Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Division 20 - Division of County Operations
Rule 016.20.98-042 - FSC 99-4: Changes to section 8000 of the Food Stamp Certification (FSC) Manual - Updated to remove all statements referring to mailing food stamps, the word benefits has been substituted for the word allotment and the deleting of the policy allowing a ten day processing of initial applications
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
SECTION: INITIAL CASE ACTIONS
8100 Initial Application Process - Summary
An initial application for food stamp benefits is one of the following:
The determination of initial application status is important because the first month's food stamp benefits are usually prorated to the date of application.
The initial application process begins the day an application is submitted to the county office and ends when the application is approved or denied. Eligible households that complete the application process will be allowed to participate in the Program as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days from the date of application. Applications not approved or denied by the 30th day must be evaluated to determine if the household or the county was at fault for the delay in processing the application. If the county office is at fault, the application will continue to be processed. If the household is at fault, the application will be denied.
The application process consists of the following actions:
The date of application is the date the application was received in the county office. The date of application will be entered on page 1 and/or page 4 of the application form on the day the form is received in the county office.
FSC 8000 explains the processes of filing an application, registering an application, interviewing a household and determining fault when an application is delayed. The time frames for completion of the application are also explained. The actual process used to determine eligibility is covered in FSC 7000.
8120 The Household's Rights at Application
A household filing an application for food stamp benefits has the following rights:
Requests for applications may be submitted in writing, in person, by telephone, or through another agency or individual.
An incomplete food stamp application must contain at least the applicant's name and address and the signature of a responsible member of the household or the household's authorized representative. Applications not containing at least this information will not be registered and will be returned to the household, if possible.
8130 The County Office's Responsibilities
The county office has the following responsibilities:
The county will prominently display the following posters:
These posters must be displayed in at least each waiting area designated for food stamp benefit applicants and recipients in both public assistance and non-public assistance categories.
Food Stamp Applications (DCO-220's) will be provided, upon request, to anyone including outreach groups. Applications may be requested in any manner. Applications requested by telephone or by mail will be mailed to the household or outreach group on the same day the request is received in the county office.
This includes households who contact the office by telephone or in person.
8131 Monitoring Timeliness
Food stamp benefits must be available to eligible households no later than the 30th day of the application period. Households found to be ineligible must be sent a notice of denial as soon as possible but not later than 30 days following the date the application was filed.
When an application remains pending on the 30th day, the county office must review the application to determine whether the county office or the applicant is at fault for the delay in processing the application. If the applicant is at fault for the delay, the application will be denied.
When the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the application will be denied the first work day following the weekend or holiday. However, the 30th day will be entered as the denial date on the Food Stamp Application (DC0-220) or the Food Stamp Registration Denial (DCO-211). Using the 30th day as the denial date will prevent the denial from appearing on the system as overdue.
Food stamp benefit application statistics must be monitored daily to insure that timeliness standards are met. Each county will devise a monitoring system that makes use of the FACTS Pending Applications Screen (WFPA).
A list of all food stamp benefits applications currently pending in the county may be viewed on WFPA in register number order, by category, by worker, by application type, or by application date. The following fields are available on WFPA for sorting records.
Category (1-NA or 2-PA)
Worker Number
Expedited Indicator (Y - Retrieves applications coded Y or L.)
Application Type (A, B, C, or D)
Prior (Y)
An entry in the prior field accompanied by an entry in the application date field will display all pending applications for that date and earlier.
See Appendix E of the DCOUM for instructions on accessing the WFPA screen.
8140 Contacting the Wrong Office
See FSC 1300 for an explanation of the residency requirements. A household that contacts a county office in the wrong state will be advised to apply for food stamp benefits in the state of residence.
8142 Transfers of Case Records
See DCOUM 7360 for instructions about transferring cases from county to county. Case records are not transferred out of state. When a household reports an out of state move, any application for food stamp benefits will be denied and the household will be advised to reapply in the new state of residence. A Notice of Action (DCO-1) may be manually issued to the household stating the date and reason for the denial.
