Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Division 20 - Division of County Operations
Rule 016.20.00-009 - FSC 00-06: Converting Cases from the Simplified Food Stamp Program to the Regular Food Stamp Program

a) Resources - Households containing at least one member who receives a TEA benefit are classified as categorically eligible households. See PD FSC 99-21. Categorically eligible households do not have to meet the Food Stamp Program resource limits.

b) Income - Categorically eligible households do not have to meet gross or net income limits. However, the worker must insure that the income declared by the household is not handled differently under regular Food Stamp Program rules. For example, if a member of the SFSP household is an eligible student, some income disregarded under SFSP rules may be counted under regular Food Stamp Program rules. See FSC 5000 for an explanation of countable income.

c) Deductions - The worker must carefully examine the household's most recent application (DQO-380 or DCO-220) to determine if there is adequate information to determine the household's current deductible expenses. This includes dependent care costs, medical costs for disabled members and/or members age 60 or older, and shelter costs. The rules for determining allowable deductions under regular Food Stamp Program rules may be found in the 6000 section of the Food Stamp Certification Manual.

Example 1 - A household contains a member who receives SSL The household is currently using its actual shelter costs in place of the county shelter standard. No medical expenses or dependent care costs were declared. This case contains adequate information to determine the household's current expenses.

Example 2 - No member of the household receives SSI benefits, and on the most recent application, the household declared a rent amount but no utility costs. This case does not contain adequate information to determine the household's current expenses.

If additional information is needed to determine the household's current expenses, the worker must use the attached notice with a Notice of Action (DCO-1) to request the needed information. See Attachment 2. The household will be allowed ten days to provide the requested information. If the.information is not provided, the expense will be disallowed. The case will not be closed solely because the household failed to provide requested information . about expenses.

When a household is converted from the SFSP to the regular Food Stamp Program prior to recertification, either the household's actual utility costs or the utility standard will be used in the budget. Any costs incurred by the household for rent or mortgage payments, real estate taxes on the home or homeowner's insurance will also be allowed as a shelter cost.

Based on the information provided by the household on the notice, the worker will determine if the household is entitled to use the utility standard of $172 when the food stamp budget is calculated.

If the household is not entitled to the utility standard, the household's actual declared utility expenses will be used in the budget. When actual utility costs are allowed, the telephone standard of $25 must be used as the telephone cost if the household incurs a telephone expense.

If the household is entitled to the utility standard, the worker will determine if the household's actual declared utility expenses (including the $25 telephone standard for households that incur a telephone expense) amount to more than the utility standard of $ 172. If yes, the actual utility costs will be used in the budget. If no, the utility standard will be used in the budget.

d) Issuance of Benefits - A categorically eligible household with one or two members will always-receive at least $10 in food stamp benefits. Categorically eligible households with three or more members will receive a minimum benefit of $2.00 only if the Thrifty Food Plan reduced by 30% of the household's net income is at least $1.00. If the benefit calculation is less than $ 1.00, the household will hot receive benefits and will be handled as an otherwise eligible household as explained in FSC 8641.

e) Change Reporting Requirements - Prior to conversion from the SFSP to the regular Program at recertification, SFSP cases will be subject only to the TEA reporting requirements. See TEA 10300 for an explanation of handling changes reported to the TEA worker.

Once a household is converted back to the regular Program, that household becomes subject to both the TEA reporting requirements and the Food Stamp Program reporting requirements. See FSC 11100 -11200 for an explanation of the food stamp reporting requirements.

If the household is being converted prior to recertification, the worker must issue to the household a Change Report Form (DCO-234) and a business reply mail (BRM) envelope. If the household is being converted at recertification and will become subject to quarterly reporting as explained in FSC 11510, the worker must issue to the households a copy of the ', pamphlet, Food Stamp Quarterly Reporting (Pub-360). The worker should briefly cover the information in the pamphlet with the household." Former SFSP households not subject to quarterly reporting will be given a Change Report Form (DCO-234) and a business reply mail (BRM) envelope. The worker should explain to the household the items to be reported for TEA purposes and the items to be reported for food stamp purposes.

f) Certification Periods - At the time of conversion, the worker must note the household's certification period. If the last month in the certification period is October 2000 or later, the worker must shorten the certification period at the time of conversion. Enter the new ending month and year of certification via the automated system in use in your county. DO NOT REKEY THE BEGINNING MONTH OF CERTIFICATION.

g) Notices/Forms - At the time the case is converted from the SFSP to the regular Food Stamp Program, the household must be notified of the change in reporting requirements. If the household's food stamp benefit amount will change, the household must be notified of this change. If the household will receive fewer benefits as the result of the change, the notice must act as an advance notice of adverse action. A notice has been prepared to use with the Notice of Action (DCO-1) to serve this function, (See Attachment 3.| At any recertification, the household must be issued a copy of the pamphlet, Food Stamp Program, Your Rights and Your Responsibilities (PUB-279). See FSC 10540.

