Good Cause Exceptions

Lady sitting on loveseat with legs crossed and resting her arms on crutches. Her face looks disappointed, and her top foot is in a cast, suggesting an injury that qualifies for a good cause exemption.

Once determined eligible for Pathways, there may be times when you are not able to complete 80 hours of qualifying activities during a month. You can request a Good Cause Exception for up to 120 hours per certification year so that you meet reporting requirements and maintain coverage even when unexpected things happen. 

Examples of Good Cause Exceptions include:

  • Family emergency or life event.
  • Birth, adoption, foster placement, or death of an immediate family member.
  • Temporary illness/short term injury.
  • Serious illness or hospitalization of yourself, or immediate family member.
  • Natural or human-caused disaster.
  • Temporary homelessness.
  • COVID-19 illness or exposure.

For more detailed definitions of these examples and acceptable accompanying documentation, reference the table below. If you have a different reason to be considered for not completing 80 hours of qualifying activities, select “Other” on the Gateway Customer Portal. 

You can request a Good Cause Exception the same way you report your qualifying activities each month:

  • Online at gateway.ga.gov.
  • In-person at your local Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) office. To find the location and business hours for a DFCS office, visit: dfcs.ga.gov/locations. 
  • By mail to your local DFCS office.
  • By phone at 1-877-423-4746 or 711 for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking.

Those who request a Good Cause Exception over the phone can provide documentation of a valid reason online, by mail, or in-person at a DFCS office.

If you do not report your 80 hours of qualifying activities by the 17th of the month or receive a Good Cause Exception, your coverage will stop at the end of the month. For example, if during February you do not report your 80 hours from January, and do not have a Good Cause Exception to cover the missing hours, then your coverage will stop February 28. If you reported 80 hours of qualifying activities from February by March 17, your coverage will resume April 1.

Definitions of Good Cause Exceptions and acceptable accompanying documentation for Good Cause Exception requests:

Good Cause Exceptions, Definitions and Documentation
Good Cause Exception Definition for Pathways Acceptable Verification Documentation
Family emergency or life event

The individual or a member of their immediate family was a victim of/involved in domestic violence, divorce, legal proceeding, legal matter, or temporary incarceration during the reporting period; or the individual was confirmed to serve jury duty during the reporting period.

Immediate family means the individual’s spouse, child, parent, brother and sister. Immediate family also includes any other person who resides in the individual’s household and is recognized by law as a dependent of the individual.
  • Client Statement with Collateral Contact (a secondary supporting contact).
  • Clinician’s note.
  • Court Papers/Legal Papers.
  • Police Report/Domestic disturbance report.
  • Jury Duty Selection Notice.
Birth, adoption, foster placement, or death of an immediate family member A member of the individual’s immediate family was born, was adopted, or died during the reporting period. The individual received a placement of a foster child in the home, including those in kinship during the reporting period.
  • Birth certificate.
  • Birth announcement.
  • Adoption papers.
  • Obituary.
  • Death certificate.
  • Caregiver Placement Passport (for foster placement).
Temporary illness/short term injury The individual experienced a temporary illness or short-term injury that resulted in an inability to work, attend school, or perform other regular daily activities for over three consecutive calendar days during the reporting period.
  • Clinician’s note.
  • Employer/Supervisor statement.
Serious illness or hospitalization of member or immediate family member The individual or a member of the individual’s immediate family was hospitalized or otherwise incapacitated during the reporting period due to illness, injury, impairment, or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility; or continuing treatment by a health care provider.
  • Clinician’s note.
  • Employer/Supervisor statement.
Natural or human-caused disaster The individual was a victim of a natural or human-caused disaster, such as a flood, storm, earthquake, serious fire, industrial accident, shooting, act of terrorism, incidents of mass violence, or other declared incident of mass trauma during the reporting period.
  • Client Statement with Collateral Contact (a secondary supporting contact).
  • State-issued executive order.
  • Federally declared disaster.
  • Property loss statement.
Temporary homelessness The individual was evicted from their home or became homeless during the reporting period.
  • Client Statement.
  • Landlord letter.
  • Lease document.
COVID-19 The individual is unable to fulfill the hours and activities requirements because the individual was quarantining in response to having COVID-19 symptoms, a COVID-19 diagnosis, or exposure to COVID-19, or because of a closure of the place(s) related to COVID-19 where the individual was meeting the hours requirement.
  • Client Statement with Collateral Contact (a secondary supporting contact).
  • Clinician’s note.
  • Employer/Supervisor statement.
Other

The individual or a member of their immediate family was a victim of/involved in domestic violence, divorce, legal proceeding, legal matter, or temporary incarceration during the reporting period; or the individual was confirmed to serve jury duty during the reporting period.

Immediate family means the individual’s spouse, child, parent, brother and sister. Immediate family also includes any other person who resides in the individual’s household and is recognized by law as a dependent of the individual.
  • Client Statement with Collateral Contact (a secondary supporting contact).
  • Documents TBD (circumstance reviewed and determined acceptable).