8150 Withdrawing Applications
A household may voluntarily withdraw an application for food stamp benefits at any time during the application process. The request may be made in either written or oral form, although a written request is preferred. The household's request to withdraw an application will be documented in the case file. If the household gives a reason for the withdrawal, this will be included in the documentation.
An automated client notice will be issued to the household to confirm that the application has been withdrawn per the household's request. An automated notice will be issued via the FACTS system when the denial reason "21" and client notice "Y" code are completed on theFood Stamp Application(DCO-220), or the Food Stamp Regi stration /Denial(DC0-211).
Completed food stamp application forms are not returned to any household that withdraws an application.
NOTE: If the withdrawal request was made by telephone and the household later states no such request was made, the same application will be reinstated using the original date of application. The household will not be considered to have caused any delays in application processing.
8160 Registering Pending Applications
This section of policy deals only with the registration of pending applications.
Any application for food stamp benefits that contains at least a name, an address, and the signature of a household member or an authorized representative must be registered via the WFAP screen using the Food Stamp Application (DC0-220) or the Food Stamp Registration/Denial (DC0-211) as the input document. Applications which do not contain at least this information will be returned to the household, if possible, for completion. The date of application will be the date that an application containing at least this minimum amount of information is received in the county office. (The date of receipt is to be entered on the DC0-220 by the county office on the day the application i_s received.)
NOTE: If the application contains any member's social security number (SSN), name, and date of birth, this information must be entered via WFAP to be used in the IEVS matching process.
Expedited applications are to be registered via WFAP no later than one day after the application is received by the county office. All other applications will be registered no later than the fifth day. For applications received on the last work day of the month, the application should be registered before the night of the 4th work day of the next month, when the application reports are generated.
All applications entered via WFAP in a "pending" status are tracked and the related reports generated through FACTS are to be used by the county office to monitor application processing.
8161 Pseudo SSN's
The social security number (SSN) of the casehead is the food stamp case number. In cases where the casehead cannot locate or does not have an SSN and the application is registered on the Food Stamp Application File (WFAP), all zeroes will be used for the casehead's SSN. Any other household member who does not furnish an SSN will not be listed on WFAP.
Once the applicant household has been determined eligible to receive food stamp benefits, each member must have an SSN listed on the Food Stamp Master File (WFSM). Any member who has not provided an SSN at the time the application is approved will be assigned a unique pseudo SSN from the DHS Social Security Number Data Base (WDHS).
The following procedures are to be used to obtain a unique pseudo SSN.
. If a household member has never applied for an SSN with DHS, no WNAM search need be conducted. A unique pseudo SSN will be obtained from WDHS and used on the SS-5, DCO-12, and DCO-233 completed by the worker.
. If it is verified that a household member has applied for an SSN by completing a SS-5 for TEA or Medicaid purposes, then a copy of the completed SS-5 will be obtained for the food stamp record. If the SS-5 was never submitted to the Social Security Administration, it will be necessary to follow the appropriate process in FSC 2221, 2222 or 2223. If a unique pseudo number is listed on the SS-5 found in the record, it will be necessary to inquire to WDHS to determine if the pseudo number remains on the file. If a pseudo number is found on WDHS, this number will be used on the new SS-5, DCO-12, and entered into the FACTS system. If no pseudo number is found on WDHS, a new unique pseudo SSN must be obtained for use on the SS-5, DCO-12, and FACTS system.
. If it appears a household member has applied for an SSN with another division of DHS, the Name Search File (WNAM) will be checked. If WNAM shows only a unique pseudo SSN, WDHS must be checked to see if the pseudo number process has been completed. If, on inquiry, the number no longer shows on WDHS, the member should have received their SSN. If the unique pseudo SSN remains on WDHS, the SSN has not yet been reported back to the agency. The household should be questioned to ensure a second application for an SSN has not been made. If not, the unique pseudo number on WDHS will be used in the SSN application process.
. Whenever a household member is listed on WFSM with an old pseudo SSN such as 800-00-0001, etc., the appropriate correction should be made. If an SSN is not located in the case record or cannot be obtained from the household, a unique pseudo SSN should be obtained from WDHS for the member and used in the application for an SSN.
