|
Temporary Assistance
for Needy |
U.S.
Department of |
| Memorandum No. TANF-ACF-PI-98-5 |
Date: August 13, 1998 |
| TO: |
State Agencies Administering the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program and Other Interested Parties |
| SUBJECT: |
Approved Form ACF 200, TANF High Performance Bonus Report for Fiscal Year 1999 and Instructions |
| REFERENCES: |
Sections 403(a)(4) and 411 of the Social Security Act; TANF-ACF-PI-97-6; TANF-ACF-PI-98-1 |
| PURPOSE: |
The purpose of this Program Instruction is to clarify the March 17, 1998 guidance (TANF-ACF-PI-98-1) on the measures and formula we intend to use for awarding the FY 1999 High Performance bonuses and to provide State agencies the reporting form and instructions for submitting aggregate data in order to compete for these bonus awards. Where this Program Instruction reflects changes/clarifications to the March 17, 1998 guidance, it supersedes that earlier guidance. |
| BACKGROUND: |
Section 403(a)(4) of the Social Security Act makes $1 billion available over a five year period to reward States that achieve high performance levels under the TANF program. The first award of $200 million will be made in FY 1999 based on performance above a threshold level in FY 1998. Award funds will be based on State rankings on each of the following work related measures. |
| 1. Job-Entry
Rate 2. Success in the Work Force Measure a. Job Retention Rate b. Earnings Gain Rate 3. Job-Entry Rate 4. Success in the Work Force Measure a. Job Retention Rate b. Earnings Gain Rate The first two measures address absolute State performance in FY 1998; the next two address State performance improvement in FY 1998 over FY 1997. States may compete on any of the four measures. Ten States with the best scores in each measure will be eligible for bonus monies. How the ten best States will be determined and how the FY 1999 high performance dollars will be allocated are discussed in the guidance memorandum TANF-ACF-PI-98-1 dated March 17, 1998. |
|
| ACTION REQUIRED: |
State agencies should establish procedures immediately as to what they must do to obtain the best data they can on each item. They may use matches with quarterly Unemployed Insurance (UI) wage records, surveys, administrative records, or a combination of these data sources. In order to compete for the 1999 High Performance Bonus awards, State agencies must submit Form ACF-200 for FY 1997 and FY 1998 showing data for adult recipients in the TANF program, including information prior to the effective date of the State TANF Plan, where appropriate. State agencies must also submit FY 1998 data for adult recipients in separate State TANF-MOE programs, as described below, on this report as well as on the FY 1998 Emergency TANF Report (Form ACF-198). In the FY 1998 Emergency TANF Report, the State must include separate TANF-MOE data for adult recipients in Sections 1 (except for Child Characteristics) and 3, beginning with October 1997, or the month the State was subject to TANF reporting requirements, whichever is later. The purpose for this request is discussed in the March 17, 1998 guidance memorandum. [See SUBMISSION DATES, Item (1), on when and where to submit the completed Form ACF-200.] ACF Systems staff are creating a computer system so that quarterly separate State TANF-MOE data for adult recipients on the Emergency TANF report can be transmitted electronically in the same manner as the Emergency TANF data. As indicated in the March 17, 1998 guidance we will consider arguments by States that they should not be required to report all the data outlined above for certain specific separate TANF-MOE programs because: 1. the scope and nature of the specific separate State program will not unfairly inflate performance under TANF or the High Performance Bonus; and data sources, methodology used in determining the aggregate numbers on Form ACF-200, and certification that the Form provides the best data available on the performance measures should be submitted with the Quarter 1 (Oct. - Dec.) report due November 30, 1998. If sources and/or methodology are revised in a subsequent quarter, the State should submit revised information with that subsequent quarterly report. (4). If the State plans to sample the TANF caseload to report adult recipient information on Form ACF-200, it must submit information on caseload size by stratum and how the State-wide estimates on the measures were made to the appropriate ACF Regional Administrator with a copy to ACF, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, no later than September 30, 1998. |
| ATTACHMENT: |
Form ACF-200, TANF High Performance Bonus Report for Fiscal Year 1999, and Instructions |
| INQUIRIES: |
Inquiries should be directed to the appropriate Regional Administrator. |
|
/s/________ Diann Dawson Acting Director Office of Family Assistance |
|
|
/s/_________ Howard Rolston Director Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation |
TANF HIGH PERFORMANCE BONUS REPORT
FOR FISCAL YEAR 1999
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
State agencies must provide FY 1997 and FY 1998 data on all seven items on Form ACF-200 for the TANF program, and FY 1998 data for the separate State TANF-MOE programs if they want to compete for the FY 1999 bonuses in all four of the work-related measures. TANF data
(cols. 1 and 2) must include information prior to the effective date of the TANF State Plan, where appropriate. Separate State TANF-MOE data (col. 3) must be reported beginning with October 1997, or the month the State was subject to TANF reporting requirements, whichever is later.
