CT SB00192

Department of Social Services must promptly conduct an application interview to determine if applicants are exempt from employment services participation before granting temporary family assistance.

Initial employment services assessment interviews must be scheduled within ten business days of the application interview, and benefits cannot be delayed if the department fails to meet this deadline or if the Labor Department does not complete an employment services plan within ten business days.

Benefits reduction sanctions are replaced with a system that excludes noncompliant family members from household benefit calculations rather than imposing tiered percentage reductions (previously 25% for first violation, 35% for second, termination for third).

Excluded family members can be reinstated when they begin complying with requirements, become exempt from requirements, or demonstrate good cause for noncompliance.

For single-member families, a 25 percent benefit reduction applies for each month the member fails to comply with employment services requirements, replacing the previous termination policy.

Effective July 1, 2022.