DHS BUDGET REQUEST FOR FY 2015-2016 ($ Amounts in Thousands) Page # of Governor's Executive Budget: APPROPRIATION: Pp. A3.5, A3.7, A3.8, E30.3, E30.11, E30.20, E30.22 County Assistance Offices I. SUMMARY FINANCIAL DATA 2013-2014 2014-2015 Actual Available 2015-2016 Budgeted State Funds $271,983 $314,496 Federal Funds Total $265,902 $312,819 Federal.Sources Itemized T ANFBG-County Assistance Offices $48,534. $46,490 Medical Assistance-County Assistance djfices $88,452 $121,645 Food Stamps-County Assistance Offices. $100,340. $114,422 SSBG-Coullty Assistance Offices $6,262 $6,262 LIHEABG-Admillistratioll $22,264 $24,000 Summer Storm Disaster - Admin $50 $0 Other Funds Total $0 $0 $336,794 $335,682 $52,596 $133,919 $118,905 $6,262 $24,000 $0 $0 Total $537,885 $627,315 $672,476 IA. REQUESTED SUPPLEMENTALS (Included above) State Funds $0 Federal Funds $0 c Total $0 27
II. DETAIL BY MAJOR OBJECT APPROPRIATION: ($ Amounts in Thousands) County Assistance Offices Change 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 Budgeted Percent Actual Available Budgeted vs. Available Change PERSONNEL State Funds $237,507 $279,050 $299,640 $20,590 7.38% Federal Funds $232,345 $256,673 $280,671 $23,998 9.35% Total Personnel $469,852 $535,723 $580,311 $44,588 8.32% OPERATING State Funds $34,476 $35,446 $37,154 $1,708 4.82% Federal Funds $32,135 $35,493 $33,441 ($2,052) -5.78% Total Operating $66,611 $70,939 $70,595 ($344). -0.48% FIXED ASSETS Federal Funds $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% Total Fixed Assets $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% GRANT & SUBSIDY Federal Funds $165 $165 $165 $0 0.00% Total Grant & Subsidy $165 $165 $165 $0 0.00% NONEXPENSE Federal Funds $50 $0 $0 $0 0.00% Total Nonexpense $50 $0 $0 $0 0.00% BUDGETARY RESERVE Federal Funds $0 $20,488 $21,405 $917 4.48% Of her Funds $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% Total Budgetary Reserve $0 $20,488 $21,405 $917 4.48% UNCOMMITTED Federal Funds $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% Total Uncommitted $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% EXCESS FEDERAL Federal Funds $1,207 $0 $0 $0 0.00% T otai Excess Federai $;,207 $0 $0 $0 n.nnoi V.VU/O TOTAL FUNDS State Funds $271,983 $314,496 $336,794 $22,298 7.09% Federal Funds $265,902 $312,819 $335,682 $22,863 7.31% Of her Funds $0 $0 $0 $0 0.00% Total Funds $537,885 $627,315 $672,476 $45,161 7.20% 28
-APPROPRIATION: County Assistance Offices Ill. HISTORY OF LAPSES ($ Amounts in Thousands) State Funds 2012-2013 2013-2014 $3,961 $3,139 2014 2015 Estimated $0 IV. COMPLEMENT INFORMATION 12/31/2013 12/31/2014 2015 2016 Budgeted State/Federally Funded Authorized 6,293 6,773 6,773 Filled 6,097 6,296 6,483 Federally Funded Authorized 6 6 6 Filled 6 6 6 Other Funded Authorized 0 0 0 Filled 0 0 0 Total Authorized 6,299 6,779 6,779 Filled 6,103 6,302 6,489 V. DERIVATION OF REQUEST I LEGISLATIVE CITATIONS I DISBURSEMENT CRITERIA Derivation of Request: The Fiscal Year 2015-2016 Governor's Executive Budget reflects an authorized complement of 6,773 positions. Personnel costs reflect funding for 6,483 filled positions, 224 vacant positions and 66 leave-without-pay positions. Also reflected are six federally funded positions assigned to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Legislative Citations: 62 P.5. 401 et. seq. Disbursement Criteria: This appropriation provides staff to operate 96 local County Assistance Offices. The County Assistance Offices mana-ge the Cash Grants, Medical Assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Low Income Home Energy Assistance programs for the Department of Human Services. County Assistance Office staff are responsible for reviewing a client's circumstances, applying tjhis information to eligibility criteria, and making a determination of eligibility for the benefit programs cited above. Redeterminations of client eligibility are conducted periodically to ensure that the client continues to meet eligibility requirements. 29
VI. EXPLANATION OF CHANGES ($ Amounts in Thousands) APPROPRIATION: County Assistance Offices State $ Federal $ Other $ Total $ PERSONNEL 1. Change in filled staffing level, average bi-weekly and funded pay periods from Fiscal Year 2014-2015 levels: $1,479 $1,741 2. Provides an increase for the impact of salary adjustment factor (without benefits) of 2.25 percent for union-represented and management e~ployees, which includes the full year cost of a January 1: 2015 step increase offset by turnover: $3,001 $3,606 3. Reflects an increase in the total cost of employee benefits primarily due to an increase in employee health and retirement rates: $13,183 $15,724 4. Reflects annualization of 480 positions needed to support the additional consumers for the Affordable Care Act and the Healthy PA Initiative: $2,927 $2,927 Subtotal Personnel $20,590 $23,998 $0 $3,220 $0 $6,607 $0 $28,907 $0 $5,854 $0 $44,588 OPERATING 1. Reflects an increase in lease contracts and renewals in Fiscal Year 201'5-2016: $209 $167 2. Reflects a change in the Federal participation rate in Fiscal Year 2015-2016: $1,859 ($1,859) 3. Reflects a decrease in one-time operating expenses related to the Healthy PA Initiative: {$360~ {$360) Subtotal Operating $1,708 ($2,052) $0 $376 $0 $0 $0 {$720~ $0 ($344) BUDGETARY RESERVE 1. Impact of nonrecurring Budgetary Reserve in Fiscal Year 2014-2015: $0 $0 2. Reflects an increase in Federal Budgetary Reserve in Fiscal Year 2015-2016: $0 $917 Subtotal Budgetary Reserve $0 $917 TOTAL $22,298 $22,863 $0 $0 $0 $917 $0 $917 $0 $45,161 30
