WIA PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY

1. WIA PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY A Basic Introduction to Workforce Investment Act Eligibility for Youth

2. Eligibility Basics for Youth • Youth-Eligibility References • Who is a Youth? • Who is an “Out of School” Youth? • General Program Eligibility for Youth • Youth-Specific Eligibility • Youth-Specific Eligibility – 5% Exception • Youth Co-Enrollment • Common Eligibility Errors • Preventing Common Eligibility Errors • Resources

3. Youth Eligibility References • Always refer Virginia WIA Guidelines for Determining Eligibility, revised 11/2/2008, for complete definitions of Youth, Low Income and other terms used in this slide show • This document can be found by logging onto the VOS (VaWC) website, http://www.vawc.virginia.gov/staffresources.asp: • WIA Eligibility Guidelines

4. Who is a Youth? • A person who is not less that 14 and not more than 21 years of age at the time of application for services • A youth may be determined eligible for services at age 13 but must be 14 at the time a service is provided

5. Who is an “Out of School” Youth? • An “out of school” youth is: • An eligible youth who is a school dropout, or • An eligible youth who received a secondary school diploma or equivalent but is still: • Basic skills deficient • Unemployed or • Underemployed

6. General Program Eligibility for Youth • U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the U.S. • Meets age requirement • Male & age 18 only: • Selective Service registration required

7. Youth Program Eligibility • Two groups • Low Income and a barrier • Not Low Income but must have a barrier (5% exception) • Use 5% only where the LWIA has a policy supporting it’s use.

8. Who is considered “low income”? • A person who-- • receives, or is a member of a family that receives, cash payments under a Federal, State, or local income-based public assistance program; OR • received an income, or is a member of a family that received a total family income, for the 6-month period prior to application for the program involved (exclusive of unemployment compensation, child support payments, payments described in subparagraph (A), and old-age and survivors insurance benefits received under section 202 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402)) that, in relation to family size, does not exceed the higher of– (cont.)

9. Who is considered “low income”? (cont.) • (i) the poverty line, for an equivalent period; or • (ii) 70 percent of the lower living standard income level, for an equivalent period; OR  • is a member of a household that receives (or has been determined within the 6-month period prior to application for the program involved to be eligible to receive) food stamps pursuant to the Food Stamp Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.); OR • qualifies as a homeless person, as defined in subsections (a) and (c) of section 103 of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302); OR

10. Who is considered “low income”? (cont.) • is a foster child on behalf of whom State or local government payments are made; OR  • in cases permitted by regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Labor, is a person with a disability whose own income meets the requirements of a program described in subparagraph (A) or of subparagraph (B), but who is a member of a family whose income does not meet such requirements.

11. Youth-Specific Eligibility (cont.) • Has one of the following barriers: • Basic skills deficient • School dropout • Homeless, runaway, foster child • Pregnant or parenting • Offender • Requires additional assistance to complete education or secure and hold employment OR • Meets the 5% Youth Exception

12. Youth-Specific Eligibility - 5% Exception • Five Percent Exception: • Up to 5% of youth participants who do not meet the low-income barrier may be served under WIA. • Each LWIA determines whether it can serve the 5% Youth Exception • Ensure your LWIA supports the “5% Youth Exception” before program enrollment. (cont.)

13. Youth-Specific Eligibility – 5% Exception (cont.) • Up to 5% of the youth participants in a Program Year who don’t meet the low-income test but have one of the following barriers may be served by WIA: • Basic Literacy Skills deficient • School dropout • Behind grade level • Homeless or runaway • Pregnant or parenting (cont.)

14. Youth-Specific Eligibility – 5% Exception (cont.) • Requires additional assistance to complete education or secure & hold employment • Offender • Has other serious barriers to employment • Again, ensure your LWIA supports the “5% Youth Exception” before program enrollment.

15. Family • Family – two or more persons related by blood, marriage or decree of court, who are living in a single residence, and are included in one or more of the following categories: • A husband, wife, and dependent children. • A parent or guardian and dependent children. • A husband and wife.

