Chapter 388-489 WAC
Last Update: 11/17/23TRANSITIONAL FOOD ASSISTANCE
WAC Sections
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0005 | Who is eligible for transitional food assistance? |
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0010 | How is my transitional food assistance benefit calculated? |
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0015 | How long will my household receive transitional food assistance? |
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0020 | Am I required to report changes in my household's circumstances while on transitional food assistance? |
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0022 | What happens if I reapply for Basic Food while receiving transitional food assistance? |
| HTMLPDF | 388-489-0025 | Can my transitional food assistance benefits end before the end of my five-month transition period? |
PDF388-489-0005
Who is eligible for transitional food assistance?
You are eligible for transitional food assistance (TFA) for up to five months if you meet the following eligibility criteria:
(1) Your family stops receiving cash assistance to include temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), tribal TANF, or state family assistance (SFA), or:
(2) Your family receives (TCA) ;
(3) Your family was receiving basic food at the time we determined you were no longer eligible for cash assistance described in subsection (1) of this section, or when you received TCA;
(4) After your family stops receiving cash assistance described in subsection (1) of this section, or receives TCA, no other member of your basic food assistance unit receives TANF, tribal TANF, or SFA;
(5) Your family did not move out of the state of Washington as described in WAC 388-468-0005;
(6) At the time your family's cash assistance ended, your family was not in sanction status. Sanction status means:
(a) We reduced your family's TANF grant payment because a family member is not cooperating with the division of child support (WAC 388-422-0010); or
(b) We decided that a member of your family was not eligible for TANF because the member:
(i) Failed to meet teen parent living arrangement (WAC 388-486-0005) or teen parent school attendance requirements (WAC 388-410-0010); or
(ii) Was convicted of unlawful practices (WAC 388-446-0005) or for receiving TANF in two or more states at the same time (WAC 388-446-0010); or
(c) We stopped your family's TANF grant payment, including tribal TANF, because of a grant reduction sanction penalty (WAC 388-310-1600).
(7) At the time your family's TANF grant ended, your basic food assistance unit did not become ineligible because:
(a) You were applying for recertification of your basic food benefits and refused to cooperate with the application process; or
(b) All members of your assistance unit are ineligible for basic food for the reasons stated in WAC 388-489-0025(3).
(8) There is no limit to the number of times your family can receive TFA.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.04.680, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 2022 c 98. WSR 23-23-134, § 388-489-0005, filed 11/17/23, effective 1/1/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.04.680, and 74.08.090. WSR 22-12-017, § 388-489-0005, filed 5/20/22, effective 7/1/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. WSR 05-19-060, § 388-489-0005, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05.]
PDF388-489-0010
How is my transitional food assistance benefit calculated?
(1) We base your transitional food assistance (TFA) benefit amount on the regular monthly benefit allotment issued to your basic food assistance unit for the last month your household received temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) or the month you qualified for transitional cash assistance (TCA). We will not count your last TANF grant payment when we calculate your TFA benefit amount. For example:
(a) If your basic food assistance unit's only income was TANF, the TFA benefit will be the amount your household would have received if you had no income.
(b) If your basic food benefit was calculated using TANF plus income from another source, we will count only the income from the other source when calculating the TFA amount.
(c) If a member of your assistance unit is in WorkFirst sanction when TANF closes for a reason other than WorkFirst sanction, the TFA household size will be reduced by the number of individuals in sanction when TANF closed.
(2) We will adjust your TFA benefits if:
(a) Someone who gets TFA with you leaves your assistance unit and is found eligible to receive basic food in another assistance unit. We will adjust your benefits by:
(i) Reducing your assistance unit size by the number of persons who left your assistance unit; and
(ii) Removing the income and expenses clearly belonging to the persons who left your assistance unit.
(b) A change to the maximum allotment for basic food under WAC 388-478-0060 results in an increase in benefits for basic food assistance units.
(c) You were overpaid basic food benefits and we need to adjust the amount we deduct from your monthly benefits to repay the overpayment as required in WAC 388-410-0033. This includes:
(i) Starting a new monthly deduction;
(ii) Changing the amount of the monthly deduction; and
(iii) Ending the monthly deduction when the amount you owe has been paid off.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.04.680, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 2022 c 98. WSR 23-23-134, § 388-489-0010, filed 11/17/23, effective 1/1/24. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.04.680, and 74.08.090. WSR 22-12-017, § 388-489-0010, filed 5/20/22, effective 7/1/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.04.515, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 74.08A.903. WSR 10-23-119, § 388-489-0010, filed 11/17/10, effective 12/18/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. WSR 05-19-060, § 388-489-0010, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05.]
PDF388-489-0015
How long will my household receive transitional food assistance?
(1) If your basic food assistance unit is eligible for transitional food assistance according to WAC 388-489-0005, you will receive transitional food assistance for up to five months beginning:
(a) The month after your household stopped getting temporary assistance for needy families; or
(b) The month after you receive transitional cash assistance.
(2) If you stopped receiving tribal TANF benefits, you are eligible for transitional benefits:
(a) With the next monthly issuance after we update your case to show you no longer have tribal TANF income, if the tribal TANF end date is the end of the current month or the end of a prior month; or
(b) On the first of the month following the tribal TANF end date, if the tribal TANF end date is the end of a future month.
