19.1 Family Stabilization Payments

Family stabilization payments are payments designed to meet participants’ needs at the beginning of a W-2Wisconsin Works episode and qualify as a Non-Recurrent, Short-term Benefit under the TANF definition of assistance.

These payments are an important piece of providing a whole family approach to meeting participants’ needs.

Participants are not required to repay family stabilization payments.

There is no limit on the family stabilization payment amount and the W-2 agency should support the full need amount when possible.

However, payments more than $3,000 must have Contract Administration Section Manager approval. (See 19.1.3)

19.1.1 Payment Eligibility

To be eligible, participants must be:

In a CSJCommunity Service Job placement, CMCCustodial Parent of an Infant placement, or W-2 TW-2 Transition placement;
In the period prior to their first scheduled W-2 payment; and
Experiencing a need.

W-2 agencies must determine eligibility during the initial informal assessment. When possible, payments should be used in conjunction with other supports available to participants including the Emergency Assistance program, but it is not required.

Family stabilization payments do not use a month of TANF assistance and do not count as an additional W-2 benefit.

Participants can receive no more than four family stabilization payments within 12 months. Participants can only receive one family stabilization payment per W-2 episode.

19.1.2 Payment Uses

Family Stabilization payments may be used for needs including but not limited to:

Shelter;
Food;
Work-related expenses;
Insurance;
Toiletries/household items/diapers;
Phone payments;
School supplies;
Short-term child care;
Legal fees, etc.

19.1.3 Form and Documentation

W-2 agencies must use the Family Stabilization Payment Request form (5751) to track issuance of these payments; no other application form can be used. The Family Stabilization Payment Request form must be completed by the participant.

W-2 agencies must scan the completed form into ECFElectronic Case File under the APP scan code following disbursement of the funding. Additionally, for payments requiring Contract Administration Section Manager approval, the approval must be scanned with the Family Stabilization Payment Request form.

Workers must document in PIN comments when a participant requests a family stabilization payment and if the payment was approved or denied. Family stabilization payments are not tracked through the CARES system.

The W-2 agency may issue the payment to:

The participant, or
A third party by participant request.

Workers must offer the participant a choice in how this payment is issued, either to the participant or to a third party. Workers must document in PIN comments the details of the participant's preferred method of payment.

EXAMPLE: Stan receives a family stabilization payment at placement before his first initial W-2 payment. Stan participates in the W-2 program for six months and exits. Stan applies and is approved to enter the W-2 program again. He is in need of a mobile phone and money for phone payments. He is approved for a family stabilization payment for this, as it is before his initial W-2 payment and is his second family stabilization payment within 12 months.

History: Release 24-08; Release 20-03; Release 13-03.