Refer to FSC 2221 - 2223 for instructions on completion of the SS-5 and DCO-12. Refer to DCOUM 20140 for instructions regarding access to WDHS.
8170 Screening Applications
All food stamp benefit applications are to be screened by county office staff at the time of submission to determine if the household is entitled to expedited services.
See FSC 9300-9400 for screening procedures and processing households determined to be eligible for expedited services.
8200 The Application Interview
A qualified certification worker (county office worker) must conduct an interview with each food stamp benefit applicant. The applicant may be the casehead (FSC 1500), his or her spouse, another responsible household member, or the household's authorized representative (FSC 900).
The applicant may bring anyone to the interview. If the applicant (or any accompanying person) becomes physically or verbally abusive to the worker during the interview process, the worker may terminate the interview and reschedule another time for completion of the interview process. When applicants are under the influence of intoxicants or are mentally impaired to the extent that an interview cannot be conducted, the worker may request the interview be held with another household member or an authorized representative.
Any time the worker finds it necessary to terminate an interview and/or request that someone else complete the interview, all circumstances . surrounding the incident will be fully documented in the case record and reported to supervisory personnel in the county office.
8210 Same Dav Interviews
Same day interviews are those interviews conducted with the household the same day the application is filed. Same day interviews relieve the county office of routinely assigning an appointment time for the interviews. The county office worker must document the date of the interview on the DCO-220.
8220 Interviews Scheduled at a Later Date
When it is not possible for a county office worker to complete an interview with an applicant on the same day the application is submitted, the applicant must be assigned a date and time to return for the interview. No system of assigning appointments is mandated. The county may assign each household a specific date and time or may assign appointments in blocks of time.
Each county office must have a system in which appointments are assigned in a specific manner without favoritism toward any applicant or group of applicants.
See FSC 9420 for special instructions on scheduling interviews for expedited households.
8230 Scheduling Interviews
NOTE: Each county office must have a plan for scheduling out-of-the office interviews. See FSC 8260.
Counties may select one of two options for assigning interview times to food stamp benefit applicants.
Option 1 - The county office may assign an interview time to anyone upon that person's request. The assignment of an appointment prior to the submission of a Food Stamp Application (DC0-220) must not affect a household's entitlement to expedited service.
Option 2 - The county office may assign an interview time only to households that have submitted a complete application for food stamp benefits.
No matter which option is chosen, county offices must insure the policy is applied fairly and consistently to all applicants for food stamp benefits.
An interview must be scheduled upon receipt of a DC0-220. All interviews must be scheduled as quickly as possible. Eligible households must be given an opportunity to participate in the Food Stamp Program within 30 days; therefore, interviews should be scheduled no later than 20 days from the date of application. When this is not possible, the interview should be scheduled at the first available appointment time. If a household fails to appear for a scheduled interview, no additional interviews will be scheduled unless requested by the household.
8240 Conducting Interviews
At a minimum, an interview of an applicant must cover the topics listed below.
Normally, a face to face interview with the applicant is conducted in the county office. However, the office interview will be waived upon request for any household that is unable to appoint an authorized representative and that has no household member able to come to the office because all members are aged (60 and/or older) or have a physical or mental impairment.
In addition, out of office interviews may be granted to households on a case by case basis under a hardship provision. Hardship provisions apply to any household that is unable to appoint an authorized representative and that has no household member able to come to the interview due to a lack of transportation or similar problems. Valid hardships also include:
a. Illness;
b. Situations where the applicant is required to remain in the home to care for an ill or disabled household member;
c. Prolonged severe weather;
d. Work hours or hours of participation in a job training course that preclude an office interview - e.g., the only member available to come in for the interview works from 8:00 to 4:30 and cannot leave the job; or
e. Residence in a rural area.
The household may also choose to appoint an authorized representative to appear at the interview.
The case record will be documented to reflect why the household requested an out of office interview and why the request was either approved or denied.
The county office has the option of conducting an out of office interview either by telephone or through a home visit. If a home visit is selected, the date and time of the visit must be scheduled in advance with the household.