COUNTY ASSISTANCE OFFICES PROGRAM STATEMENT This appropriation provides funding for the operation of 96 local County Assistance Offices (CAOs), the primary point for the public to access both services that support transition to economic selfsufficiency and help with vital human services. The CAOs are responsible for the eligibility determination and distribu"tion of Cash Assistance, Energy Assistance, Medical Assistance (MA) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to residents of Pennsylvania. Cash Assistance includes: payments to meet everyday living expenses under the Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, State funded supplemental payments to augment Federal Supplemental Security Income benefits, special allowances to support employment and training efforts and State Blind Pension benefits to persons who are legally blind. Payments to help meet heating costs are provided under the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (L1HEAP). Pennsylvania's MA program provides payments for a comprehensive set of medical services, both for recipients of cash assistance and for persons whose income is sufficient to meet their basic living needs, but is not sufficient to cover additional medical care costs. Formerly known as Food Stamps, the SNAP program is administered under Federal regulations to help low-income individuals and families purchase food. The Income Maintenance Case Worker (IMCW) is responsible for making a determination of eligibility for the benefit programs cited above. Redeterminations of client eligibility are conducted periodically to ensure the client continues to meet eligibility requirements. In addition, IMCWs perform the functions necessary to issue Cash Assistance, SNAP and MA benefits to eligible clients and to act on reported changes or new requests. Implementation of the Federal and State welfare reform legislation (the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 and Act 35 of 1996, respectively) led to a significant decrease in the number of families receiving Cash Assistance (from February 1997 to November 2014, the TANF roles have decreased by 60.4 percent). Reauthorization of TANF in 2006 resulted in a more stringent work participation rate with the goal of encouraging self-sufficiency. Over the past five years, "MA participation has increased by approximately 6.0 percent and SNAP benefits have increased by approximately 21.3 percent. In addition, the CAOs received 545,895 Cash applications and 138,446 Crisis requests during the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 L1HEAP heating season. The Department of Human Services (Department) initiated the Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) in July 1985. Under this program, IMCWs across the Commonwealth identify assistance recipients having serious physical, mental or emotional disabilities that appear to preclude gainful employment. These individuals are referred to the Social Security Administration to apply for Federal Social Security/Supplemental Security Income benefits. The CAOs disability advocates assist with the applications for disability benefits, as needed. In Fiscal Year 2013-2014, there were 21,578 new referrals made to DAP with 8,798 approved for Social Security benefits. The CAOs in 67 counties provide access to critical services to approximately 2.8 million citizens every month across the Commonwealth. The overall goal is to deliver quality service in a timely and effective manner, whiie increasing our customers' ability"to achieve economic self-sufficiency. In the past year, the Office of Income Maintenance has improved customer service, increased efficiency and achieved stronger outcomes for our customers. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS). is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's online portal that allows individuals and community organizations to screen for, apply for and renew a broad range of social services programs. Through COMPASS, active recipients have the ability to create a confidential account in order to mooitor their benefits and report 31
changes. Likewise, COMPASS also allows registered community organizations-the ability to access and v.iew their submitted applications through a community partner dashboard.. Each year, an increasing number of individuals and community organizations are utilizing COMPASS' 24-hour internet access. The statewide customer service centers bring an opportunity for more efficient operations and enhanced customer service. Customer service centers align with our vision for effective management of our resources and allow our customers to receive the best customer service possible. The centers projected average call volume in Fiscal Year 2014-2015 is 2,959,000 English calls and 217,690 Spanish calls. In Philadelphia alone, projected total call volume in Fiscal Year 2014-2015 is 1,922,800. A Statewide Processing CenteJ (SWPC) was established to assist CAOs in processing work to ensure that benefits are issued in a timely, accurate and efficient manner. The SWPC is a virtual office with staff located in five locations; Butler, Cambria, Clearfield, Fayette and Somerset counties. Clerical support is located in Mercer County. The SWPC locations were selected because of existing available space in CAOs, as well as the opportunity to provide significant employment prospects. Staff was trained using a practical hands-on approach, with on-site support from supervisors and trainers. The focus of the SWPC is to process LlHEAP applications in a timely manner and to reduce backlog in CAO's. The processing centers are capable of assisting any CAO with unusually high volumes of work. The centers are fully operational, fully staffed and making a positive impact for Pennsylvania citizens. The Office of Income Maintenance, Division of Helpline and Correspondence staff responds to inquiries about public benefits in Pennsylvania. Inquiries come from applicants, recipients, public and private agency staff, legislative staff and the general public. Helpline numbers appear in various media such as: printed applications, COMPASS, published in telephone and internet directories and on the Department of Human Services website. In Calendar Year 2014, the Helpline received 508,670 calls and received 31,817 pieces of correspondence (emails and letters). The LlHEAP Helpline received 226,284 calls. 32