Section 218-RICR-20-00-2.1 - Purpose and Administration2.1.1Legal ProvisionsA. The Rhode Island Works Program (R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 40-5.2-1et seq.) establishes the legal basis for a welfare to work program to assist needy families to prepare for, accept and retain employment with necessary supports, as quickly as possible, and is the law through which the Federal assistance program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, is available to families in Rhode Island who meet program eligibility criteria. The Department of Human Services is charged with the responsibility of setting forth the eligibility requirements established in law. All provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 40-5.2 shall be effective and apply to all applicants and recipients on or after July 1, 2008, except those described in Time Limit (see § 2.6 of this Part).B. Cash assistance issued under the program is not transferable or assignable at law or in equity, and no benefits paid or payable shall be subject to execution levy, attachment, garnishment or other legal process, or to the operation of any bankruptcy or insolvency law.2.1.2PurposeA. The purpose of the Rhode Island Works Program of the Department of Human Services (referred to as "the Agency") is to provide financial and employment assistance to eligible pregnant women and parents (or caregivers) with children and to ensure children's healthy growth and development by providing access to necessary services.B. The program is administered in a manner consistent with the objectives of the Agency and respects the rights, privacy, and personal dignity of the individual. All applicants and recipients, without regard to race, color, national origin, English proficiency, age, sex, disability, religious belief, political belief, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, have a right to apply, to confidentiality, to equitable and courteous treatment, to self-determination, to receive the proper form of assistance, to receive, if eligible, an accurate unrestricted income support and to an adjustment conference, and/or to a Fair Hearing.C. An application completed by the applicant and filed with the Agency, is used to apply for assistance and initiates the application process. An interview with the applicant to review these forms is required. The applicant is also required to document the information so that the Agency can determine the applicant's eligibility or ineligibility. That determination encompasses all factors of eligibility, as set forth in the law and policy of the Agency, and includes a full exploration and computation of resources which can be made available to each person or family.2.1.3Scope of the Program for FamiliesA. The purpose of the Rhode Island Works Program is to assist working families with children who have insufficient income to meet their needs for food, shelter, clothing, child care, and medical care and to provide families with parents who are unemployed with both financial assistance and employment assistance, so the adult member(s) of the family can enter or re-enter the workplace, with necessary supports. This shall include developing and implementing child support payment and enforcement, case management that includes employment planning, employment services, and necessary social and human services supports; cash assistance, food assistance, child care subsidies and medical assistance for eligible children and families in need.B. Cash Assistance for Eligible Families Families in which there is an eligible child (see § 2.5 of this Part) and whose resources are within program limits (see § 2.14 of this Part), whose countable income is less than the cash payment amount are eligible for a cash assistance payment.C. Child Care Assistance Program1. All families who are eligible for cash assistance, especially those who require child care in order to meet the work requirements described in § 2.11 of this Part will be provided child care.2. Effective October 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022, the Department shall also provide child care assistance to eligible families with incomes below one hundred eighty percent (180%) of the Federal Poverty Level when such assistance is necessary for a member of these families to enroll or maintain enrollment as a matriculating student in a Rhode Island public institution of higher education. Eligibility to receive funding is capped when expenditures reach two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000.00) for this provision.3. Other families within income and resource limits and other requirements of the program detailed in the Child Care Assistance Program Rules and Regulations, Part 4 of this Subchapter, are eligible for subsidized child care for children under age thirteen (13), or for children between thirteen (13) and nineteen (19) years old who have a documented physical or mental disability which makes the child incapable of self-care.D. Medicaid: pregnant women and families with an eligible child or children may be eligible for Medical Assistance if their income and resources are within program limits (see Medicaid Code of Administrative Rules, Medicaid Application and Renewal Processes, 210-RICR-30-00-3).E. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): families within program income and resource limits are eligible for food assistance. SNAP is a Federal program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is administered in Rhode Island by the Department of Human Services. A household that has been determined eligible for SNAP receives benefits which augment the food purchasing power of the family. See the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Part 1 of this Subchapter.218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-20-00-2.1
Adopted effective 1/6/2019
Amended effective 2/16/2020
Amended effective 2/27/2022
Amended effective 11/11/2022
Amended effective 8/26/2023
Amended effective 11/4/2023