All normal verification requirements apply to households that have an out of office interview. However, special procedures such as the use of collateral contacts may be necessary in order for the household to comply with verification requirements within the 30 day processing period.
* 8260 Interviews with Authorized Representatives
Interviews with authorized representatives (AR's) will be conducted when requested by the household. An authorized representative is an individual designated on the Food Stamp Application (DC0-220) or in writing by the casehead, his or her spouse, or another responsible household member.
Interviews with AR's are conducted in the same manner as interviews with a member of the food stamp household. For this reason, the AR must be an individual familiar with the household's circumstances.
The household is liable for any overissuances of food stamp benefits resulting from erroneous information given by the AR. Therefore, if possible, the casehead, his or her spouse, or another responsible household member should prepare the application or should review the application before its submission to the county office.
See FSC 900 through 986 for full information on authorized representatives.
8300 Household Cooperation Before eligibility can be determined, the household must cooperate by:
Refusal to cooperate with any of these processes will result in denial of the application at the time of the refusal.
Refusal to declare and/or verify a social security number (SSN) for any household member as specified in FSC 2200 will result in the disqualification of that member at the time of the refusal.
A household that i_s able to cooperate but clearly will not take the actions required to complete the processing of the application for food stamp benefits is considered to have refused to cooperate.
Example A household that refuses to sign the Food Stamp Application (DCO-220) would be denied immediately for refusal to cooperate.
If there is any question about whether a household has refused or failed to cooperate, the application will not be denied.
Example A household that fails to appear for an interview is not refusing to cooperate. Therefore, the application will not be denied until the end of the normal processing period.
No household will be denied food stamp benefits solely because someone outside the household failed to cooperate with a request for verification. The term "outside the household" will not apply to ineligible students, ineligible aliens, or to individuals disqualified for one of the following reasons:
Households denied for refusal to cooperate may reapply but eligibility cannot be determined until the needed cooperation is provided.
8310 Households with Suspected Overpayments
At times, county office workers must process an application on a household that may have received an overpayment of food stamp benefits but left the Program before the county office could determine if the overpayment did exist. These households must cooperate with the county office by providing check stubs, income statements, etc.
Refusal of the household to attempt to furnish the information needed to complete the overpayment will result in denial of the household's application. If the household attempts to furnish the information but is unable to do so, the worker must assist the household in attempting to obtain the information. All attempts to obtain the needed information will be documented in the case record, but the application will not be denied. See FSC 15400 for the procedure to complete overpayments when needed verification cannot be obtained.
A household that refuses to furnish the information needed to determine the amount of an overpayment may reapply but will not be found eligible until the household cooperates by attempting to furnish the information.
8320 Refusal to Cooperate Following Certification
If a household currently participating in the Food Stamp Program refuses to cooperate in any subsequent eligibility review, the food stamp case will be closed. Such reviews may be:
Any household that refuses to cooperate in a subsequent eligibility review may reapply for food stamp benefits, but will not be found eligible until the household cooperates with the county office. There is one exception.
Exception - A household that refuses to cooperate in the Quality Assurance Review process may reapply after the end of the review period and be found eligible. See the Glossary, definition of "Household Cooperation", for an explanation.
* 8500 Normal Processing Standards
The normal processing standard for an initial application for food stamp benefits is 30 days. Eligible households that complete the initial application process must be given an opportunity to participate in the Food Stamp Program as soon as possible, but not later than 30 calendar davs following the date the application was filed.
An application is filed the day the appropriate county office receives a Food Stamp Application (DCO-220) containing at least the applicant's name, address and the signature of the applicant, a responsible household member, or the household's authorized representative. See FSC 8100 through 8141 for a full explanation of the filing process.
As per FSC 8503, households found to be ineligible must be sent a notice of denial as soon as possible but not later than 30 days following the date the application was filed. If the 30th day falls on a non work day, the notice of denial must be sent on the first work day after the 30th day.
At the time of the application interview, the household will be issued a Notice of Delayed Application (DC0-206) if the application is pended for additional information. The household will be allowed until the 30th day of the application period to furnish needed verification. See FSC 8506.