(3) If necessary, we will extend or shorten your basic food assistance unit's current certification period to match the five-month transition period.
(4) You may choose to end your five-month transition period early by submitting an application for regular basic food under WAC 388-489-0022 or by asking us to terminate your benefits.
(5) We send you a notice before the end of your five-month transition period so you can reapply for regular basic food benefits and continue to receive benefits without interruption as described in WAC 388-434-0010.
(6) We may terminate your transitional food assistance early for the reasons stated in WAC 388-489-0025.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.04.680, and 74.08.090. WSR 22-12-017, § 388-489-0015, filed 5/20/22, effective 7/1/22. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.04.515, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 74.08A.903. WSR 10-13-047, § 388-489-0015, filed 6/9/10, effective 8/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. WSR 05-19-060, § 388-489-0015, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05.]
PDF388-489-0020
Am I required to report changes in my household's circumstances while on transitional food assistance?
(1) If you only receive transitional food assistance, you are not required to report any changes in your household circumstances.
(2) If you receive benefits from another cash program, you must meet the reporting requirements for the other program as required by WAC 388-418-0005. Except for changes listed under WAC 388-489-0025, the changes you report for the other program will not affect your household's eligibility for transitional food assistance.
(3) If your household experiences a change in circumstances during your five-month transition period, and you think that you may be eligible for more food assistance, you may submit an application for the regular Basic Food program under WAC 388-489-0022. Examples of such changes include the loss of income by a person who gets transitional food assistance with you or adding a new person to your household.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.04.510, and 2011 1st sp.s. c 15. WSR 13-18-005, § 388-489-0020, filed 8/22/13, effective 10/1/13. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.04.515, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 74.08A.903. WSR 10-13-047, § 388-489-0020, filed 6/9/10, effective 8/1/10. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. WSR 05-19-060, § 388-489-0020, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05.]
PDF388-489-0022
What happens if I reapply for Basic Food while receiving transitional food assistance?
(1) You can choose to reapply for Basic Food at any time during your TFA period. If you submit an application for Basic Food, we will:
(a) Interview you according to WAC 388-452-0005.
(b) Send you a letter if we need additional information and give you at least ten days to provide the information according to WAC 388-458-0020.
(c) Process your application within thirty days. We will keep your TFA active while your request for Basic Food is pending.
(d) Process your application according to WAC 388-434-0010 if your application was submitted in the last month of your TFA period.
(2) If you are eligible for Basic Food, we tell you the amount you will receive and allow you to choose if you want Basic Food or continue your TFA.
(3) If you choose to go back on Basic Food, we will start your new benefit amount on the first day of the month after we receive your application for Basic Food. If you already received transitional food assistance for this month and are eligible for:
(a) More assistance on Basic Food, we will pay you the additional amount.
(b) Less assistance on the Basic Food, you will have to pay back the additional amount.
(4) If you choose to go back on Basic Food and receive less assistance, we do not have to give you advance notice.
(5) If we are unable to approve your request for Basic Food, we will deny your application and continue your TFA through the end of your transitional period, unless you become ineligible for TFA under WAC 388-489-0025.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.04.515, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, and 74.08A.903. WSR 10-13-047, § 388-489-0022, filed 6/9/10, effective 8/1/10.]
PDF388-489-0025
Can my transitional food assistance benefits end before the end of my five-month transition period?
Your transitional food assistance benefits will end early if:
(1) Someone who gets transitional food assistance with you applies and is approved for temporary assistance for needy families while still living in your home. You may reapply to have your eligibility for basic food determined;
(2) We learn that you and your household are no longer residing in the state of Washington; or
(3) All members of your household are ineligible to get basic food for any of the following reasons:
(a) Refusal to cooperate with quality assurance (WAC 388-464-0001);
(b) Substantial lottery or gambling win (WAC 388-483-0005);
(c) Transfer of property to qualify for basic food assistance (WAC 388-488-0010);
(d) Intentional program violation (WAC 388-446-0015 and 388-446-0020);
(e) Fleeing felon or violating a condition of probation or parole (WAC 388-442-0010);
(f) Alien status (WAC 388-424-0020 and 388-424-0030);
(g) Employment and training requirements (WAC 388-444-0055 and 388-444-0075);
(h) Work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents (WAC 388-444-0030);
(i) Student status (WAC 388-482-0005);
(j) Living in an institution where residents are not eligible for basic food (WAC 388-408-0040); or
(k) Deceased.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, 74.08A.010, 74.08A.120, 74.08A.250, and 7 C.F.R. 273.11(r), 84 F.R. 15083. WSR 20-02-018, § 388-489-0025, filed 12/19/19, effective 1/20/20. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.04.515, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.120. WSR 12-18-024, § 388-489-0025, filed 8/27/12, effective 9/27/12. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.500, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.120. WSR 11-02-035, § 388-489-0025, filed 12/29/10, effective 2/1/11. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090. WSR 09-01-049, § 388-489-0025, filed 12/10/08, effective 1/10/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. WSR 05-19-060, § 388-489-0025, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05.]