Section 114.80  Downstate General Assistance Work and Training Programs

a)         All nonexempt GA clients outside the City of Chicago shall accept assignment with Work and Training Programs as a condition of eligibility for General Assistance, unless there is good cause for exception.  Good cause for exception includes, but is not limited to:

1)         there is an unreasonable degree of risk to the client's health and safety;

2)         the client is not physically or mentally competent to perform the work; or

3)         the assignment is not within reasonable distance of the client's home.  (Commuting time would represent more than 25% of the client's work time.)

b)         Work and Training Projects

1)         The local governmental unit shall cooperate with State and local agencies in establishing employment and training projects and shall itself establish projects when necessary.  Such projects shall provide employment and training in one or a number of local units.  Projects shall be approved pursuant to Section 9-6 of the Illinois Public Aid Code by the Department.  In local governmental units receiving State funds, projects shall be established and approved within 30 days of the date the unit begins to receive State funds.  If a GA receiving unit fails to have a project in operation within 30 days, further allocation of State funds may be denied.

2)         If a GA Unit has tried to establish a work project but has been unsuccessful, the GA Unit may request an exception to the requirement of having a work project.  The Department will review the request, and grant an exception to the requirement if there is good cause for the unit's inability to establish a work project, and the unit has tried unsuccessfully to establish a project in cooperation with other local governmental units and/or agencies.  Good cause in such instances includes, but is not limited to, inability to locate a sponsor, inability to obtain worker's compensation insurance or small caseload size where a work project would not be cost effective.  When an exception is granted it will be reviewed every six (6) months to determine if the GA Unit continues to qualify for the exception.

c)         If the recipient fails or refuses to cooperate with Work and Training Program requirements as set out in Section 9-6 of the Illinois Public Aid Code, the case will be cancelled due to non-cooperation.  The client will be ineligible to receive general assistance benefits for a sanction period of three (3) payment months.

(Source:  Amended at 16 Ill. Reg. 3512, effective February 20, 1992)