Good Cause Criteria - TAFDC

 

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:

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:

 

Good cause for lack of appropriate child care may be verified by the client:

 

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:

 

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:

 

Note

You should annotate the Narrative tab concerning the verification received from any third-party collateral contact.

 

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:

 

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:

 

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:

 

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:

 

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.

 

Good cause exists if the client claims s/he lacks affordable or reliable transportation.  This may be verified by the client:

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:

Good cause exists if the client does not have an available and appropriate Community Service site.  This may be verified as follows:

 

Note

The Department is responsible for locating a Community Service site for the client.  

 

Good cause exists if:

Good cause may be verified by the client:

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.

  1. on the Sanction tab of the Sanctions page, select the Sanction for which the client should be given good cause

  2. select Good Cause from the Removal reason drop-down box. This will enable the Good Cause tab

  3. on the Good Cause tab, select a confirmation Reason for how the client is confirming the existence of the Good Cause

  4. select the Documentation Received for the Good Cause

  5. enter a free form Description of any additional information about the Good Cause

  6. update the date Good Cause began in the Start date field (it will default to today’s date)

  7. enter a Scheduled end date of the Good Cause reason, if appropriate

  8. enter an End date of the Good Cause reason if there is a definite end date, if appropriate

  9. click the Save button to save the data to the select list and

  10. click Next or Finish to save and exit the page.

 

 

Good Cause Criteria Policy and Procedures - TAFDC

 

 

  Last Update: August 5, 2021