11.6.3  Penalty for Refusal to Participate

11.6.3.1 Two-Parent Households

The penalty for refusing to participate in W-2Wisconsin Works is ineligibility to participate in W-2 for three months. Three months means 90 calendar days.

The period of ineligibility begins the calendar day after the seven-working-day timeframe to rectify a refusal to participate. The following table provides an example timeline.

After the 90-day penalty period, the individual may reapply for W-2 services. Eligibility for W-2 is not automatically reinstated.

 For applicants applying after the conclusion of a penalty period, the W-2 agency must not apply the nonfinancial eligibility requirements that the applicant:

• Made a good faith effort to obtain employment and not refused any bona fide offer of employment within 180 calendar days immediately preceding application; and (See 2.2.1, #8)

• Cooperated with the W-2 agency’s assistance with finding employment if the current application is within 180 calendar days of a previous application. (See 2.2.1, #9)

There is no limit to the number of penalties that a participant may receive for refusing to participate in W-2.

The W-2 agency may impose subsequent refusal to participate penalties after the individual has completed the 90-day penalty period, re-enrolled in the W-2 program, and then refused to participate again.

11.6.3.1 Two-Parent Households

In a W-2 Two-Parent Household A W-2 two-parent household is a W-2 Group where both adults: are custodial parents who have a child in common, reside in the same household with their child(ren), meet all W-2 eligibility criteria, are not disabled adults; and are not caring for a severely disabled child in the W-2 Group., the second parent in the W-2 Group An adult custodial parent, all dependent children with respect to whom the individual is a legal custodial parent and all minor children with respect to whom the adult individual’s dependent child is a custodial parent. W-2 Group includes any non-marital co-parent or any spouse of the individual who resides in the same household as the individual and any minor children with respect to whom the spouse or non-marital co-parent is a custodial parent. W-2 Group does not include any person who is receiving cash benefits under a county relief block grant program. This is also referred to as the W-2 Assistance Group (W-2 AG) who is required to participate in W-2 activities because the family is receiving federally funded childcare subject to the work requirement under the two-parent policy (See 14.3) may be ineligible to participate in W-2 if they refuse to participate.

Both the parent in a W-2 employment position (TEMPTrial Employment Match Program, CSJCommunity Service Job, or W-2 TW-2 Transition) and the second parent in a two-parent household may each be ineligible to participate in W-2. Therefore, refusal to participate penalties imposed on each parent must be tracked independently of each other.

When either parent refuses to participate, both parents in the W-2 Group are ineligible to participate in W-2. If the parent who is under penalty moves out of the two-parent household and leaves the W-2 Group, the other parent may be eligible to reapply for W-2 services as a single-parent household.

History: Release 24-07.