Delaware § 1506 - Participant compensation and benefits.

§ 1506. Participant compensation and benefits.

(a) Participants shall receive the following benefits so long as they satisfactorily participate in the Program:

(1) Compensation for their work effort substantially equal to the wage paid for similar jobs in the local economy, with appropriate adjustments for experience, training and productive effort;

(2) The EITC, with any advanced portions paid as a part of the wage payment;

(3) Continuation of federal and state medical assistance benefits for which the participants was eligible at the time of entering the Program;

(4) Child care benefits as may be necessary to permit participation in the Program;

(5) Job training and job search counseling as otherwise available under the TANF program;

(6) Such portion of the child support payments collected by the Department as the Department determines, in addition to, and not in lieu of, the payments for work provided in the Program;

(7) Accumulation of an earned Personal Advancement Account as provided for in § 1507 of this title.

(b) TANF benefits shall be suspended for the duration of the placement at the end of the first calendar month in which an employer makes the first wage payment to a participant who is a custodial parent in a family that receives TANF program benefits.

(c) The Department shall also make supplemental payments to families for which the participant’s wages, together with the EITC, represent less spendable income than the value of the TANF program benefits that the family would otherwise receive. The supplemental payments shall be in amounts which when added to the amount of participant wages together with the EITC will be equal to the value of the TANF program benefits that the family would otherwise receive. The Department shall determine and pay in advance supplemental payments to participants on a monthly basis as necessary to ensure equivalent net program wages. Such supplemental payments shall not be subject to federal income taxes and social security contributions.

(d) The Department may provide life skills classes and opportunities for participants to achieve high school graduation equivalency diplomas in conjunction with participation in the Program.

70 Del. Laws, c. 66, §  2;  81 Del. Laws, c. 367, § 5;