Attached is HRA Policy Bulletin 07-75 OPE - Revisions to the State "What You Should Know About Your Rights and Responsibilities" Booklet. Note that this version makes several changes * it has not been revised since November 2002. The new booklet has added language clarifying that an autorized representative may be used for an applicant unable to attend an interview (p. 3), adds specific language on steps followed for discrimination complaints (4-5), has revised langauge on sharing information with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (5), and includes very interesting language outlining a client's right to get a receipt for to prove they have submitted documents(17). Specifically, the PB lists the following changes:
* Page 3: Application Rights (Added information regarding the designation of an authorized representative for applicants who are unable to attend the application interview)
* Page 4: Nondiscrimination Rights (Added a description of the steps taken by the Bureau of Equal Opportunity Development (BEOD) when a discrimination complaint is received from individuals applying for or in receipt of TA)
* Page 5: Nondiscrimination Rights (Added an additional address for filing a written complaint and telephone number for the Office of Civil Rights for individuals who believe that they have been discriminated against because of a disability)
* Page 5: Personal Privacy Rights (Reworded information regarding the sharing of information with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services)
* Page 6: Personal Privacy Rights (Added information regarding the privacy of information of applicants as provided on the MA Program)
* Pages 9-10: What You Should Do for a Fair Hearing (Added instructions on how to request a hearing)
* Page 10: Employment Rights (Added information regarding options the individual may have if unable to comply because of domestic violence or physical or mental impairment)
* Page 12: Rights Regarding Child Care (Added information regarding child care in lieu of TA)
* Page 14: Rights Regarding Support Pass-Through and Excess Support Payments
* Temporary Assistance (Added definition regarding excess support. Added information regarding the review process)
* Pages 17-21: Responsibility to Provide Proof (Added information regarding a documentation receipt when documents are dropped off at a local DSS; statement that other types of documentation may be submitted to provide proof of various eligibility factors; information regarding documentation to verify citizenship or immigration status for Public Assistance [PA] and FS; information regarding documentation to verify identity and citizenship or satisfactory immigration status for MA)
* Page 22: Responsibility to Report Changes (Reworded TA requirements)
* Pages 23-24: Requirement to Report a Lump Sum Payment (Reworded requirements included in TA resource limits; list of exempted resources that lump sums may be used for)
* Page 25: Responsibilities Regarding Your Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) (Added and reworded information about keeping track of account balances and keeping the PIN a secret. (Includes a statement that no one from the local DSS should ever ask for the client's PIN)
* Page 26: Employment Responsibilities (Added domestic violence to list of exemptions from TA work requirements).
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