Entering Dependent Care Expenses Data - TAFDC

 

The Dependent Care Expenses Page captures information regarding the applicant’s or client’s dependent care expenses.  The page is also used to determine whether the dependent, for whom the expense is claimed, is eligible to receive dependent care.  This page must be completed any time a Yes answer is given to the Dependent Care question in the Income and Expense Q & A Navigator.

This information is used to calculate a Dependent Care Expense Deduction for each dependent that can be used as a deduction for the client incurring the expense.

 

Note

If there are no dependent care expenses, the No Dependent Care Expense checkbox is automatically checked.  If expenses are entered and saved, this box will become unchecked automatically.

 

Allowable dependent care expenses include:

Data collected on this page includes:

This page is enabled when a Yes answer is given to the dependent care question "Do you or does anyone in your AU(s) have any dependent care expenses, or are they authorized or receiving IECC through OCCS or a CCR&R Agency?"  This question appears in the Income & Expenses Questions section of the Income and Expenses Q & A Navigator when you are taking the TAFDC application.

 

Note

OCCS is now the Department of Early Education and Care.

 

There are two tabs in the Dependent Care Expenses page:

 

Expense Tab

The Expense tab is used to capture information regarding Dependent Care Expenses for a client who has a responsibility of paying the expense, in at least one case within the current eligibility group.

 

Important

If the dependent care expense is to be used in the calculation of eligibility and benefit amount in the prospective test of eligibility, the Prospective Expense tab must be completed.  Remember, clients who receive ESP child care through a CCR&R agency are not eligible for a dependent care deduction.  

 

To Add a Dependent Care Expense to the Expense Tab

  1. access the Dependent Care Expenses page. The Expense tab is selected by default.

  2. click the Dependent pop-up icon to the right of the Dependent field.  A Household Member/Basic Person list, which contains all non-grantee members of the household, will display.  Select the dependent for whom the expense is incurred from this list, and the dependent’s name will display in the dependent field

  3. for Type, select the type of dependent care from the drop-down list (Income Eligible Child Care (IECC) or Non IECC).  IECC is usually the child care provided through a CCR&R agency

  4. for Frequency, select the frequency of the expense payment from the drop-down list, such as weekly, biweekly, monthly, etc.

  5. for Reason, select the reason for the child care from the drop-down list

  6. period is a view-only field that defaults to the Frequency of payment period you selected in frequency field

 

Important

If you change information in the frequency field and click Save, and all existing selections and entries in the list are removed.  You must then reenter the expense amounts in the Expense Amount field.

 

  1. for Expense Amount, enter the dollar amount of the expense for the selected dependent

 

Note

BEACON adds a decimal point only for whole dollar amounts (if $40 is entered, the decimal point is added and will show as $40.00).  You will need to add a decimal point when entering expenses that are not a whole dollar amount.

 

Example

If a weekly wage of $40.50 is entered, you will need to insert a decimal point manually - $40 + decimal point + 50 to capture the correct amount of $40.50.

 

  1. for Cash eligible deduction, select Yes if the dependent, for whom the expense is incurred, is eligible for a dependent care deduction for cash programs, otherwise select No

  2. for FS eligible deduction, select Yes if the dependent, for whom the expense is incurred, is eligible for a dependent care for SNAP, otherwise select No

  3. for Incapacitated dependent, if the dependent is disabled select Yes, otherwise Select No

  4. for Allowable cash, select Yes if the expense is an allowable deduction for cash, otherwise select No

  5. for Allowable FS, select Yes if the expense is an allowable deduction for SNAP, otherwise select No

  6. click Save, to save the information

 

Note

When saving the record a BEACON prompt will state that a prospective calculation is required.  If you select Yes you will be able to create a prospective expense.  If you select No you will be able to exit the page without creating a prospective expense.

 

  1. you may start entering information for a new record immediately after saving the prior record by pressing the clear button and following steps 2-14 to add more expenses for other members

 

Remember

It is important for demographic purposes, that you enter the expenses for each member for whom the expense is incurred.

 

  1. to continue entering dependent care information, go to the Prospective Tab

 

Prospective Tab

This tab is used to identify the Monthly Prospective Expense Amount for a particular dependent care expense type.  You must indicate which of the periods should be used to determine the Monthly Prospective Expense Amount (Prospective Expense is the projected or anticipated expense for the case) used in eligibility calculations.

 

Add Information on the Dependent Care Expense/Prospective Tab

  1. click the Prospective tab or answer Yes to the soft edit pop-up

  2. for start, the start date for the prospective amount is defaulted to the current date and cannot be changed

  3. select one or more expense amount records by checking the Prospective Averaging checkbox next to the records you wish to be used in the calculation of the monthly prospective amount

  4. to calculate the monthly prospective amount, click Calculate.  The calculated amount will display in the Monthly Prospective Amount field

 

Note

If you selected the wrong amount in an existing monthly prospective amount, click the refresh button and revisit steps 5-6.

 

  1. click Save to save the record

 

Employment Policy and Procedures

 

 

  Last Update: October 26, 2018