September 15, 2004

MEMORANDUM TO ALL RSB STAFF

From:  Mike Fester

Subject:  Consumer Meals

Effective immediately

The following policy will be applied when reimbursing Consumers and Vendors for allowable meals:

Reimbursement for meals is considered maintenance, or monetary support provided to an individual for subsistence expenses that are in excess of the normal expenses of the individual and that are necessitated by the individual’s participation in an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation needs or the individual’s receipt of vocational rehabilitation services under an individualized plan for employment.

When reimbursing for individual meals, the current maximum rate will be at the current maximum rate for State employees per the DSS Administrative Manual.

The current maximum rate per day is $20.00 + up to 15% tip.

The individual meal maximums are as follows:

Breakfast = $7.00 + up to 15% tip.

Lunch      = $10.00 + up to 15% tip.

Dinner     = $15.00 + up to 15% tip.

Regardless of the price of each meal, the total per day may not exceed $20.00 + up to 15% tip.

Example: If authorizing for Breakfast Lunch and Dinner the individual returns receipts of  $7.00 for food plus $1.00 tip for the breakfast meal, $10.00 plus $1.50 tip for the lunch meal. This means that we cannot reimburse any more than $3.00 for food and .50 for tip for the dinner meal no matter what the receipt indicates.  

Receipts are required and must indicate the tip amount to allow for reimbursement for the tip.

Individual meal receipts are required for reimbursing consumers for 5 days or less of continuous expenses.  Tip amounts can be indicated on a credit card receipt or may be hand written on a cash register receipt.

A completed expense voucher will be used in lieu of individual meal receipts for consumers who are in BEP evaluation/training and for any meals reimbursed for extended (longer the 5 days) periods of time that a consumer is participating in a vocational rehabilitation service.  Expense vouchers must indicate a tip amount separately per meal to allow reimbursement for that allowable expense.       

Authorizations issued for individual meal should indicate the allowable meal maximums plus tip amount (if the tip is to be authorized).

When completing the Request for Reimbursement for meals, the  “Description of goods or service” should indicate only what we are reimbursing i.e., (meals plus tip), “rate of reimbursement” may indicate the current State rate, and the “Total Reimbursable Expenses” must agree with attached receipts.

If you have any questions regarding this procedure please contact Mark Laird, Assistant Deputy Director.

MF/ML/kg