Ongoing Additional Requirements (OAR)

Revised April 1, 2024

Purpose:

Ongoing Additional Requirements (OAR) are additional state-funded payments which are available to certain clients who are receiving cash assistance or a HEN Referral. These payments are for a need beyond essential food, clothing and shelter when the need is necessary to help the individual continue to live independently. Some OAR benefits are paid monthly based upon a review period as assigned by social service staff, whereas some OAR benefits are one-time payments available once during a 12-month period.   

WAC 388-473-0010 What are ongoing additional requirements and how do I qualify? 

WAC 388-473-0020 When do we authorize meals as an ongoing additional requirement? 

WAC 388-473-0040 Assistance for service animals as an ongoing additional requirement. 

WAC 388-473-0050 Telephone and internet services as an ongoing additional requirement. 

WAC 388-473-0060 Laundry as an ongoing additional requirement. 

WAC 388-473-0070 Transportation as an ongoing additional requirement.  

WAC 388-473-0080 Medically related items or services as an ongoing additional requirement. 

WAC 388-478-0050 Payment standards for ongoing additional requirements. 

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-473-0010

  1. Social Service staff determine the need, payment amount and the length of approval time for OAR.
  2. Needs not specified under OAR, or needs that are more than the standard amount or annual limit, may still be requested under the exception to rule provision by Social Service staff. See: EXCEPTION TO RULE.
  3. OAR payments are issued the same way as other cash benefits. The one exception is that OAR for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients must be issued via warrant. See WAC 388-412-0025.
  4. OAR benefits are not prorated. If the approval decision from Social Service staff says OAR is approved on January 15, the full monthly OAR amount is issued for January in ACES.
  5. Due to ACES programming, countable income will reduce the OAR payment for HEN Referral recipients. In this rare situation, eligibility staff must follow steps outlined in the ACES Manual.
  6. ACES does not generate letters when OAR terminates at review for HEN referral and SSI recipients. Social Service staff send a Barcode letter to inform clients about OAR benefits ending at review.

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-473-0040

"Trained" does not require training at a recognized school or training facility. It means the animal has been trained to perform some function for the client. The difference between a pet and service animal is the animal must be performing a task that allows the individual to live independently.

Clarifying Information - WAC 388-478-0050

  1. Services with an annual limit are limited to one payment every 12 months. For example, if $240.00 is issued for eyeglasses in April 2024, that service cannot be approved again until April 2025 at the earliest.
  2. The standards and limits outlined in WAC 388-478-0050 are per person, not per household.
  3. A household could have more than one person who is eligible for the same OAR benefit.
    1. For example, a married couple is active on ABD and one person receives monthly service animal food ($50). The other spouse requests food for their service animal ($50) and is approved by the Social Service staff. In ACES, eligibility staff mark that two people are authorized for service animal food and the system issues twice the amount ($100).
  4. Since ACES works in a future month (the ongoing month), one-time OAR payments and the first month of recurring OAR payments will usually be issued as a cash underpayment.
    1. For example, a one-time payment of $1000 is approved for dentures in January. Since ACES is working in February, eligibility staff add OAR in January and issue $1000 as an underpayment.
    2. Lead/supervisory approval is required before an OAR underpayment is issued to the client.

ACES PROCEDURES

  • See Additional Requirement - Ongoing Additional Requirement (AREQ)
  • See Underpayment Processing