Apply for Other Benefits for CA
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This subject includes information about the CA nonfinancial eligibility factor requirement to apply for other potential cash benefits.
Policy
To be eligible for CA, participants are required to apply for and accept any other cash benefits for which they, or a participant for whom they are financially responsible, may be eligible.
NOTE Applying for other benefits is not a requirement for NA or Tribal TANF.
Participants are not required to apply for needs-based benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or any other benefits that count the participant’s income and resources in the eligibility determination.
Adult participants in the budgetary unit are required to apply for other benefits for themselves. When a dependent child is potentially eligible for other benefits, the financially responsible participant is required to apply on behalf of the child.
FAA sends a notice referring the required participant to apply for other benefits for which they may be eligible. When a participant is added to an ongoing CA case, the added participant may be required to apply for other benefits. When a required participant does not apply for the benefits requested by FAA, CA benefits are either stopped or denied for the entire budgetary unit unless good cause for not applying is established and verified.
Good cause can be established for any of the following reasons:
●The participant was unable to apply due to illness, injury, or incapacitation.
●The participant had previously applied and had been denied for a reason that has not changed.
To determine which other benefits may need to be applied for, see all of the following referral requirements:
Participants are required to report a change when other benefits previously applied for are approved. (See Participant Requirements – Reporting Changes for instructions.)
Private Resources Referral Requirement
Participants are referred to private sources of potential income or resources that are available to them. These sources include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●Retirement funds from previous employers
●Trust funds
●Resources controlled by the court
Railroad Retirement Referral Requirement
Any of the following participants may be eligible for railroad retirement benefits and are required to apply, unless there is good cause:
●A participant with prior history of employment with any railroad.
●The spouse of a railroad employee who is retired, deceased, or has a disability.
●A child of a railroad employee who is retired, deceased, or has a disability.
Participants apply for railroad retirement cash benefits from one of the following:
●Participants living on Navajo Tribal Land, use the following contact information for the New Mexico office:
Railroad Retirement Board
421 Gold SW Ste 304
PO Box 334
Albuquerque NM 87103-0334
Phone: (877) 772-5772
Fax: (505) 346-6407
●All other participants, use the following contact information for the Phoenix office:
Railroad Retirement Board
Fiesta Square Ste 106
1220 S Alma School Rd
Mesa AZ 85210-2078
Phone: (877) 772-5772
Fax: (480) 610-5988
SSA/RSDI Referral Requirement
The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits to wage earners and their dependents who have contributed to the Social Security fund.
Participants are required to apply for RSDI benefits, unless there is good cause, when they are identified as one of the following:
●Retired and 63 years old or older
●Wage earners with a disability when the disability is expected to last at least 12 months or to result in death
●A dependent of a wage earner who is retired, deceased, or has a disability. This includes all of the following:
Widows and their minor children
Parents, 62 years old or older, who were dependent of a deceased wage earner for at least half of their support
A parent or guardian of a child whose parent is deceased or has a disability
Stepchildren (including common law) of a stepparent who is retired, deceased, or has a disability
Unemployment Insurance Referral Requirement
Participants, including those under the age of 18 years, who have been employed or self employed any state may be eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits.
Any of the following participants are required to apply for UI benefits, unless there is good cause:
●A participant without a disability who has worked, including self-employment, in Arizona.
●A participant with a disability who had employment in the previous two fiscal quarters.
NOTE Participants who have no employment history and who are unable to work are not referred to UI. However, verification that the participant is unable to work is required.
Participants may file a claim for UI benefits using any of the following methods:
●Online: To apply for UI online, see the UI website at https://des.az.gov/services/employment/unemployment-individual.
NOTE When a participant does not have access to an internet connection, a One-Stop Center or DES Employment Service office resource center provides computer usage free of charge. For locations, see the Arizona Job Connection website at https://arizonaatwork.com/locations.
