Ending Voluntary Quit Work Program Penalties

Eligibility may be reestablished before the end of the penalty period for an otherwise eligible household member when they meet the conditions in Subsection 275.01 of this rule. Eligibility may be reestablished after a voluntary quit or work reduction penalty period has elapsed for an otherwise eligible household member when they meet a condition in Subsection 275.02 of this rule. (7-1-24) 01. Ending Voluntary Quit or Reduction Penalty Before the End of the Penalty Period. If the sanctioned household member becomes exempt from JSAP requirements, their eligibility for Food Stamps may be reestablished. The voluntary quit penalty does not end if the sanctioned household member becomes exempt due to application or receipt of Unemployment Insurance. (7-1-24) 02. Ending Voluntary Quit or Reduction Penalty After Penalty Period. (7-1-24) a. If the sanctioned household member gets a new job comparable in salary or hours to the job they quit, their eligibility for Food Stamps may be reestablished. A comparable job may entail fewer hours or a lower net salary than the job which was quit. To be comparable, the hours for the new job cannot be less than thirty (30) hours per week and the salary or earnings for the new job cannot be less than federal minimum wage multiplied by thirty (30) hours per week. (7-1-24) b. If the sanctioned household member’s hours of work are restored to more than thirty (30) hours per week before reduction, their eligibility for Food Stamps may be reestablished. (7-1-24) c. A sanctioned household member can requalify for Food Stamps after serving the minimum sanction period and completing corrective action. The participant must contact the Department and request an opportunity to correct the sanction. (7-1-24) IDAHO ADMINISTRATIVE CODE IDAPA 16.03.04 Department of Health and Welfare Idaho Food Stamp Program Section 276 Page 35 276. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH A REQUIREMENT OF ANOTHER MEANS - TESTED PROGRAM. Food Stamps must not increase when a failure to comply causes other means-tested benefits to decrease. Benefits from means-tested programs like TAFI may decrease due to failure to comply with a program requirement. Food Stamp benefits must not increase because of this income loss. If a reduction in benefits from another means-tested program occurs, the Department will verify the reason for the reduction. If the reason for the reduction cannot be verified, the Department will document the case record to reflect the good faith effort to verify the information. (7-1-24) 277. PENALTY FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH A REQUIREMENT OF ANOTHER MEANS - TESTED PROGRAM. To prevent an increase in Food Stamp benefits, penalties will be applied to a Food Stamp case for failure to comply with a requirement of another means-tested program such as TAFI. When a Food Stamp recipient fails to comply with a requirement of the TAFI program, the Department will count that portion of the benefit decrease attributed to the TAFI penalty. Conditions for ending the penalty are listed below. (7-1-24) 01. Time-Limited TAFI Penalty. If the TAFI penalty is time-limited, the Department will end the Food Stamp penalty when the TAFI penalty is ended. (7-1-24) 02. Lifetime TAFI Penalty. If the TAFI penalty is a lifetime penalty, apply the Food Stamp penalty for a length of time to match the remaining months of TAFI eligibility for the household. The Department will end the Food Stamp penalty if the household subsequently reapplies for TAFI and is denied for a reason other than the noncompliance that caused the TAFI penalty. (7-1-24) 03. Member Who Caused the TAFI Penalty Leaves the Household. The Department will end the Food Stamp penalty when the member who caused the TAFI penalty leaves the household. (7-1-24)