NOTE: If separate TANF-MOE data are not included, the State must submit reasons why it should not be required to report such data. As mentioned earlier, this information must be submitted to the appropriate ACF Regional Administrator with a copy to the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, no later than November 30, 1998.
DEFINITIONS:
The following definitions apply only to this report.
Adult: - The term "adult" means a TANF recipient who has attained 18 years of age or, if attending secondary school as a full-time student, has not attained 19 years of age. Adults who are exempt, disabled or sanctioned are included. (See sec. 419 of the Social
Security Act.)
Assistance: - Every form of support provided to families under TANF except for (1) services that have no direct monetary value to an individual family and that do not involve implicit or explicit income support, and (2) one-time, short-term assistance. (See policy announcement TANF-ACF-PA-97-1.)
Earnings: - An adult's total earnings in a calendar quarter, excluding earnings from workfare or fully subsidized employment. This includes all earnings, regardless of length of time in the quarter the adult had been a recipient. (See definition below for "recipient".)
Earnings Gain: - The total earnings in the second subsequent calendar quarter minus the total earnings in the reported calendar quarter of a recipient employed in both these quarters.
Earnings Gain Rate: - The sum of the total earnings gain in each calendar quarter of the fiscal year divided by the sum of the total earnings in each reported calendar quarter of the same fiscal year, multiplied by 100.
Employed Recipient: - An adult recipient who is paid for work performed during a calendar quarter. (Employment in workfare and fully subsidized employment are excluded.)
Job-Entry Recipient: - An adult recipient entering employment for the first time in the fiscal year in a non-workfare or non-fully subsidized job. This includes employed adult recipients who become unemployed and then enter new employment in the same quarter for the first time in the fiscal year. (No individual may be counted as a job-entry recipient more than once in any fiscal year.)
Job-Entry Rate: - The sum of the total number of job-entry recipients in each calendar quarter of the fiscal year divided by the cumulative number of unduplicated unemployed recipients in the same fiscal year, multiplied by 100.
Job-Retention Recipient:
Any adult recipient who is paid for work performed in two consecutive calendar quarters, the first of which must be in the fiscal year being measured, regardless of the number of hours employed or whether or not employed in the same job. [At this point (i.e., second quarter) the recipient might be a former recipient]. Adult recipients in workfare or in fully subsidized employment are excluded from both quarters.
Job-Retention Rate:
The sum of the total number of job-retention recipients in each calendar quarter of the fiscal year divided by the sum of the number of unduplicated employed adult recipients in each calendar quarter of the same fiscal year, multiplied by 100. (Note that there may be duplication between quarters.)
Recipient:
An adult who receives assistance at any time during a reported calendar quarter. Since the High Performance Bonus will reward States only under the TANF program, adults receiving assistance under a separate tribal assistance plan in a State are excluded.