On the 30th day following the date of application the county must assess each application that is still pending. (If the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, this will be the first work day after the 30th day.) A county office worker must review the information found in the case record to determine if the household or the county caused the delay in processing the application. See FSC 8520 - 8521.
If the county is at fault for the delay in processing, the application will not be denied. Instead, the application will be held for up to 30 additional days from the date of application while the county office and/or the household takes any actions necessary to complete the application process.
A delay will be considered the fault of the household if the household has failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions. If the household is at fault for the delay in processing the application, the application will be denied on the 30th day or if the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the first work day after the 30th day.
Although the application will be denied, the applicant retains his or her right to complete the application for a full 60 calendar days after the date of application by supplying all needed information.
If an applicant whose application has been denied on the 30th day supplies all needed information before the 60th calendar day following the date of application, the county must take the following actions:
Locate the denied application;
Reregister the denied application using the day on which all needed information was supplied as the date of application; and Dispose of the application.
The household will not be required to either submit a new application form or have a second interview. If the household reports any changed information, the change must be acted upon before approval of the application.
Each county must develop a system to insure each applicant who was denied on the 30th day retains the right to complete the original application when all needed information is submitted before the 60th day. No system is mandated, but each county must be able to demonstrate compliance with these provisions.
* 8501 Assigning Appointments
Households should be assigned an appointment for an interview within 20 days of the date of application. If a household misses this appointment, another appointment will be assigned only upon request. If a household misses an appointment for an interview assigned within 20 days of the date of application and does not request another by the 30th day, the application will be denied effective the 30th day. Day one is the day following the date the application is received by the county office. See FSC 8210 - 8240 for additional information.
" 8502 Time Frames for Processing Approvals
Eligible households that complete the application process will be provided an opportunity to participate as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days following the date of application. In order to give the household an opportunity to participate by the 30th day, benefits must be authorized on or before the 28th day. In order to meet these mandated time frames, the county office must key the approval no later than the 27th day. If the 28th day falls on a non-workday, the county office must key the approvals far enough in advance so that benefits will be authorized and the EBT card received by the 30th day.
Example: A household filed an application on October 31. The 28th day is on a Monday and that is a holiday. In order for benefits to be received by the 30th day, the approval must be keyed no later than the 24th day.
* 8503 Time Frames for Processing Denials
Applications submitted by ineligible households will be denied as soon as possible. Households that fail to appear for an interview scheduled by the 20th day and do not request another appointment will be denied effective the 30th day.
Households that fail to provide needed verification at the time of the application interview must be allowed at least 10 days to provide the verification. When the first interview is scheduled after the 20th day, the application must be held pending for the 10 day verification period. This rule applies even if the application is classified as overdue.
EXCEPTION - Households that miss an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period must complete the application process before the 30th day of the application period. If the household requests a second interview that is scheduled after the 20th day, the household must complete all requirements and supply all information by the 30th day.
When an application is to be denied on the 30th day of the application processing period, the worker must allow the household the entire day to complete the application. "Allow the household the entire day" means the household may provide the requested verification at any time on the 30th day.
The notice of denial must be sent no later than the 30th day following the date of the application. On the denial notice, the effective day (denial date) of denial will be the 30th day. Even if the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective date remains the date of the 30th day. Denial documents should be completed no later than the first work day following the 30th day and no earlier than 30th day. Generally, denial documents should be keyed no later than the second day following the date the DC0-211 or DCO-220 is completed.
If denial documents are completed prior to the time the household supplies needed information on the 30th day, the denial notice will be voided.
8504 Contents of Denial Notice
When a household's application is denied, a notice explaining the action will be sent to the household. Automated notices may be sent unless the denial is based on the household's failure to provide requested information. See DC0UM, Appendix H.
If the denial is based upon the household's failure to submit requested information within 30 days of the date of application, the household retains the right to have the application reinstated by submitting all requested information within 60 days from the date of application.
A manual Notice of Action (DCO-1) will be prepared to advise the household of the following information:
8505 Summary of Actions on Application Approvals/Denials
An application for food stamp benefits may be completed as soon as all requirements for an interview, verification, work registration and providing an SSN are met. (See FSC 9440-9448 for special procedures on households entitled to expedited application processing.)
