BPRO
FALL
CONFERENCE
OCTOBER 2014
The Work Requirement Clock
HICKORY DICKORY DOCK
The Work Requirement
 The Work Requirement provisions are found in the
SNAP guidance manual, Part 15, Chapters A, B and
C.
 Prior to October 1, 2013, residents of all Virginia
localities had been exempted from the Work
Requirement since April 2009.
 Effective October 1, 2013, the Work Requirement
came back into effect for all Virginia localities;

however, effective May 2014, 23 localities in Virginia became
exempt.
Coding
 E7 codes should not be in place after October 2013
for any nonexempt locality.

For the 23 exempt localities, there should be no E7 from
October 2013 until May 2014, at which point the E7 would be
used.
Exempt Localities
 Effective May 2014 to April 2015, residents of the
following localities are exempt from the Work
Requirement:
Brunswick, Carroll, Charlotte, Danville,
Dickenson, Franklin City, Galax, Grayson,
Greensville/Emporia, Halifax,
Henry/Martinsville, Lunenburg,
Mecklenburg, Page, Patrick, Petersburg,
Prince Edward, Smyth, Surry, Sussex,
Williamsburg
The Clock
 The Work Requirement clock tracks the status of
household members in the age range, 18 to 50.
 It is a tracking system in ADAPT.
 It is also used to queue the sanction screen to
disqualify members who have used up their time
limited benefits.
Work Requirement Codes
ABAWDS CODE TABLE
ABAWDS PROVISION APPLIED - NOT EXEMPT 1ST 3 MOS
ALREADY RECEIVED 1ST 3 MONTHS OF BENEFITS
ABAWDS PROVISION APPLIES - NOT EXEMPT 2ND 3 MOS
ALREADY RECEIVED 2ND 3 MONTHS OF BENEFITS
EXEMPT - WORKING AT LEAST 20 HRS/WK
EXEMPT - ACTIVE IN AN APPROVED WORK PROGRAM
EXEMPT - A DEPENDENT CHILD UNDER 18 IS IN THE SNAP HH
EXEMPT - PREGNANT
EXEMPT - MEDICALLY CERTIFIED AS UNABLE TO WORK
EXEMPT - EXEMPT FROM WORK REGISTRATION
EXEMPT - LOCALITY WAIVED FROM REQUIREMENT
EXEMPT - UNDER AGE 18 OR OVER 49
NO BENEFITS REC-D (TRACKING ONLY - INVALID STATUS CODE)
PRORATED MONTH (PRORATED MONTH AND IS NOT COUNTED
AS ONE OF THE Y1 OR Y2 THREE MONTH TIME LIMIT)
BENEFITS REC'D IN ERROR-EXCEEDS MAX Y1 OR Y2 MONTHS
(TRACKING ONLY - INVALID ABAWDS STATUS CODE)
LOST EXEMPTION. NO OTHER EXEMPTION MET. NO
OVERISSUANCE AS NOT REQUIRED TO REPORT
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* Y1
* YX
* Y2
* YZ
* E1
* E2
* E3
* E4
* E5
* E6
* E7
* E8
* NB
* PM
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* IM
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*LE
The Work Requirement
 The Work Requirement must be addressed for all
household members at application, reapplication,
recertification, interim report, and when a change
occurs.
The Work Requirement
 The work requirement mandates that
all persons who are able to work must
be working or actively engaged in a
work activity in order to receive SNAP
benefits.
ABAWDS
 Work Requirement is commonly referred to as:
ABAWDS – Able Bodied
Adults Without Dependents
The Work Requirement
 Unless an exemption to the work
requirement exists, individuals may
receive SNAP for only three months
during a thirty-six month period.
Y1
These three months are
known as Y1 months.
There can be only 3 Y1
codes used in each 36
month clock period.
Regaining
 After Y1 months have been exhausted
an individual can receive a second “set"
of benefits,
 BUT ONLY after periods of
employment, provided eligibility has
been regained.
Y2
The regained months are
Y2 months.
There can be only 3 Y2 codes used in
each 36 month clock period.
General Provisions
In order to receive benefits
beyond three months, a non
exempt able-bodied
household member must:
General Provisions
Work for cash wages in any
amount or for in-kind goods or
services for 20 hours or more
per week, averaged monthly
General Provisions
Participate in and comply with requirements of an
employment services program operated by the
Department of Social Services, other than job
search, for 20 hours or more per week or for the
number of hours assigned for the work experience
component as calculated by the household’s
allotment divided by the federal minimum wage
General Provisions
- Participate in and comply with nondepartmental (DSS) work programs for 20
hours or more per week
-Serve in an unpaid, volunteer capacity for a
public or private agency, at a minimum, for
the number of hours that is equal to the
household’s allotment divided by the federal
minimum wage
-Any combination of the above
General Provisions
 If the member was unable to work and is able to
show good cause, the member will meet the Work
Requirement as long as the absence is temporary and
the member retains the job.
