(a)

1. (1) The participant must provide biweekly verification of work hours or pay stubs for each week of every month.

2. (2) The verification can be provided:

   1. (A) By fax;
   2. (B) By mail;
   3. (C) By scan and email; or
   4. (D) In person.
3. (3) The agency will accept verification of earnings from the employer, check stubs, payroll printout, etc.
4. (4) The Program Eligibility Specialist must enter actual work activity hours for each week into the automated system.
5. (5) If the participant fails to follow through on a required activity, then immediate contact is required.

(b) The participant must:

1. (1) Be in a paid work activity at least twenty-four (24) hours per week; and

2. (2)

   1. (A) Meet the weekly federal participation requirement in one (1) of the past three (3) months and three (3) of the past six (6) months.
   2. (B) See 20 CAR § 503-1504(c), (d), and (e) for the federal work participation requirements.

(c)

1. (1) The Program Eligibility Specialist will encourage the participant to engage in a paid work activity equal to the federal work activity requirement, if possible.

2. (2)

   1. (A) If the participant is only capable of engaging in a paid work activity for twenty-four (24) hours a week, the Program Eligibility Specialist will determine:

(i) What work activities are allowable in the Arkansas Work Pays Program case; and

1. (ii) The number of hours the participant can participate.

   1. (B) This evaluation is necessary due to federal limitations on certain work activities.

      1. (d)

2. (1) The Program Eligibility Specialist will:

   1. (A) Discuss allowable work activities with the participant; and
   2. (B) Assign the participant to additional work activities needed to meet the weekly federal work participation requirement.
3. (2) See 20 CAR § 503-1511 for allowable work activities. Example 1: Mr. Parent works fifteen (15) hours a week, and Mrs. Parent works twenty (20) hours per week. They do not receive federally funded childcare. They meet the work participation requirement for a two-parent household not receiving federally funded childcare. Example 2: Mr. and Mrs. Worker receive federally funded childcare. Mr. Worker is employed for twenty-five (25) hours per week and takes a three-credit-hour class at the local college. Mrs. Worker is assigned to Work Experience for twenty (20) hours per week, and GED for four (4) hours per week. The Worker family has twenty-five (25) paid hours, twenty-six (26) core hours, and four (4) noncore hours. (The core hours include twenty (20) hours work experience, three (3) hours of actual class time, and three (3) hours of study/homework time based on credit hours). They meet the federal participant requirement.

(e)

1. (1)

   1. (A) The parent’s gross earnings along with other countable income must be below the one hundred fifty percent (150%) federal poverty level for the family size.
   2. (B) See Appendix B.
2. (2) The income of the child or children is disregarded.
3. (3) Unemployment insurance and child support are also disregarded when determining initial (and ongoing) eligibility for the Arkansas Work Pays Program.
4. (4) Refer to 20 CAR § 502-506 for unearned income to disregard.

(f) FPL calculation (ongoing eligibility).

1. (1)

   1. (A) If the participant is paid weekly:

      1. (i) Total the gross income actually received in the month;
      2. (ii)

(b) (b) See note below; and

1. (iii) Multiply by 4.334.

   1. (B) Note. If the participant is paid weekly but received five (5) checks in the month, divide total gross income by and multiply by 4.334.

2. (2)

   1. (A) If the participant is paid every two (2) weeks (biweekly):

      1. (i) Total the gross income actually received in the month;
      2. (ii)

(b) (b) See note below; and

1. (iii) Multiply by 2.167.

   1. (B) Note. If the participant is paid every two (2) weeks (biweekly) but received three (3) checks in the month, divide total gross income by three (3) and multiply by 2.167.
2. (3) If the participant is paid twice a month (semi-monthly), total the gross income actually received in the month with no conversion.
3. (4) Note. The Program Eligibility Specialist will review the work documentation each month to determine if there is a need to update the budget.

4. (5)

   1. (A) An update to the budget is only necessary if there has been a significant change in income.

   2. (B) A significant change is:

      1. (i) One in which the new wage is equal to or exceeds one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the current federal poverty level for the family size; and
      2. (ii) Not based on a temporary fluctuation such as overtime, seasonal bonus, etc.
   3. (C) See 20 CAR § 503-403 for more information on significant changes.

(g)

1. (1) If the participant becomes unemployed while in the Arkansas Work Pays Program, the Arkansas Work Pays Program Eligibility Specialist should assist the participant to expeditiously find a new job.
2. (2) The participant should be referred to all available resources in the workforce development system that will assist them in becoming employed.