At any time a household is found to meet all requirements and is determined eligible to participate in the Program, the following actions will be completed:
A
If the house is subject to QR, the pamphlet, Food Stamp Quarterly Reporting (PUB-260), must be issued to the household. The QR process will be explained to the household.
If the household is determined to be ineligible, the following actions will be completed:
At the time of the application interview, the county office worker may determine that the household must provide additional information/ verification in order to establish eligibility to participate in the Food Stamp Program. A pending application must be approved or denied within 30 days unless this will allow the household less than 10 days to provide the needed verification. Households must be allowed at least 10 days to provide the missing verification.
EXCEPTION: Households that miss their first interview may not have 10 days to provide all needed information. If the first interview was scheduled before the 20th day, and the household missed this appointment but requested another appointment that was scheduled between the 20th and the 30th day, the household must complete all requirements before the 30th day.
At the time of the interview, a household will be notified via the Notice of Delayed Application (DCO-206) of the information that must be supplied and of the date by which it must be provided. (Day one of the 10 day period will be the date after the DCO-206 is issued to the household.) The worker must advise the household that the application will be denied if the information is not returned by the date indicated on the DCO-206.
If the missing verification is not received in the county office before the end of the 30 day application processing period the household's application will be denied.
EXCEPTION - When the missing verification is for medical costs or actual utility costs, these costs will be disallowed, and the application will be processed. The application will be denied only if disallowing these costs causes the household to be ineligible. See FSC 6524 for information on verification of medical costs. See FSC 6627 for information on verification of actual utility expenses. If the missing verification is later supplied, the budget will be recalculated to allow the expense. The change will be handled according to the standards for processing changes as stipulated in FSC 11400.
If a household contacts the county office to report a problem with obtaining missing verification, the worker may assist the household obtain the needed verification.
If a household supplies requested verification and the worker determines that additional information is needed, a DCO-206 will be issued to advise the household of the missing information and the date by which the information must be supplied. However, the application will not be held longer than the 30th day to obtain missing verification. When an application is denied on the 30th day but missing verification is supplied on or before the 60th day, the application will be reinstated.
If the household is found eligible, benefits will be prorated from the date of application.
When a county causes a delay in processing, denial may occur between the 31st day and the 59th day. In these instances, if verification is supplied after the denial date but before the end of the 60th day and the household is eligible, benefits will be prorated from the date of application. See FSC 8520 for additional information.
A households that caused a delay in processing which resulted in application denial on the 30th day retains the right to reinstatement if missing information is supplied after the 30th day but before the 60th day. However, if the household is eligible, benefits will be prorated to the date the needed information was supplied. See FSC 8521 for additional information.
8510 Delayed Applications
Applications that have been neither approved nor denied by the 30th day of the application processing period are considered delayed applications. These applications do not become "overdue" until the 31st day of the processing period.
On the 30th day, all delayed applications must be assessed, and the appropriate actions must be taken.
8520 Determining Fault - County Caused Delay
The county office is considered to have caused a delay in application processing when the household has completed all required actions but the county office worker has:
The county office must take the actions necessary to complete the application process. For example, if all the information required to complete the application has been provided by the household, but the application has not yet been processed, the county must process the application immediately. If not, a notice (DC0-1) must be sent to the household explaining the delay.
In cases where verification is incomplete, the county office must have:
If the household has not been notified via the DCO-206 of the information that must be provided to process the application, a DCO-206 will be prepared and mailed to the household. The DCO-206 must specify the information that must be provided by the 60th day after the date of application. (If the 60th day falls on a weekend or holiday, this will be the first work day after the 60th day.)
The timing of the household's first interview is critical. If the household's first interview was scheduled between the 20th and 30th day of the application period and the household appeared for the interview but did not provide all required verification, the delay is the fault of the county. If the household failed to appear for the first interview ami requested a second interview but the county office could not reschedule the interview until after the 30th day, the delay is the fault of the county. If a household fails to appear for the first interview scheduled between the 20th and the 30th day of the application period and does not request the interview be rescheduled, the delay is the fault of the county. In each instance the household's application must be held for up to 60 days. If the household completes the application process during the 60 day period and is found eligible, benefits will be provided from the date of application.
