PARTICIPANT APPEAL (cash assistance programs only)
If you disagree with an action taken by the CITC Financial Assistance Department which may affect your cash assistance, you may file an appeal within 30 days of the action. During the 30 days of your appeal date, you may continue to receive cash assistance if you request it in writing until a CITC agency appeal decision is made. If the appeal decision is not in your favor, you will be responsible to pay back any extra cash assistance you received while awaiting the appeal decision.
CITC PARTICIPANTS COMPLAINTS AND FEEDBACK
If you are unhappy with the services offered, or the way you are treated, you must follow the participant complaints and feedback procedure outlined in CITC Procedure #9.010.010. The first step in either a complaint or feedback is to contact the staff with whom you have acomplaint/feedbackto discuss or attempt to resolve the disputed action. If you are unable to resolve the disputed action with the staff, you then meet with the staff’s supervisor who will work with you to resolve the complaint or receive your feedback. For a complaint, if it remains unresolved, a formal complaint can be filed with the supervisor who will bring that complaint to the appropriate member of leadership for further action. Participants may request a change of case manager based on their personal preference, however at any point in time this may not be possible due to staffing availability.
CHANGES IN HOUSEHOLD CIRCUMSTANCES
You must report changes in your household within 10 days of when you learn of the change. You may do this by contacting the CITC office by phone, in person or in writing. Reporting changes such as income and resources or changes in your household to other agencies does not exempt you from reporting changes to CITC. You are required to report the following changes:
- Changes in employment-starting or stopping a job, change in wage rate, change from part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time.
- Changes in the source of unearned income and changes in the amount of total unearned income greater than $50.00 per month (Examples: Social Security or Unemployment).
- When someone moves into or out of your home (If a child is/or going to be absent it must be reported within 5 days).
- If you change your residence or get a new mailing address; we need to verify your new shelter costs if you move or we cannot use them in calculating your cash assistance.
- If your household gets a vehicle, sells a vehicle or sells any other item to obtain cash.
- If your household has more than $2000 in cash or money in bank accounts.
- Changes in your legal obligations to pay child support.
- Childcare-if changing providers, you must notify our office and you must comply with your provider’s policies.
- Please report any other factors you think may affect your case or eligibility for the services.
WORK/SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS
Family Cash Assistance (TANF) and General Assistance (GA) are Work First Services. To receive services,you may have to participate in work activities. TANF and GA participants must meet with their case worker and develop a self-sufficiency plan that lists steps you will take to become financially independent. You must participate in approved workactivities unless you qualify for an exemption. If you are employed and voluntarily reduce your hours, income, or quit your job without good cause and do not have approval from the case worker, a job quit penalty may be applied to your case. If you are an unmarried minor parent, to receive Tribal TANF you must live with a parent or in another approved living arrangement and attend school or training. If you have school aged children they must be enrolled, attending school and making progress. Failure to provide school attendance and grade verification reports may result in a penalty being applied to your case. If you do not fulfill these work and education requirements, or minor parent requirements your cash assistance may be reduced or ended. You must also report within 10 days when your child graduates from high school.
HOME VISITS
A CITC Compliance Officer may visit your home unannounced between 7:00 am to 8:00 pm to verify all information reported. Cooperation with the Compliance Officer is required. If you do not cooperate with the Compliance Officer home visit, your TANF, GA, Child Care or Heating Assistance case will close. A Case Worker and Eligibility Technician may also conduct a regular home visit. These home visits are scheduled with you or you are given 10 days’ notice prior to the visit. It is in your best interest to cooperate with these home visits. If there is no cooperation, your assistance could be reduced or closed.
FRAUD PENALTY WARNINGS/OVERPAYMENTS
You may be prosecuted if you knowingly give false, incorrect, or incomplete information to get or attempt to receive cash assistance, supportive services, or other services through Financial Assistance Department that you may not be eligible for, or to help someone else receive Financial Assistance Department services for which they are not eligible for. By accepting services, you understand and agree that you may have a responsibility of repayment of any services or cash assistance you wrongly received caused by yourself or CITC staff.
WARNING: Any information you provide to any CITC program may be used against you in a Court of Law or for implementing an Administrative Disqualification Hearing which will result in an Intentional Program Violation disqualification from the above-mentioned services.
If you misrepresent your residence or identity to receive multiple services to include cash assistance, you can be barred from receiving Tribal TANF for 10 years. Other penalties may also apply.
EMPLOYMENT & SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
If your cash assistance case closes due to earnings,or you are found ineligible for services you may still be eligible for other services to help your family become self-sufficient. Please contact the CITC office for referrals. For any additional needs you may have outside of services provided by CITC, please call 211 or visit their website at alaska211.org for additional resources.
CHILD SUPPORT INFORMATION AND COOPERATION
Alaska must collect child support and medical support from any parent who has the duty to pay support to a Tribal TANF recipient. This includes any money owed to you at the time you apply, as well as current and future child support payments.
Any child support payments given or paid to you while receiving Tribal TANF must be reported and turned over to the CITC Tribal TANF office immediately. If you wish to change a child support order, you must obtain a new court order or get permission from the State of Alaska Child Support Services Division(CSSD).
Note: While on TANF If you believe you have a good reason not to cooperate with CSSD, you must tell your eligibility technician or case manager immediately. You may be asked to provide information to support your reason.
When you apply for Tribal Temporary Assistance you must:
- Sign over to CITC Tribal TANF, your right to receive and keep child support payments due to you or to a child on Tribal TANF.
- Cooperate with CSSD by providing information to establish paternity, help locate an absent parent, and enforce a child support obligation.
- Non-cooperation with CSSD or failure to turn over to CITC payments received from CSSD can result in a penalty applied to the case, payee or caseclosure.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990
Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have questions, contact the CITC Corporate Affairs Officer at (907) 793-3407. Financial Assistance Department does not provide medication management and does not provide a designated room for medication monitoring.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
You must provide or apply for a social security number for yourself and each household members for whom you are seeking assistance from CITC Tribal TANF (42 CFR 435.910). CITC will use social security numbers to access information from the Social Security Administration datasystem.
SPENDING POLICIES FOR TANF/GA SERVICES:
Under Federal Law (section 4004(c) of P.L. 112-96) it is illegal to make purchases with or to access cash assistance on EBT cards/gift cards at any bars, liquor stores, marijuana stores, gambling or adult entertainment establishments. If you fail to abide to this policy a payee may be required.
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