Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) (Louisiana example of state cash assistance)

Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) (Louisiana example of state cash assistance) is sponsored by Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (state-specific, similar programs exist in other states). FITAP offers financial assistance to families whose financial resources are incapable of fulfilling basic needs, with a purpose to promote job preparation and employment to reduce long-term dependency on welfare support.

The Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) is a public assistance program that provides financial aid for children in their own homes who are in need because they do not have sufficient financial support from their parents. The overall goal of FITAP is to decrease the long-term dependency on public assistance by promoting job preparation and work.

Public assistance is no longer a lifetime benefit but an opportunity to become independent after a financial crisis. FITAP is authorized by the Social Security Act as amended by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Effective January 1997 FITAP is funded by the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Block Grant.

The Department of Health and Human Services is the federal agency responsible for its administration. The program is administered at the state level by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) To be eligible for FITAP, the family must meet all the conditions listed below: * The client must be living in the state, must intend to make a home here and the stay cannot be temporary.

* The client must be a U.S. citizen, a non-citizen national, or a qualified alien. * A family must be considered financially needy to be eligible. This means that the income available to care for the child does not meet his needs.

LDH has standard amounts based on the number of persons included in the grant. Income is subtracted from these amounts to determine need. * All applicants or recipients must provide or apply for a Social Security number for each member of the assistance unit.

* Children must be under the age of 18 to be eligible or 18 years of age and enrolled full-time in a secondary school or in the equivalent level of vocational or technical training. * In order to receive FITAP assistance for a child, an individual must be a qualified relative by meeting certain relationship requirements, i.e., must be related by blood, marriage, or adoption.

* It must be verified that the child actually lives in the same home with the qualified relative. * The client must assign any child support and medical support rights to the state and must cooperate with the agency's Child Support Enforcement Services in establishing paternity and obtaining child support and medical support from the absent parent(s) unless good cause has been established.

The * monthly countable income, both earned and unearned, cannot exceed the flat grant amount for the number of persons in the assistance unit. Total countable income is subtracted from the flat grant amount to determine the client's grant amount. The allowable earned income deductions are: * Standard earned income deduction of $120 for each employed member * Dependent care deductions may be allowable for each employed member.

Certain requirements must be met to qualify for this deduction. * Time-limited deduction of $900 for six months for each employed member. * Work-eligible applicants and recipients must participate in the Strategies to Empower People (STEP) Program Program") unless exempt under criteria established by the agency.

* Sufficient evidence of immunity or immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases according to the Office of Public Health schedule or evidence that such an immunization program is in progress must be provided for each recipient under the age of 18. * Each applicant/recipient who is pregnant or has a child under the age of one must attend parenting skills training.

* The family is ineligible to receive assistance if a parent or either parent in a two-parent family has received benefits for 24 of the prior 60 months. There is a 60-month lifetime limit if the assistance unit includes a parent/caretaker relative.

* Minor unmarried parents and their children must reside in the home of a parent, legal guardian, other adult relatives, or in an adult-supervised living arrangement in order to qualify for assistance. * Applicants/recipients age 18 and over must cooperate in screening for the use of illegal drugs, and, if necessary, drug testing, education, and rehabilitation.

* A qualified relative applying for the child can apply online through theLouisiana CAFÉ Self-Service Portal. * Find helpful How-To videos here. * Applications may also be submitted at a local LDH community partner.

* When applying for FITAP benefits, there are several documents you need to provide – either by uploading them in CAFÉ when you apply or by emailing/mailing/faxing them to us. Uploading these documents to CAFÉ when you apply will help reduce the time it takes to process your FITAP application.

Please gather these documents and save them to your computer or mobile device before you start the application process so you will have them ready to upload when you apply. CAFÉ can accept scanned PDF documents, as well as GIF, JPG, and PNG photos. * If someone applies on the applicant's behalf, additional information is needed to establish the child’s relationship to the applicant.