8521 Determining Fault - Client Caused Delay
A delay is the fault of the household if the household has failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions.
A household that fails to complete the application form is at fault if the county office attempted to assist with the form on or before the 30th day of the application period. (This applies when a household is interviewed on or before the 30th day of the application period and refuses to provide the information needed to complete the application form.)
If a household attended an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period and was properly notified of any missing information via the DCO-206, the delay is considered to be the fault of the household. The household's application may be reinstated up to the 60th day.
If a household failed to appear for an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period and makes no request to reschedule the interview, the application will be denied on the 30th day. A household that wishes to reapply must submit another application.
If a county office schedules at least two interviews during the first 30 days of the application processing period but the household appears for neither interview, the application will be denied on the 30th day. A household that wishes to reapply must submit another application. Additional requests for rescheduling of interviews will be granted. However, this does not alter the fact that the application will be denied on the 30th day or the fact that the household must submit another application.
If a household failed to appear for the first interview and requested a second interview that could not be rescheduled until some time between the 20th day and the 30th day of the application period, the household must appear for the interview and provide verification by the 30th day. If not, the delay will be the fault of the household and the application will be denied on the 30th day.
If a household failed to appear for the first interview and requested the second interview be rescheduled after the 30th day, the application will be denied on the 30th day. If the household appeared for the interview, the same application form will be reregistered with the date of the interview as the date of application.
See the charts in FSC 8530 for additional information.
FSC 8530 - CHART - DETERMINING FAULT AS PER FSC 8520-8521
|
REASON FOR THE DELAY |
FAULT |
ACTION |
|
The household has been interviewed and has furnished all needed information. The application has not been processed. |
Agency |
Process the application. If the application cannot be approved or denied, notify the household. If approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
No appointment for an interview was scheduled for the household. |
Agency |
Schedule an appointment for an interview. Continue to hold the application up to 60 days. If approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
The household's first interview was scheduled more than 30 days following the date of application. |
Agency |
Continue to hold the application up to 60 days. If approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
The household's appointment for an interview was first scheduled between the 20th and 30th day following the date of application. The household appeared for the interview but has not furnished all needed information. |
Agency |
Continue to hold the application up to 60 days or until the household furnishes the information. If application is approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
The household was interviewed but was not notified via DCO-206 of any missing information needed to establish eligibility. |
Agency |
Prepare a DCO-206 to notify household. Continue to hold the application up to 60 days or until the household provides information. If application is approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
The household missed the first interview and requested a second. The second interview was scheduled after the 30th day. |
Agency |
Continue to hold the application up to 60 days. If approved, prorate benefits to the date of application. |
|
The household missed its first interview scheduled before the 20th dav and reauested the second interview be scheduled after the 30th day. |
Household |
Reregister the application if the household appears for the second interview. Prorate benefits to the date of the second interview. |
|
The application form is not complete even though the household was offered assistance in completing the form. |
Household |
Deny the application. Reregister the application if it is completed in the next 30 day period. Prorate benefits to the date on which the application was completed. |
|
The household failed to appear for the scheduled interview and did not request a second interview. |
Household |
Deny the application. This application cannot be reinstated within the next 30 day period. The household must reapply. |
|
The household's first interview was scheduled within 20 days of application. The household appeared for the interview but failed to provide all needed verification, within the specified time. (Households must be allowed up to 10 days to provide verification.) |
Household |
Deny the application. Reregister application if requested verification is received within 60 days of the date of application. Prorate benefits to the date on which the verification was received unless verification was received before the 30th day. In that case, benefits will be prorated to the date of application. |
|
The household's first interview was scheduled within 20 days of application. The household missed this interview but requested another that was scheduled between the 20th and 30th day. The household appeared for the interview but did not complete all requirements before the 30th day. |
Household |
Deny the application. Reregister the applicant if the household completes all requirements. Prorate benefits to the date on which all requirements were completed. |
* 8540 Handling Applications Pending 60 Davs or More
All applications that have been neither approved nor denied before the 60th day of the application processing period must be evaluated on the 60th day. The action to be taken depends upon whether the second delay in application was the fault of the county office or the household.
