This page was last updated 06/16/08 08:50 PM
Revised pages 2 and 3 with the description of the new state-funded food stamp provision added.
Adult parent or parents are non-citizens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence, aliens granted asylum under 8 USC 1158, refugees admitted under 8 USC 1187, aliens paroled into the United States under 8 USC 1182 for at least one year, aliens whose deportation is being withheld under 8 USC 1254, and aliens who are granted conditional entry pursuant to 8 USC 1153 as in effect prior to April 1, 1980, will be subject to the same eligibility determination used for citizen applicants for W-2.
W-2 Interim Assistance
Adults who have filed an application for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and are waiting for a determination of SSI eligibility, and who meet all other Wisconsin Works (W-2) eligibility requirements will be enrolled in the W-2 Interim Assistance Program. Under this program, the participant will be placed in either a Community Service Job or a Transition position while the SSI eligibility decision is pending. A participant found eligible for SSI benefits will no longer be eligible for W-2 Interim Assistance. A participant who is denied SSI benefits will be transferred from the Interim Assistance Program to the W-2 program and placed in appropriate W-2 employment activities.
The W-2 program requires that a participant apply for other public assistance programs for which she or he may be eligible. This provision was included so that individuals who more appropriately should be served under the SSI program or another disability program could apply, be determined eligible, and move from W-2 to that program. The W-2 eligibility criteria also provide that an individual who is a recipient of SSI is not eligible for participation in a W-2 employment position.
Some W-2 participants would be eligible for SSI based on a disability determination. However, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has issued a policy requiring the entire W-2 benefit to be counted in the SSI income test if the SSI application was filed by the family member participating in a W-2 employment position and the W-2 benefit is funded with federal money. This policy would virtually disqualify all W-2 participants from becoming eligible for SSI because of excess income.
Food Stamp Benefits for Qualified Aliens
Beginning August 1, 1998, the State of Wisconsin will provide state-funded food stamp benefits to qualified aliens and their dependent children who were made ineligible for food stamps solely due to provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). The State will use the same eligibility determination and benefit levels used by the federal Food Stamp Program. Food Stamp Employment and Training Services for those qualified aliens who would be mandatory participants under current federal guidelines will also be provided under this program. Effective November 1, 1998, those qualified aliens newly eligible for federal food stamp benefits under the provisions of Public Law 105-185, the Agriculture Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (AREERA) will be removed from the state-funded program.
Department of Health and Family Services
Tribal Child Care
The Department of Health and Family Services administers the Tribal Child Care Program. The funds are distributed to eleven Wisconsin Indian tribes to provide low-income child care (child care for work activities) or crisis or respite child care in a manner that would be compatible with the federal requirements for use of federal child care and development block grant (CCDBG) funding.
Department of Revenue
Expenditures under the following programs will be counted toward the state’s Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirement to the extent they exceed the amounts paid in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 1995.
Earned Income Credit
Wisconsin provides a state-funded Earned Income Credit (EIC) program to eligible low-income families. The Wisconsin EIC provides a direct benefit to working families with qualifying children. Under the Wisconsin program, persons may be eligible to receive the tax credit if they or their spouse worked full- or part-time during the tax year, had at least one qualifying child, were a full-year resident of Wisconsin, and qualified for the federal EIC. The Wisconsin EIC is 4 percent of the federal EIC amount if the person has one child, 14 percent if the person has two children, and 43 percent if the person has three or more children. To claim the state EIC, an individual must file a state tax return.
Homestead Credit
Wisconsin provides a state-funded Homestead Credit (HC) program to eligible low-income families. The Wisconsin HC program provides direct relief to home owners and renters. Under the Wisconsin program, persons may be eligible to receive the credit if they meet the income eligibility requirements (total household income of less than $19,154 in 1996), were 18 years of age or older by the end of the tax (calendar) year, owned or rented the Wisconsin homestead they lived in during the tax year, and were a full-year resident of Wisconsin. Persons are not eligible for the Homestead Credit for any months in which they received public assistance (AFDC or W-2). The Homestead Credit is based upon the property taxes paid on the home or the portion of rent that qualifies as property taxes if the individual was a renter.
The base amount used for the MOE calculation matched persons on the AFDC caseload in Calendar Year (CY) 1994 against the CY 1994 tax year information. Persons eligible for an EIC or HC payment in CY 1994 would be eligible for payment in CY 1995. The base amount was calculated as those payments made from January 1, 1995, to September 30, 1995, for those persons on the caseload in CY 1994. Next, the amount of EIC and HC payments made from January 1, 1997, to September 30, 1997 (for tax year 1996), was calculated for those persons who were on the caseload at any time from CY 1994 to CY 1996. The difference between this amount and the base level will be counted toward the state’s MOE requirement.
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