* LDH must conduct an interview and obtain other verifications to determine if the child is eligible. * Income from all sources must be taken into account in the determination of eligibility and the amount of the grant. This includes income from Social Security, veteran’s benefits, railroad retirement, or wages, and any other regular income.

However, the law exempts certain income. * When you apply, be sure to give all of the facts concerning your situation. * If you withhold information, misrepresent facts in any way, or fail to report changes as required, you may be prosecuted under the law or asked to repay the amount of assistance you received illegally.

The person who receives the benefits must notify LDH of any changes in address, residence, living arrangements, and income according to the requirements of the reporting system to which they are assigned. ## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Yes, FITAP clients can contact their caseworkers through the upgraded CAFÉ Self-Service Portal. * Click on “Check My Cases” on your My Account page.

* Click on the “Details” link next to the case you are asking about (for example, “FITAP Details” next to your FITAP case) under “Case Summary. ” This will take you to the Case Details page. * On the Case Details page, scroll down to the section labeled “Questions About Your Case?

” * Select your question or topic from the drop-down menu (for example, “I would like to reschedule my interview” or “Why did my case close or benefit amount change? ”) * Click the “Submit Now” button to notify your caseworker of your question. A message will then be sent to your caseworker for a response.

Please note that the response can take up to two business days. When your caseworker responds, you will receive a Notification in your CAFÉ account Inbox. Please check your CAFÉ account regularly.

Call the LAHelp-U Customer Service Center at 888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578). The regular hours are 7:30 a. m.

to 6 p. m. , M-F.

Or, email the center at LAHelpU@la. gov with a brief explanation of your reason for writing. If you are a current FITAP recipient, please include your full name as it appears in our records, all of your contact information and your case identification number (the smaller number below the 16-digit number on the front of your EBT card).

If you are not a current FITAP recipient, please include your full name as it appears in our records, all of your contact information, your date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number. The Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card is a method of delivering governmental benefits to recipients electronically.

The card, which is referred to as the Louisiana Purchase Card, enables recipients to access benefits at ATM’s and point-of-sale (POS) machines. Cash benefits are posted to recipient accounts during the first five days of the month. Recipient benefits are accessible by 5:00 a.

m. on the morning after they are posted. Benefits are posted on the same date every month, regardless of the day of the week.

Holidays and weekends do not affect the date of benefit availability. Benefits are secure and accessible only to persons authorized by the recipient. The Personal Identification Number (PIN) is selected by the recipient and must be correctly entered in order to successfully complete all electronic transactions.

As purchases or cash withdrawals are made at grocery store checkout lanes and ATM’s, recipient accounts are debited and the recipient is given a receipt which provides the remaining account balance. In addition to the transaction fee of $2. 00 for each cash withdrawal, which is assessed at all ATMs, a surcharge fee may also be assessed.

A surcharge is the amount some ATMs charge you each time you withdraw your cash benefits, and this surcharge is deducted from your available balance. The following list of surcharge-free ATM owners provides you access to your cash benefits without being surcharged by the ATM: * Centric Federal Credit Union ## How Can I Report Fraud? The agency relies on retailers and the public to report the misuse of benefits.

If you suspect someone is illegally receiving public assistance benefits or is illegally using an EBT card: > Call (toll-free):888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578). Select option 6 from the main menu. > Online:**Complete an online fraud complaint** > Email:SNAP.

Fraud@la. gov ## Your Right to a Fair Hearing * Receive an application the same day you ask for it if the request is made in person. * Turn in your application the same day you receive it.

* Receive your benefits (or be notified that you are not eligible for the program) within 30 days after you turn in your application. * Have a fair hearing or a discussion with a supervisor if you disagree with any action taken on your case.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, or on the basis of religion or political beliefs, you may obtain a Civil Rights Complaint form at any local LDH Office. **To file a civil rights complaint,complete theCivil Rights Complaint Formand turn it in to a local LDH office, or:** > 888-LAHelp-U (888-524-3578) > LDH. CivilRightsComplaints@la.

gov > LDH Bureau of Legal Services > Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3836