Vermont Statutes Title 33 Sec. 1004
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 33 Sec. 1004
- Assessment: means the information-gathering process, carried out by the Department's established protocol, that identifies an individual's skills, aptitudes, interests, life and work experience, and barriers, and the determination of how these factors relate to the individual's current or potential participation in the labor force and his or her family responsibilities. See
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner for Children and Families or his or her designee. See
- Department: means the Department for Children and Families. See
- Eligible family: means a family that is determined to be financially eligible for the programs authorized by this chapter, in accordance with rules adopted by the Commissioner. See
- Family: means :
- Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
- Reach First payment: means a one-time payment of cash as determined in section 1004 of this title. See
- Reach Up: means the program established under chapter 11 of this title. See
§ 1004. Reach First payment
(a) An eligible family shall receive a short-term cash payment, which is the equivalent of up to 120 days of Reach Up financial assistance for the relevant family size with the same income. The family may receive the payment in installments or a lump sum, if needed to avert a crisis as determined in the initial assessment or the family development plan, during the period in which the family seeks immediate employment or participates in assessment and creating a family development plan. The Commissioner may establish by rule exceptions to the limit on the amount of the payment, as long as the exceptions are budget-neutral to the program.
(b) The Department shall offer every eligible family the option of electronic or direct payment of the family’s housing or other expenses to the person providing the lodging, utilities, or other service as provided for by rule.
(c) For the purposes of calculating the payment, child support shall be treated as income, except that the first $100.00 amount of child support shall be disregarded from income. (Added 2007, No. 30, § 1, eff. May 17, 2007; amended 2023, No. 78, § E.323.1, eff. July 1, 2023.)