OAR 461-135-1260: Specific Requirements: Job Participation Incentive

(1) Eligibility for the Job Participation Incentive (JPI) program is subject to the availability of funds. The Department (see OAR 461-001-0000) may suspend the program whenever the Department determines that sufficient funding is not available to sustain benefits. (2) This rule explains specific requirements of JPI. The JPI food benefit provides $35 per month for qualifying Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households with a dependent child (see OAR 461-001-0000) under age 18. (3) An individual eligible for JPI may receive a $35 monthly food benefit. (a) The individual receives the $35 incentive payment starting the month the Department receives documentation that all enrollment criteria in section (5) of this rule have been met. (b) There are no partial months of JPI benefits. (c) The individual may only be issued retroactive JPI benefits as allowed under OAR 461-180-0130. (4) As used in this rule, a “two-parent household” refers to a SNAP household group (see OAR 461-110-0210) that contains a dependent child under age 18 and the dependent child's two parents. (5) To receive JPI, an individual must be in a SNAP filing group (see OAR 461-110-0370) and meet the requirements of all of the following subsections: (a) Be working at an unsubsidized paid employment that meets the federally required participation rates (see OAR 461-001-0025) and total countable (see OAR 461-001-0000) income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level (see OAR 461-155-0180). For self-employment or piece rate work, the hours of work must be equivalent to the required average weekly hours at federal minimum wage. An individual must meet the requirements of at least one of the following paragraphs: (A) Be a single parent (see OAR 461-001-0000) of a dependent child under six years of age and working at an unsubsidized paid employment for an average of at least 20 weekly hours. (B) Be a single parent of a dependent child at least six years of age and under 18 years of age, and working at an unsubsidized paid employment for an average of at least 30 weekly hours. (b) Provide the Department with employer-produced documents of paid, unsubsidized work hours covering a consecutive two-week period that has occurred within the last 60 days. (c) Anticipate weekly employment hours will remain the same or increase for the reporting period. (d) Provide employer-produced documents of paid, unsubsidized work hours each time requested by the Department and no later than the last day of the sixth month following the date the individual provides the verification of work hours in accordance with subsections (a) and (b) of this section. (e) Be an eligible adult in a SNAP benefit group (see OAR 461-110-0750) and the parent of an eligible dependent child under age 18 in the same SNAP benefit group . (f) Not be receiving any Employment Payments (see OAR 461-001-0025 and 461-135-1270), State Family Pre-SSI/SSDI (SFPSS), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program benefits in the same month. (g) Must not be part of a two-parent household (see section (4) of this rule). (h) Eligible adults must provide the following to the Department : (A) Marital status; and (B) Any housing subsidy information requested by the Department . (6) To remain eligible for JPI, an individual must meet all requirements in section (5) of this rule and all SNAP eligibility and reporting requirements (see OAR 461-170-0011). (7) Household income in JPI is calculated in accordance with all SNAP financial rules. (8) An individual is no longer eligible for JPI when it has been determined that the individual does not meet federally required participation rates and requirements due to any of the following: (a) Loss of employment. (b) A reduction in work hours. (c) The second parent of a dependent child under age 18 joins the SNAP household group. (d) The individual no longer has a dependent child under age 18 in their SNAP benefit group .