E1
A person working 20 hours
or more per week must report
if their hours fall below 20
hours per week
Per
Part 14, Chapter A.
Who is exempt from the Work Requirement?
Any person who is:
-under age 18
-50 and over
Who is Exempt?
Any adult member of a SNAP
household that has a child
under age 18 included
Example
 SNAP household consists of the following members:
John age 22, Mindy age 17, Gina age 38, Holly age 45
Joan age 29, George age 21 and Ruth age 34.
Who is Exempt?
Because Mindy is under 18, all members of the SNAP
household are exempt from the Work Requirement.
Who is Exempt?
Any person who is medically
certified as mentally or
physically unable to work
A pregnant woman
Who is exempt?
Any resident of an exempt
locality
There are 23 exempt
localities in Virginia
Who is Exempt?
 Any person who is otherwise exempt from work
registration as outlined in Part 8.A.1 including:
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An attendant for an incapacitated person
Applicants for and recipients of Virginia unemployment
benefits
Participants in drug or alcohol treatment and rehab programs
Students enrolled at least half time in an institution of higher
education who meet the special criteria of part 7, E.
Students enrolled at least half time in any recognized school or
training program.
18
Work Requirement does
not apply until the month
following the month the
person turns 18.
50
Work Requirement no
longer applies the month
following the month the
person turns 50.
PM
 Months in which the household
does not receive a full month’s
allotment due to proration will not
count toward the 3 month limit.
Any month in which a person
receives the full benefit
month as part of a certified
household will count toward
the 3 month limit.
Y1
 Y1’s are the first set of months received for time
limited benefits.
 There can never be more than 3 Y1 months used
during a fixed 36 month period.
 They do not have to be used consecutively.
Y2
 Y2 months are the second set of time limited
benefits. In order to be eligible for Y2 months, a
person has to regain eligibility.
 Regaining eligibility means that a person must have
worked 80 hours in a 30 day period while not in a Y
month.
 Y2 months must be used consecutively.
Y2
 Unless questionable, the work that was performed to
regain eligibility does not have to be verified. We
must document the place of employment, the time of
employment and the number of hours worked.
The Clock
 The work requirement clock is a 36-month fixed
period
 It begins the first month a case is certified in
Virginia for any household member in the age
range
 Since the period is fixed, the clock stays in place and
must be updated (if the person reapplies) even when
no benefits are received
The Clock
 When the 36 month clock ends, the
next clock will begin the month after
the previous clock ends, for persons
who are active SNAP recipients.
 For persons not active when the clock
ends, a new clock will start in the
month the person reapplies.
The Clock
 ALL individuals in the age range
must have a clock—even if the
person is exempt or meeting the
provisions of the work
requirement.
Example
 George and Joan both receive SNAP and both are
SSI recipients. George is 28 and Joan is 25. The
receipt of SSI make each of them exempt from the
Work Requirement. However, each of them must
have a clock until they reach age 50.
Clock
Clock follows person from
HH to HH.
Months with no benefits
will be coded as NB
PM
 Months where a household receives
prorated benefits, or months in which
the household does not receive an
allotment because benefits are prorated
to zero will not count toward the 3
month limit. They will be coded as PM
months.
Work Requirement Codes
ABAWDS CODE TABLE
ABAWDS PROVISION APPLIED - NOT EXEMPT 1ST 3 MOS
ALREADY RECEIVED 1ST 3 MONTHS OF BENEFITS
ABAWDS PROVISION APPLIES - NOT EXEMPT 2ND 3 MOS
ALREADY RECEIVED 2ND 3 MONTHS OF BENEFITS
EXEMPT - WORKING AT LEAST 20 HRS/WK
EXEMPT - ACTIVE IN AN APPROVED WORK PROGRAM
EXEMPT - A DEPENDENT CHILD UNDER 18 IS IN THE SNAP HH
EXEMPT - PREGNANT
EXEMPT - MEDICALLY CERTIFIED AS UNABLE TO WORK
EXEMPT - EXEMPT FROM WORK REGISTRATION
EXEMPT - LOCALITY WAIVED FROM REQUIREMENT
EXEMPT - UNDER AGE 18 OR OVER 49
NO BENEFITS REC-D (TRACKING ONLY - INVALID STATUS CODE)
PRORATED MONTH (PRORATED MONTH AND IS NOT COUNTED
AS ONE OF THE Y1 OR Y2 THREE MONTH TIME LIMIT)
BENEFITS REC'D IN ERROR-EXCEEDS MAX Y1 OR Y2 MONTHS
(TRACKING ONLY - INVALID ABAWDS STATUS CODE)
LOST EXEMPTION. NO OTHER EXEMPTION MET. NO
OVERISSUANCE AS NOT REQUIRED TO REPORT
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* Y1
* YX
* Y2
* YZ
* E1
* E2
* E3
* E4
* E5
* E6
* E7
* E8
* NB
* PM
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* IM
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*LE
LE
 LE is the code used for lost exemption.
