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Wisconsin Department of Children and Families Wisconsin Works (W-2) Manual |
Although incarcerated W-2 participants may remain eligible to receive W-2 payments, incarceration is generally not considered good cause for not participating in required work activities.
Hours of work activities missed because of incarceration will result in payment reductions just like any other hours missed without good cause, unless the W-2 agency:
Finds extenuating circumstances relating to the incarceration; or
Determines that the incarceration resulted from a situation beyond the participant’s control.
The FEP must determine good cause for missed activities due to incarceration on a case-by-case basis and document the reason in PIN comments.
| EXAMPLE 1: Amy was arrested for an Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) conviction. As a result, Amy served 20 days in jail. Amy’s W-2 payment was reduced based on the days she was unable to participate. |
| EXAMPLE 2: Ken was arrested on suspicion of drug possession. After the preliminary hearing, the charges were dropped and he was released. Ken served 14 days while waiting for his hearing. Ken submitted a statement from the court to the FEP. The FEP gave him good cause for the hours because the charges were dropped. |
History: Release 24-07; Release 20-03; Release 20-01.