●By phone: Call any of the following numbers:
Phoenix: (602) 364-2722
Tucson: (520) 791-2722
Outside the Phoenix or Tucson area: (877) 600-2722
Telecommunication Relay Service: 711 Toll-Free
●By mail or fax: Complete the Arizona Initial Claim for Unemployment Insurance (UB-105) form. (See the Documents Center for a copy of the UB-105 form.) Mail or fax the completed form to the contact information listed on the last page of the UB-105 form.
NOTE The participant knows their application is successfully completed online or over the phone when all of the following applies:
●They reached the end of the application, certifying the statements made on the application are true.
●They received a confirmation number.
Participants who worked, including self-employment, in a state other than Arizona and have not worked in Arizona are required to apply in the state the work was performed. (To find the UI websites of other states, see https://www.careeronestop.org/LocalHelp/UnemploymentBenefits/find-unemployment-benefits.aspx.)
Veterans Benefits Referral Requirement
A veteran is a person who served in the U.S. military and was released with any condition other than a dishonorable discharge.
Participants applying for CA who meet any of the following criteria are referred to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regardless of the length of service:
●Veterans age 65 or older who served during a wartime conflict service date(g).
●Veterans with a service-connected disability.
●Any veteran with a total disability.
●Dependents of veterans with a service-connected disability.
●Spouse(g), minor child, or dependent adult of a deceased veteran.
For assistance applying for VA benefits, see the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services at dvs.az.gov.
Workers’ Compensation Referral Requirement
A participant who is injured on the job or becomes ill in the course and scope of their job is referred to apply for one of the following, depending on the employer:
●Workers’ Compensation
●State Compensation
Participants apply for injury compensation from the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA). (See the ICA webpage at https://www.azica.gov/divisions/claims-division for contact information.)
Procedures
Based on the referral requirements listed in the policy, determine whether any participants in the budgetary unit must be referred for other benefits. Referred participants must cooperate with the referral for other benefits requirement before CA approval.
NOTE Ensure all sources of potential income or resources are explored.
Review HOSC and see whether an Unemployment Insurance (UI) claim has been filed during all of the following:
●Before referring a participant to apply for UI
●Before completing the CA determination after being referred for UI
(See SVES for HOSC instructions.)
When any participants are potentially eligible for other benefits, request the participant apply for other benefits. Be specific on the notice which benefits are being requested. (See Requesting Verification for instructions, when needed.)
Noncompliance and Good Cause
When the participant who is potentially eligible for other benefits fails to comply, determine whether good cause for noncompliance exists.
NOTE Check appropriate AZTECS interfaces and HEAplus hubs before determining that noncompliance exists.
Good cause can be established for any of the following reasons:
●The participant was unable to apply due to illness, injury, or incapacitation.
●The participant had previously applied and had been denied for a reason that has not changed.
NOTE When the PI cannot provide proof of this good cause reason, have the referred participant sign the Authority to Release Information (FAA-1765A) form. Send the signed FAA-1765A to the agency that denied the application for other benefits, requesting proof of the denial.
When good cause for noncompliance is established and verified, document the case file(g) with the reason for good cause and approve the CA.
When good cause for noncompliance is not established and verified, deny or stop CA benefits.
Verification
System interface and the case file(g) must be reviewed before verification is requested. No additional verification is needed when AZTECS interface or HEAplus hubs have identified the participant has already applied for other benefits.
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
Examples of what can be used for proof of compliance with the referral for other benefits include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●System interface that FAA has with other agencies for verification purposes.
NOTE System interface cannot verify every situation.
●Collateral contact by FAA to the agency, when available.
●Screen print that benefits were applied for.
●Letter from the agency at which benefits were applied for.
Examples of what can be used for proof of good cause include, and are not limited to, any of the following:
●A doctor’s note confirming long-term illness, injury, or incapacitation.
●A denial letter stating they are not eligible for the referred benefits with a statement from the participant that the reason for the denial has not changed.
AZTECS Procedures
When the participant fails to apply for other benefits, deny or stop CA by keying the PB Denial Closure Reason Code on AFED.
Legal Authorities
AAC R6-12-303
last revised 01/30/2023