SUBCHAPTER 71W – GENERAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

SECTION .0100 – GENERAL PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

10A NCAC 71W .0101     DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply to this Chapter:

(1)           "Adjusted Payment" means a payment to the recipient to correct a county‑responsible underpayment.

(2)           "Appeal" means an oral or written request from an applicant, recipient, or former recipient for a hearing to review the action of a county Department of Social Services when the applicant, recipient, or former recipient is dissatisfied with the decision in his case.

(3)           "Applicant" means a person or assistance unit who has applied for Work First.

(4)           "Application Process" means a series of actions beginning with a signed application (written or electronic) and ending the date a payment is authorized or a denial notice is mailed.

(5)           "Assistance Unit" means the total number of persons whose needs are considered in determining the payment amount.

(6)           "Budget Unit" means all those persons for whom application has been made plus anyone in the home who is liable for the support of a member of the assistance unit or whose income is counted as available to the assistance unit.

(7)           "Client" means member of the assistance unit. It may be used interchangeably with participant, payee, recipient, and applicant.

(8)           "Collateral" means a person or organization that can substantiate or verify information necessary to establish eligibility.

(9)           "Determination" means the process of verifying eligibility factors for persons applying for Work First.

(10)         "Disaster" means periods of natural disaster or other emergencies as declared by state or federal authorities.

(11)         "Disregard of Earned Income" means the procedure for exempting certain portions of earned income when determining the amount of payment.

(12)         "Effective Date" means the date for which the benefit is authorized or activated.

(13)         "Electronic Funds Transfer" or "EFT" means the method by which Work First payment is issued. It may be used interchangeably with direct deposit or Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card.

(14)         "Eligibility, Initial" means the state of eligibility at time of application.

(15)         "ePass" means the North Carolina Electronic Pre-Assessment Screening Service portal through which applications for benefits may be made.

(16)         "Excluded Income" means money received by a member of the budget unit which is not counted in determining eligibility for assistance.

(17)         "Father, Alleged" means the man who is said without proof to be the father of a child. This includes a father who has admitted paternity when paternity has not been established in a court of law.

(18)         "Father, Legal" means:

(a)           The man who is married to the mother of child at the time of birth of the child, regardless of whether they are living together. The legal father is not necessarily the natural father, but is legally responsible for support; or

(b)           A man who has been determined by the court to be the father of the child through a paternity suit or by act of legitimation; or

(c)           A man who has legally adopted the child.

(19)         "Father, Natural" means the biological father of the child. He may be the alleged or legal father.

(20)         "Full‑Time Student" means a student so designated by the school in which the student is enrolled.

(21)         "Kinship" means relationship to a child by blood, marriage, or adoption.

(22)         "Minor Mother" means a mother who is under the age of 18.

(23)         "Payee" means the person in whose name the Work First payment is made.

(24)         "Payment Month" means the month for which the payment is made.

(25)         "Prospective Budgeting" means the best estimate of income in the payment month.

(26)         "Reapplication" means a subsequent application when a case has been terminated.

(27)         "Remainder Interest" means property that will be inherited in full at a life estate interest holder's death.

(28)         "Revocable Trust" means funds held in trust that are available for the client's use.

(29)         "Verification" means the confirmation of facts and information used in determining eligibility.

(30)         "Work First Benefits" or "WFB" means the assistance payments made to adults who are required to work or participate in work-related activities.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 108A‑25; 108A-27; 143B‑153;

Eff. February 1, 1984;

Amended Eff. June 1, 1990; August 1, 1988; February 1, 1986;

Temporary Amendment Eff. July 1, 1996;

Recodified from 10 NCAC 49A .0002 Eff. January 1, 1997;

Amended Eff. April 1, 1997;

Readopted Eff. October 1, 2021.