Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSET) Program Overview The Agency for Workforce Innovation December 2007

What is FSET? Food Stamp Employment and Training (FSET) Program Provides employment and training services to a small subset of food stamp recipients

How is it funded? By U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service 100% funds AWI staff & expenses; systems RWB allocations State general revenue funds and federal match 50/50 funds Contracts Support services AWI staff & expenses

How much money is allocated? FFY 2006/2007 (10/1/06-9/30/07) Federal (100%) allocation $6,354,876 Allocated to RWBs $6,354,876 50/50 funds GR $1,371,483 Federal match $1,371,483

How is the money allocated? RWBs receive funds based on share of ABAWDs Average # of ABAWDs, per county, from DCF Funds issued in October (Oct. – June) and July (July – Sept.)

What are the governing laws? The Food Stamp Act of 1977 (as amended) The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill) The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 273.7 – Work requirements 273.24 – Time limits for ABAWDs State Plan

Who is involved? USDA DCF WFI/AWI RWBs Service providers Participants

What does DCF do? Submits State Plan Passes funds to AWI Monitors time limits Submits federal reports Determines eligibility Screens for exemptions, etc. Completes work registration Refers participants Imposes sanctions State level Local level

What do WFI & AWI do? Identify service delivery areas Prepare State Plan (with DCF) Allocate funds to RWBs Oversee program Provide guidance and training Compile participant and financial data for reports Conduct compliance monitoring Effective October 1, 2003, FL Legislature provided for the transfer of the program from AWI to RWBs

What do the RWBs do? Contract out for service delivery Serve and engage participants Provide employment assistance Monitor compliance Request sanctions if good cause is not determined Complete data entry

Who are the participants? Food stamp recipients not determined exempt, etc. by DCF Able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs) Ages 18 through 49 No dependents Time limited Note: The Optional Workfare Program (OWP) serves non-ABAWDs & ABAWDs

What are exemptions & exceptions? Examples Under age 18, or 50 years of age or older Parent of a member under age 18 Pregnant Physically or mentally unfit for employment Receiving unemployment compensation (UC), or applied for UC as long as meeting UC work requirements

What are the time limits? 3 out of 36 months Vulnerable ABAWDs cannot receive food stamps for more than three countable months during any three-year period, unless the individual Is exempt, Meets an exception, Resides in a Labor Surplus Area (LSA), or Meets ABAWD work requirements

What are the time limits? Established in 1996 New 36-month period began December 1, 2005 Participants can regain eligibility by meeting one of the work requirements in the month prior to re-applying

Who are vulnerable ABAWDs? Food Stamp Recipients ABAWDs Vulnerable ABAWDs

What are Labor Surplus Areas? Areas with unemployment rate at least 20 percent higher than the national rate USDA approves waivers No time limits for ABAWDs residing in these areas No FSET program services

What are 15% exemptions? Special exemptions granted to ABAWDs in counties where FSET programs are not operated DCF applies exemptions Small ABAWD caseloads ABAWDs are not time limited USDA allocates 15% exemptions to DCF each FFY FFY 2004/2005 = 35,201

What are the work requirements? Vulnerable ABAWDs must: Work 20 hrs/wk (80 hrs/month), or Participate 20 hrs/wk (80 hrs/month) in a WIA, TAA or education and training program Combination of above, or Comply with Work Experience FS grant/state minimum wage/ABAWDs If not, the month counts as one of the three, time-limited months

What are the components & activities? Orientation and Assessment Work Experience/Self Initiated Work Experience Up front job search WE/SIWE WE/SIWE combined with JS/JST Education and Training Education combined with JS/JST WIA, TAA, etc.

What are the performance reports, measures and standards? OSST system reports FSET Entered Employment Rate Of participants served, the # who gain unsubsidized employment No standard Monthly and quarterly

What is a Food Stamp Reimbursement (FSR)? Support service for transportation, etc. Orientation/Compliance for Sanction Lifts = $25 Workfare/Work Experience = $12 or $25 depending on required hours completed Education and Training = $20 or $40 depending on required hours completed Issued through Electronic Benefits Transfer Card (EBT) Participants can earn one FSR per month

What is OWP? Optional Workfare Program AWI contracts with 3 Boards of County Commissioners Operates in 5 counties Serves both ABAWDs and non-ABAWDs Mandatory activity = Work Experience Funded from 50/50 funds

How many FSET participants are there? 15,615 open cases (02/26/07) ~ 24,203 individuals served per quarter NOTE: Individuals served – Average per quarter thus far this state fiscal year (July 1, 2006 – December 31, 2007).

Where is FSET/OWP operated*? 15 FSET counties 5 OWP counties 2 waived counties 45 “exempted” counties (15%) ____________________________ 67 counties *FFY 2006/2007 through FFY 2007/2008

Where is FSET/OWP operated?

Where can I find more information? The AWI-FSET web page http://www.floridajobs.org/PDG/fset.html

What if I have questions? Delores Coachman (850) 245-7411 Delores.Coachman@flaawi.com Daniel Harper (850) 245-7430 Daniel.Harper@flaawi.com Kenneth Williams (850) 245-7457 Kenneth.Williams2@flaawi.com