An applicant or client (hereafter referred to as client) may have reasons that are acceptable to the Department for why they cannot meet certain Department requirements. These reasons are commonly known as having good cause.
When it appears that a client is having difficulty meeting a Department program rule, you must discuss with them by telephone or in person why they are not meeting the requirement and determine if good cause exists.
If the client wishes to make a good cause claim for not meeting a program rule, you must generate a Verification Checklist (VC-1) and request verification to support the good cause claim. The verification required will depend upon the good cause reason claimed.
Good cause for failure to meet Department program rules, including, but not limited to, TAFDC Employment Service Program (ESP) participation, TAFDC time limit extension requirements, TAFDC Work Program requirements, eligibility review appointments, for failure or refusal to accept a bona fide employment offer, for a reduction in earnings from employment because of absences or for terminating employment may exist in one or more of the following situations:
Lack of appropriate state-standard child care
Good cause exists if appropriate state-standard child care is totally unavailable, or unavailable during the client’s hours of training or employment, including additional commuting time, or arrangements for child care have broken down, been interrupted or not yet established due to no fault or delay of the client.
State-standard child care is child care which is licensed or exempt from licensure by state law. Factors considered in determining whether child care is appropriate include:
recommendations by the Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) agency contracted with the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to provide child care services; or
client consideration when deciding whether a child care slot is appropriate for their child, including the time required to travel to and from the child care provider and the client’s home, work or other activities.
Good cause for lack of appropriate child care may be verified by the client:
returning a Child Care Referral notice dated and signed by a CCRR counselor with the box on the bottom of the notice checked: CC Not Available at this time
submitting a statement from the child care provider, if the child care is not provided through the CCRR, or
submitting a written, dated and signed statement stating why they cannot obtain child care, if verification is not available from the child care provider.
Family crisis, emergency situation or other compelling circumstances
Good cause exists if the client, a member of the client’s immediate family, or an individual whose relationship to the client makes it appropriate for the client to provide care or support during a crisis or emergency situation, suffers a family crisis or emergency situation or other compelling circumstance, that is beyond the control of the client and that:
demands the client’s immediate attention and
can only be attended to by the client during the hours of his or her employment or scheduled Department requirement.
A family crisis or emergency situation may include illness, injury, health conditions, hospitalizations or exacerbation of chronic illnesses that temporarily prevent participation, regardless of the client’s disability exemption status.
Good cause may be verified by the client:
submitting a written, dated and signed statement describing the family crisis, emergency situation or other compelling circumstances, and a collateral contact with a third party or an organization involved in the situation. The collateral contact should not be a family member, to the extent possible.
Note |
You should annotate the Narrative tab concerning the verification received from any third-party collateral contact. |
Employment or offer of employment is below applicable federal or state minimum wage
Good cause exists if the job’s payment rate is below federal or state minimum wage.
Good cause for pay below minimum wage may be verified by the client:
submitting a written, dated and signed statement that the job pay is below minimum wage. If you have reason to question the validity of the payment rate, contact the employer for additional verification of the payment rate.
Employment or offer of employment or activity discriminates in terms of age, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, or physical or mental disability
Good cause exists if there is discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, or physical or mental disability concerning the employment, offer of employment or activity for employment involving the client.
Good cause for discrimination may be verified by the client:
submitting a written, dated and signed statement alleging that the job discriminates in terms of age, sex, race, religion, ethnic origin, or physical or mental disability. If you need additional information concerning the allegation, contact the employer. Make a notation in the Narrative tab concerning the contact with the employer and any additional information obtained.
Employment involves conditions that violate applicable health and safety standards
Good cause exists if the place of employment has conditions that violate the health and safety of the employees.
Good cause for health and safety conditions may be verified by the client:
obtaining and submitting a written, dated and signed statement from the appropriate local, state or federal enforcement agency or board verifying the health and safety conditions of the place of employment.
Employment is only available due to a strike or lockout
Good cause exists if the employment is only available due to a strike or lockout.
Good cause for strike or lockout may be verified by the client:
obtaining and submitting a written, dated and signed statement from the representative of the union involved in the strike or lockout, or from the employer.
Not presumptively eligible for a disability claim
Good cause exists if a TAFDC client who requests a disability exemption is not eligible for presumptive disability benefits because they were previously denied a disability exemption claim (within the past 60-month period) but has a health condition or illness which prevents them from meeting work program requirements, TAFDC Employment Development Plan (EDP) requirements, or time limit extension work activity requirements.
Good cause for a client who is not presumptively eligible for a disability claim denial may only be verified by a TAFDC Good Cause Medical Statement (TAFDC-GCMS).
Important |
The client’s self-declaration statement of a health condition or illness is not acceptable verification. |
For TAFDC Work Program and Employment Development Plan purposes, the hourly requirements were not met
Good cause exists if the client claims s/he lacks affordable or reliable transportation. This may be verified by the client:
submitting a written, dated and signed statement regarding the lack of affordable and reliable transportation, and if necessary, supporting documents.
Good cause exists if the client is participating in housing search while in an Emergency Assistance (EA) shelter. This may be verified by the client:
submitting a copy of the activities in his or her self-sufficiency plan showing housing search as an activity in compliance with the EA shelter program rules administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), or a written, dated and signed statement from the agency providing housing search assistance to the client while they are in shelter.
Good cause exists if the client does not have an available and appropriate Community Service site. This may be verified as follows:
the Department’s efforts to locate a Community Service site for the client are documented in the client’s Electronic Case Folder (ECF) and verify the lack of an available and appropriate Community Service site
Note |
The Department is responsible for locating a Community Service site for the client. |
Domestic Violence
Good cause exists if:
domestic violence creates a danger to the client and/or to their children's safety.
the client is in the process of establishing the safety and stability of their family due to domestic violence and these activities preclude the full participation in the Work Program. This includes participating in domestic violence services, pursuing legal assistance, getting medical or mental health services, relocating, etc.
Good cause may be verified by the client:
a written, dated, and signed statement from the client describing the current DV crisis, and a collateral contact with another person or organization with knowledge of the circumstances that support their good cause claim.
If good cause is granted for a client, a referral to the assigned Domestic Violence Specialist should be completed. Good cause should be reviewed with the client at any time they are reporting a change to their current situation, but at minimum, good cause should be reviewed yearly during reevaluation.
Approving Good Cause
To approve good cause, select Good Cause as the Removal reason on the Sanction tab of the Sanctions page. You must enter additional details on the Good Cause tab if the Sanction is being removed for a Good Cause reason.
on the Sanction tab of the Sanctions page, select the Sanction for which the client should be given good cause
select Good Cause from the Removal reason drop-down box. This will enable the Good Cause tab
on the Good Cause tab, select a confirmation Reason for how the client is confirming the existence of the Good Cause
select the Documentation Received for the Good Cause
enter a free form Description of any additional information about the Good Cause
update the date Good Cause began in the Start date field (it will default to today’s date)
enter a Scheduled end date of the Good Cause reason, if appropriate
enter an End date of the Good Cause reason if there is a definite end date, if appropriate
click the Save button to save the data to the select list and
click Next or Finish to save and exit the page.
Good Cause Criteria Policy and Procedures - TAFDC