Effective Date - January 1, 2009

712                 Good Cause for Failing to Comply with Work Requirements

SNAP - 7 CFR 273.7

A.    Determine if good cause does exist when an individual claims to have good cause for failing or refusing to comply with work requirements.

B.    Grant good cause under the following conditions:

1.    Circumstances are beyond the individual’s control such as, but not limited to:

a.    Illness;

b.    Illness of another assistance unit member requiring the presence of the member;

c.    An assistance unit emergency;

d.    The unavailability of transportation;

e.    The lack of adequate child care for children who have reached age six, but are under age 12.

2.    Discrimination by an employer based on age, race, sex, color, disability, religious beliefs, national origin or political beliefs;

3.    Work demands or conditions that render continued employment unreasonable, such as working without being paid on schedule;

4.    Acceptance by any assistance unit member of employment or enrollment of at least half-time in any recognized school, training program or institution of higher education that requires the member to leave employment and/or move;

5.    Resignations by persons under the age of 60 which are recognized by the employer as retirement;

6.    Acceptance of a bona fide offer of employment of more than 30 hours a week or in which the weekly earnings are equivalent to the Federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours which, because of circumstances beyond the control of the wage earner, subsequently either does not materialize or results in less than 30 hours a week or weekly earnings of less than Federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours;

7.    Leaving a job in connection with patterns of employment in which workers frequently move from one employer to another such as migrant farm labor or construction work.

8.    Employment that is no longer suitable as defined in Section 704.

C.   Document the reason good cause was approved or denied in the case record.