§ 165. Recipients authorized to work. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a social services official may, in his or her discretion, authorize a recipient of safety net assistance to work and retain the income derived therefrom without any diminution or with partial diminution of safety net assistance where such an arrangement would, in his or her opinion, lead to elimination of the recipient from the assistance rolls in a reasonable length of time. The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purpose of this section.