, 94-14, 94-40, 95-33, 96-20, and 93-31.
Trust - Any arrangement in which a grantor transfers property (real or personal) with the intention that it be held, managed, or administered by a trustee(s) for the benefit of the grantor or other beneficiary(ies). Trusts are managed by individuals or entities with fiduciary obligations.
Trustee - Any individual(s) or entity that manages a trust and has fiduciary responsibilities.
U
Underpayment - The payment of a level of assistance that is less than the amount that an assistance group is rightfully entitled to receive, or the failure of the Department to issue benefits to an eligible assistance group.
Unearned Income - All contributions, payments, pensions, benefits, loans, awards, etc.
which are not received as compensation for work performed. No deductions are allowed from unearned income unless otherwise instructed.
Unemployment Insurance Benefits - UIB - Financial assistance for eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and meet other eligibility requirements as determined by the U.S. and Maine Department of Labor.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services - USCIS - (formerly INS) - An agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system.
United States Department of Justice (DOJ) - a federal executive office responsible for the enforcement of federal law.
Utilities - The services provided for water, sewer, electricity, telephone and heating/cooking fuel.
V
Vendor - The person or business that provides goods or services.
Vendor Payments - A portion of assistance paid directly to a vendor on behalf of an assistance group.
Verification - A document or written statement attesting to the validity of a fact or event that is needed to determine eligibility or establish compliance with program requirements.
Verify - To check, confirm or establish whether a statement or condition is true or accurate by obtaining a copy, viewing a copy or obtaining a verbal description of the evidence.
W
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act - WIOA - Services designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training and support services to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the economy. These services are administered by the U.S. and Maine Department of Labor.
C.M.R. 10, 144, ch. 331, Introduction and General Definitions