16. Dependent Child • Is defined as a child: • Under the age of 19 at the end of the previous calendar year, or • Under the age of 24 at the end of the previous calendar year and was a student.

17. Dependent Child • A dependent child was a student if he or she: • Was enrolled as a full-time student at a school during any 5 months of the previous calendar year or took full-time, on-farm training course during the during any 5 months of the previous calendar year. The course had to be given by a school or a state, county or local government agency. A school includes technical, trade or mechanical schools. It does not include on-the-job training courses or correspondence schools.

18. Who is in the family? Family size? • Mom and Dad and three children – ages 6, 12, 18. The 18 year old has applied to your program? • Mom and Dad, son (age 18), his girlfriend (age 17) and their son. The girlfriend is applying for services? • Grandmother has custody of grandchildren (ages 14 and 18). 18 year old is applying for services?

19. Family Income • Two types of family income: • Included – income that is counted towards the family income calculation. • Excluded – income that does not count toward the family income calculation, but does show support to the family.

20. Family Income • What is included? (examples) • Gross wages and salaries before deductions. • Income from non-farm self-employment (Net income (gross receipts – operating expenses)) • Income from farm self-employment • WIA and Title V Older Americans Act program participation: WIA OJT, Older American placements • SSDI

21. Family Income • What’s excluded? (examples) • Unemployment compensation • Child support payments • Old Age Survivors’ insurance benefits under section 202 of the Social Security Act. • Military Pay or Allowances

22. Family Income examples • Family 1 • Dad is receiving unemployment compensation (last 8 months) • Mom has $8,500 gross earnings on new job she started in August. Unemployed prior to that (received UI for 3 months) • Three children have no earnings. • What is the family income?

23. Family Income examples • Family 2 • Mother and her two children • Receives TANF and SNAP • Keeps her neighbor’s children after school and earns $100 per week cash.

24. Family Income examples • Family 3 • Male 19 years of age. Goes to Labor Pool every day and waits to be called for work. Is paid $9.00 and hour and has worked 350 hours over the last 6 months.

25. Youth Co-Enrollment • Youth age 18 and older may be eligible for enrollment in both Youth and Adult WIA programs • For example: • Youth could be enrolled in Youth Service Code 418, Adult Education, to acquire a GED and • Adult Service Code 300, Occupational Skills Training • If youth client is eligible for both Youth and Adult services, determination must be made at same time.

26. Good Eligibility Practices • Eligibility documentation must support the eligibility determination • Process used should be easy for another to follow • Another case manager could review your results and come to the same conclusion • Determination process is consistently applied to all customers • When co-enrolling in both adult and youth programs, eligibility must be determined for both programs at the same time

27. Common Eligibility Errors • Documentation missing or incomplete: • Customer receives SNAP(food stamps) but file contains no documentation to support • Selective service verification missing • Date of Birth verification missing • Missing or incomplete documentation of family membership • “Family of one” determination based solely on youth being disabled (cont.)

28. CommonEligibility Errors (cont.) • Income calculations • arithmetic errors • Using net vs. gross earnings • Family 6 month earnings not annualized • VOS/Client Folder errors: • Documentation in client folder does not match data entered in VOS, for example: • Date of birth on ID in client folder does not match date entered in VOS

29. Preventing Common Eligibility Errors • Always refer to the WIA Eligibility Manual • Review all applicant’s eligibility documentation before making a final determination • Ensure client folder contains all documentation that supports your eligibility determination • If possible, review eligibility determination with an experienced case manager • Call your LWIA’s assigned Monitor or VOS/Policy support staff at the VCCS system office

30. Resources • WIA Eligibility Documentation* • VWL 11-11 Income Guidelines* • Local Priority of Service Guidance • Local Eligibility Guidance, if applicable • Both can be found on the VOS (VaWC) website

31. Questions? Joe Holicky jholicky@vccs.edu 804-819-1692