SHORTENING CERTIFICATION PERIODS

If a household participating in the SFSP has a certification period ending in October 2000 or later, that household's certification period must be shortened to end in September 2000 or earlier. Each county office -will be allowed to determine how to schedule the recertifications for these households. A report was supplied to each county office accompanied by a memorandum of instruction. ,This report furnished the following information:

* Casehead Name

* Casehead SSN

* SFSP Code

* Categorical Eligibility Status Code

* Certification Beginning and Ending Dates

* TEA Amount

Copies of this report were maintained in the Food Stamp Section.

A second report will identify each household not classified as a SFSP household if the household meets the SFSP criteria and has been assigned a 12-month certification but is not subject to QR This report, which will only be generated once, is intended to help the county office identify cases that are being handled as SFSP cases even though the case" is improperly coded. If the county is handling the case as a SFSP case, the coding must be corrected. If the certification period "ends in July or later, the household's certification period should be shortened using the county office's predetermined criteria. If the household should not be classified as a SFSP case, the county office should determine if the household should have been assigned a 12-month certification period according to FSC 8710. If not, the certification period should be shortened. To shorten a certification period, the worker must enter the new ending month and year of certification. THE BEGINNING MONTH OF CERTIFICATION MUST NOT BE REKEYED.

I 4 [LESS THAN]

On the night of the third workday, A Notice of Expiration (DCO-239) is automatically generated for all households with a certification period ending the following month. For example, on February 3, DCO-239s will be generated for all households with a certification period ending in March. If shortening the household's certification period means that a DCO-239 will not automatically be generated, the county office must manually prepare a DCO-239 to be issued to the household. See FSC 11430 for additional information about shortening certification periods. See FSC 10210 for instructions about completion of the DCO-239.

The DCO-239 and an application must be mailed to the household so that the household will receive the form any day of the next to last month of the shortened certification period. (Example - If the certification period ends in May, the household must receive a notice of expiration any day during the month of April.)

MAINTAINING SFSP RECORDS

All records pertaining to a household's participation in the SFSP must be maintained for three full years from the month of origin in either the food stamp case file or the TEA case file. Policy Directive FSC 00-06

SHORTENING CERTIFICATION PERIODS

If a household participating in the SFSP has a certification period ending in October 2000 or later, that household's certification period must be shortened to end in September 2000 or earlier. Each county office will be allowed to determine how to schedule the recertifications for these households. A report was supplied to each county office accompanied by a memorandum of instruction. This report furnished the following information:

* Casehead Name

* Casehead SSN

* SFSP Code

* Categorical Eligibility Status Code

* Certification Beginning and Ending Dates

* TEA Amount

Copies of this report were maintained in the Food Stamp Section.

A second report will identify each household not classified as a SFSP household if the household meets the SFSP criteria and has been assigned a 12-month certification but is not subject to QR. This report, which will only be generated once, is intended to help the county office identify cases that are being handled as SFSP cases even though the case is improperly coded. If the county is handling the case as a SFSP case, the coding must be corrected. If the certification period ends in July or later, the household's certification period should be shortened using the county office's predetermined criteria. If the household should not be classified as a SFSP case, the county office should determine if the household should have been assigned a 12-month certification period according to FSC 8710. If not, the certification period should be shortened* To shorten a certification period, the worker must enter the new ending month and year of certification. THE BEGINNING MONTH OF CERTIFICATION MUST NOT BE REKEYED.

On the night of the third workday, A Notice of Expiration (DCO-239) is automatically generated for all households with a certification period ending the following month. For example, on February 3, DCO-239s will be generated for all households with a certification period ending in March. If shortening the household's certification period means that a DCO-239 will not automatically be generated, the county office must manually prepare a DCO-239 to be issued to the household. See FSC 11430 for additional information about shortening certification periods. See FSC 10210 for instructions about completion of the DCO-239.

The DCO-239 and an application must be mailed to the household so that the household will receive the form any day of the next to last month of the shortened certification period. (Example - If the certification period ends in May, the household must receive a notice of expiration any day during the month of April.)

MAINTAINING SFSP RECORDS

All records pertaining to a household's participation in the SFSP must be maintained for three full years from the month of origin in either the food stamp case file or the TEA case file.