 It is used when someone loses an exemption but is
not required to report the change.
 It is used retroactively to capture the change, but not
penalize the person.
LE Example
 Mary, age 36, receives SNAP along with her five year
old son Sam. Mary has been certified for one year,
January 2014 to December 2014. Mary would be
coded as an E3. She comes in for her renewal on
December 10 and reports Sam no longer lives with
her and left the home on August 8.
LE Example, Continued
 This was not a change that Mary was required to
report. Based on that, her clock will read January to
August E3, September to December LE. Because the
change was not required to be reported, there will be
no penalty to the person.
LE
 Case certified August 2013 to July 2014. Household
reports loss of a job on April 16. The job ended
March 15. No exemption to the work requirement.
 Coding would be: Oct 2013 to March 2014 – E1,
April – LE, May to July 2014 – Y1.
Sanctions code YX
 After a client has used up their 3 Y1
months, the ABAWD status code
should be changed to YX. A
sanction screen will be
automatically prompted in ADAPT
for the individual for completion.
Y2
Remember Y2 months
must run consecutively
and must not be changed!
YZ
 After a client has used up their 3 Y2
months, the ABAWD status code
should be changed to YZ. A
sanction screen will be
automatically prompted in ADAPT
for the individual for completion
Tip
 Months in which a household is
eligible to receive benefits but does
not actually participate do not
count toward the three month limit.
Y2
 After receipt of the Y2 months, a
nonexempt member is not eligible,
unless they meet an exemption or
begin a new 36 month period.
Tip
 Months for which a household
repays benefits received in error
will not count toward the three
month limit once the household
repays the claim in full.
Certification Periods
 Individuals who do not meet an exemption and are
subject to the Work Requirement should be assigned
a three or four month certification period.
 The four month cert period is used only if the first
month is less than a full benefit amount caused by
proration.
Cert Period
 If the household contains a member that is subject to
the Work Requirement, a three or four month
certification period must be assigned.
 If prorated benefits are not issued, the cert period
may be no more than 3 months.
Cert Period example
 For example, if you had a snap HH with an SSI
recipient, but their spouse was subject to work
requirement, you would assign a three month or four
month cert period
 If a person receives SNAP benefits during the current
36 month period from a different locality or state,
those months must be taken into consideration
Per Part 2, Chapter E of the SNAP manual.
 Remember the clock starts the month a person is
certified in Virginia.
 Y1 months have been exhausted. Client starts to
work before the cert period ends and is working 20
hours or more per week, now meets a work
requirement rule and can be certified for a normal
cert period, without having to regain eligibility.
 Y1 months have been exhausted. Client starts to
work after the cert period ends and works fewer than
30 hours per week, client must regain eligibility.
 Y1 months have been exhausted.
Client starts to
work after the cert period ends and works 30 hours
or more per week, the person meets the Work
Registration exemption and is exempt from the
Work Requirement.
 Y1 months have been exhausted. Client has been off
SNAP and comes back in but does not meet an
exemption and is not working, client would have to
do 80 hours in a 30 day period to regain eligibility in
order to get Y2 months.
 Y1 months have been exhausted. Client was working
when cert period expired. Client has been off SNAP
and now comes in and is working 20 or more hours.
Client meets the 20 hour work rule and can be
certified for a normal cert period.
 Y1 months have been exhausted. Client was not
working when cert period expired. Client has been
off SNAP and now comes in but is not working. He
does not meet an exemption. He must regain
eligibility before he is eligible for Y2 months.
Tip
 A household member disqualified due to the Work
Requirement has their income prorated to the rest of
the household.
 Changes must continue to be reported for these
household members.
Change
 If someone subject to the Work Requirement and not
exempt is added to an ongoing case, an alert must be
set to disqualify that household member after the 3rd
Y1 or Y2 month is used.
 ADAPT should generate an alert at the beginning of
the 3rd month.
 An advance notice is required.
Corrections
 Please take the time to correct the Work
Requirement clock on a case you work on.
 It can make a difference if QA pulls the case between
a correct case and an error finding.
 It can impact a client not receiving SNAP benefits
that they are entitled to, and vice versa.
Time for Questions
Thank you for your time!
Lisa Colandene-Nouri
SNAP Consultant
Northern Regional Office
Virginia Department of Social Services
540-347-6325
lisa.colandene-nouri@dss.virginia.gov