1. (a)

   1. (1) Beginning March 1, 2024, a family who meets all the eligibility requirements may receive transitional employment assistance (TEA) cash assistance benefits for a period of up to twelve (12) total months.
   2. (2) The months counted are based on receipt by the adult recipient or head of household minor parent.
   3. (3) Refer to 20 CAR § 502-912 for circumstances under which the time limit may be extended.

2. (b) The time limit does not apply in the following situations:

   1. (1) In cases in which the only parent in the home, or both parents if both are living in the home, receives Supplemental Security Income benefits, and therefore, no adult is included in the case;

   2. (2)

      1. (A) In months in which the individual is deferred or exempt from work activity participation requirements.
      2. (B) See Example 2, below; and

   3. (3)

      1. (A) In the months in which a non-head of household minor, under eighteen (18) years of age, parent receives cash assistance.
      2. (B) The count will begin when the minor reaches eighteen (18) years of age.

3. (c)

   1. (1) The time limit applies in cases in which the nonparent caretaker’s relatives choose to be included in the TEA payment with the child.
   2. (2) If a nonparent relative is a payee only, then the time limit does not apply to the case.
   3. (3) This will be explained to the nonparent adult relative during the application interview.
   4. (4) See Example 1, below.
4. (d) The time a child receives assistance will not count toward their time limit when they become an adult.

5. (e)

   1. (1) Payments made by another state under a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program count toward the twelve-month limit in Arkansas if the adult has received more than forty-eight (48) such payments in another state.
   2. (2) Only the payments from another state in excess of forty-eight (48) total payments will count toward Arkansas’s twelve-month limit.

   3. (3) Note.

      1. (A) The DCO-118, TANF Assistance Received Out of State, will be used to report TEA benefits received from another state.
      2. (B) The form should be emailed to the TEA Policy Unit. Example 1: A grandmother is applying (after July 1998) for her grandchild. The grandmother chooses to be included in the unit. After six (6) months of receiving TEA benefits, the case closes because the child has returned to their parent. The grandmother later reapplies for herself and a child of her own. Because she previously received six (6) months of assistance, she has six (6) months remaining in the twelve- month limit. Had she not been included with her grandchild previously, her twelve-month period would begin at one (1) month. Example 2: Ms. Jones was temporarily deferred from work activity requirements due to a domestic violence situation at the time her TEA application was certified in January. The deferral continued for the next five (5) months, ending in June. The deferral months of January through June will not count toward Ms. Jones’ twelve-month limit.

6. (f)

   1. (1) Diversion Assistance payments count towards the twelve-month time limit unless the payment has been repaid.
   2. (2) The number of months that a diversion payment counts is based on the diversion amount divided by the maximum grant for which the family would have been eligible had the diversion not been made.
   3. (3) The number of months is rounded up to the next higher number.
   4. (4) See 20 CAR § 502-207.

7. (g)

   1. (1) Inquiry to the TEA Time Clock may be made to determine the number of months an adult has received TEA benefits.
   2. (2) Regular TEA payments and diversion payments are listed on this screen as well as payments paid by another state that must be counted toward the time limit.

Codification Notes: This section as promulgated prior to codification into the Code of Arkansas Rules provided as follows: “04/01/24”