Unemployed Recipient:
An adult recipient who at some point in the fiscal year had no earned income. For example, if an employed adult recipient in the calendar quarter loses a job and becomes unemployed, then gets a new job in the same calendar quarter for the first time in the fiscal year, i.e. a "job-entry recipient", the individual should be counted as an unemployed adult recipient.) Adult recipients with only earnings from workfare or fully subsidized employment are considered to be unemployed.)
SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS:
Item 1. Cumulative number of unduplicated adult recipients who, by the end of this calendar quarter, were unemployed recipients at some point during this fiscal year. Enter the cumulative number of unduplicated adult recipients who, by the end of this calendar quarter, were unemployed recipients at some point during the fiscal year. Include in this count all "job entry" recipients. For example, the report for Quarter 1 will show the unduplicated count only for the first quarter; Quarter 2 report will include the unduplicated count for the first two quarters; Quarter 3 report will show the count for the first 3 quarters; and Quarter 4 report will show the count for the entire fiscal year.
In any fiscal year, no unemployed adult recipient may be counted more than once. Adult recipients participating only in workfare or in fully subsidized employment during the calendar quarter should be counted as unemployed.
Item 2. Total number of unduplicated adult recipients employed at any time during this quarter. Enter the unduplicated number of adult recipients who worked at any time in this quarter in a non-workfare or non-fully subsidized job. Duration of employment, amount earned in this quarter, and whether the recipient was employed in any other quarter in the fiscal year, are not relevant.
Item 3. Total number of employed adult recipients in Item 2 who, as a recipient in this quarter, entered employment for the first time this fiscal year. Enter the number of adult recipients included in Item 2 who, as a recipient in this quarter entered employment for the first time this fiscal year. No such recipient may be counted more than once during the fiscal year.
Item 4. Total number of employed adult recipients in Item 2 who were also employed in the following quarter. Enter the number of adult employed recipients included in Item 2 who were employed at any time in this quarter and in the following quarter. For example, the Quarter 4 report will show the number employed in both Quarter 4 of FY 1998 and Quarter 1 of FY 1999. [(At this point (i.e., following quarter)], they might be former recipients.)
Item 5. Total number of adult recipients in Item 2 who were employed in both this quarter and the second following quarter. Enter the number of adult recipients included in Item 2 who were employed at any time in this quarter and in the second following quarter. For example, if this is a report for Quarter 4 of FY 1998, the "second following quarter" would be Quarter 2 of
FY 1999. [(At this point (i.e., second following quarter), they might be former recipients.)
Item 6. Total amount of earnings in this quarter of employed adult recipients in Item 5. Enter the total amount of earnings in this quarter of adult recipients who were employed in both this quarter and the second following quarter. Include all earnings in the quarter regardless of length of time recipient was on assistance in the quarter.
Item 7. Total amount of earnings in second following quarter of employed adult recipients in Item 5. Enter the total amount of earnings in the second following quarter of adult recipients who were employed in both this quarter and the second following quarter, regardless of length of time on assistance. (At this point, they might be former recipients.)
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT OF 1995
Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.
An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The current OMB control number is displayed in the lower left-hand corner of the form.
TANF High Performance Bonus Report
for
Fiscal Year 1999
State: Quarter Ending:
Separate State
TANF Program* TANF - MOE Programs
FY 1998 FY 1997 FY 1998
1. Cumulative number of unduplicated
adult recipients who, by the end of
this quarter, were unemployed
recipients at some point during this
fiscal year
2. Total number of unduplicated adult
recipients employed at any time
during this quarter
3. Total number of employed adult
recipients in Item 2 who, as a
recipient in this quarter, entered
employment for the first time this
fiscal year
4. Total number of employed adult
recipients in Item 2 who were also
employed in the following quarter
5. Total number of adult recipients in
Item 2 who were employed in both this
quarter and the second following
quarter
6. Total amount of earnings in this
quarter of employed adult recipients
in Item 5
7. Total amount of earnings in second
following quarter of employed adult
recipients in Item 5
* May include information prior to effective date of the TANF State Plan.
OMB Number 0970-0180 Expiration Date: 2/28/199
ACF-200