§ 1108. Limits on family financial assistance
(a) Except for grants to children in the care of persons other than their parents, only
participating families who have received fewer than 60 cumulative months of financial
assistance in which the family was not granted a deferment, including those months
in which any type of cash assistance funded by a TANF block grant was received in
other states or territories of the United States, shall be eligible for benefits under
the Reach Up program.
(b) The Department shall not count toward the Reach Up program’s cumulative 60-month lifetime
eligibility period any months in which:
(1) the participant is not able to work;
(2) the participant is a parent or caretaker who is caring for a child under one year
of age, in accordance with criteria established by rule pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25;
(3) the participant is affected by domestic violence in accordance with criteria established
by rule pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25; and
(4) the participant is needed in the home on a full-time basis to care for an ill or disabled
parent, spouse, or child in accordance with criteria established by rule pursuant
to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25.
(c) The cumulative 60-month lifetime eligibility period shall not begin to toll until
the parent or parents of a participating family have reached 18 years of age.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a participating family that does not
meet any of the criteria under subsection (b) of this section and that has exceeded
the cumulative 60-month lifetime eligibility period set forth in subsection (a) of
this section shall qualify for a hardship exemption that allows the adult member of
the participating family to continue to receive financial assistance if the participating
adult is engaged in any of the work activities listed in subdivision 1101(2) of this
chapter, with the exception of subdivision 1101(2)(L) of this chapter.
(e) A participating family that does not qualify for a hardship exemption pursuant to
subsection (d) of this section may be eligible to continue receiving benefits under
the Reach Up program if the program director, or the program director’s designee,
determines, on a monthly basis, that the participating adult is actively participating
in the universal engagement model, including the process of planning and engaging
in goal achievement related to employment, training, education, and addressing obstacles
pursuant to subsection 1113(a) of this chapter. (Added 1999, No. 147 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2001; amended 2007, No. 30, § 8, eff. May 17, 2007; 2013, No. 50, § E.323.1, eff. May 1, 2014; 2015, No. 172 (Adj. Sess.), § E.323; 2021, No. 133 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. January 1, 2024.)