(a)

1. (1) The Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Revenue Division of the Department of Finance and Administration sends the transitional employment assistance (TEA) family any current monthly child support collected that is in excess of the TEA payment.
2. (2) A printout is sent to the county office stating that the child support exceeds the TEA payment.
3. (3) If the total child support collected, alone or with other countable income, exceeds the income eligibility standard of two hundred twenty-three dollars ($223), action to close the case will be taken.
4. (4) If the family remains eligible, however, then contact will be made with the participant to discuss options or alternatives to cash assistance that could benefit the family.

5. (5) The contact can be:

   1. (A) By phone;
   2. (B) In writing; or
   3. (C) During in-person contacts with the participant.

(b) When the child support income exceeds the assistance payment but the family remains income eligible, the participant will be given the following options:

1. (1)

   1. (A) Close the TEA case and receive the full child support.
   2. (B) Explain to the participant that the child support payment is more than the TEA payment and even though a partial child support payment is being received, the limited months of TEA are continuing to count.
   3. (C) Also, explain that Medicaid may continue and if the absent parent stops paying, reapplication for TEA can be made; or

2. (2)

   1. (A) Continue to receive TEA and the partial child support payments.
   2. (B) Explain to the participant that if this option is chosen, the payments will continue to count toward the time limitation.

(c)

1. (1) It will be the participant’s decision as to which option is chosen.
2. (2) If there is no response from the participant, no further action will be taken on the case. Example: The family’s TEA payment is two hundred four dollars ($204) per month. The absent parent is paying two hundred twenty dollars ($220) per month in child support. The Office of Child Support Enforcement is sending the participant sixteen dollars ($16.00). It would be to the family’s benefit to close the TEA case and receive the child support in full. The time limit clock would stop at this point. If the participant reapplies in the future, the time limit will pick up from where it previously ended.

(d)

1. (1) Whichever option is chosen, the case worker should redetermine the family’s Medicaid eligibility.
2. (2) The family may be eligible for three (3) months of extended Medicaid due to child support income or may be eligible in another Medicaid category.
3. (3) Please refer to the Medical Services Policy Manual, 20 CAR pt. 500.