A delay is the fault of the household if the household failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions. If the household is at fault for not completing the application process by the end of the second 30 day period, the application will be denied. If the household wishes to participate in the Program, another application must be submitted.
A delay is the fault of the county office when the household has completed all required actions but the worker:
If the delay is the fault of the county office, corrective action must be taken. See the chart below for the specific action.
|
REASON FOR DELAY |
COUNTY ACTION |
|
No interview scheduled. |
An interview must be scheduled. If the household appears for the interview but does not furnish all needed information, a Notice of Delayed Application (DC0-206) must be issued at the time of the interview. The household must be allowed ten days to furnish the information. If the information is not provided on or before the specified date, the application will be denied on the 11th day. If the household does not appear for the interview, the application will be held for 10 additional days beginning with the day after the date of the scheduled interview. If no request for a second interview is made, the application will be denied on the 11th dav. |
|
Scheduled the first interview after the 50th day. |
If the household appears for the interview but must provide additional information, the application will be held for 10 days (beginning with the day after the request). The date will be specified on the DCO-206. If the information is not provided by the 10th day, the application will be denied on the 11th day. If the applicant does not appear for the interview and does not request a second appointment, the application will be denied on the 11th day following the date of the scheduled interview. If a second appointment is requested, the appointment will be scheduled on or before the 60th day of the application period. |
|
No DCO-206 provided. |
A DCO-206 will be provided. The household will be given 10 days (beginning the day after the date of the notice) to provide the requested information. If the information is not provided, the application will be denied on the 11th dav. |
|
Failed to assist the household in obtaining needed information when such assistance was requested. |
The information will be obtained and the application approved or denied within 10 days beginning with the date of discovery of the failure. |
|
All information has been provided, the paperwork is not complete. |
The paperwork will be completed and all documents keyed on the 60th dav. |
For applications approved on or after the 60th day, benefits will be provided back to the date of application.
NOTE: When an action date falls on a weekend or holiday, the action will actually be taken on the next work day; however, approval and denial dates will be the date on which the action should have occurred.
8600 Budgeting
Initial case actions are budgeted prospectively. See FSC 7000, Prospective Eligibility, for instructions on budgeting and determining eligibility.
8610 Prorated Initial Allotments
When a household files an initial application for food stamp benefits as defined in FSC 8100, food stamp benefits for the first month of certification will be prorated.
Proration of food stamp benefits usually begins on the day the household filed an application. However, if the application is reinstated in the second 30 day period as instructed in FSC 8500, proration will begin on the day the household takes the action necessary to complete the application.
Prorated initial benefit amounts will be determined by using the chart found in FSC 8612 or the following formula.
An application submitted on the 31st day of the month will be handled the same as an application submitted on the 30th day of the month when calculating prorated food stamp benefits.
Example 2 - A household applies for food stamp benefits on the 31st of the month and is certified for a food stamp benefit amount of $355 per month.
$11.00 is the prorated benefit amount.
If a prorated initial food stamp benefit amount is less than $10.00, no benefits will be issued.
Example 3 - A household applies for food stamp benefits on the 17th of the month and is certified for a food stamp benefit amount of $21.00 per month.
The household will not receive any food stamp benefits for the month of application because the prorated initial benefits are less than $10.00.
NOTE: The state of residence has no bearing on proration of initial benefits. If a household lived in a state other than Arkansas but made application in Arkansas before the food stamp case closed in the other state, the first benefits issued to the household in Arkansas will not be prorated.
8611 Proration for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Households
Migrant and seasonal farmworker households must receive full benefits for the month of application when the household has participated in the Food Stamp Program within 30 days prior to the date of application. If a migrant or seasonal farmworker household makes application for food stamp benefits, the worker must determine if the household has received food stamp benefits in any state within the 30 day period prior to the date of application. If so, the household's benefits for the month of application will not be prorated. Proration will be prevented by changing the date of application to the last day of the previous month. For example, if such an application is submitted on September 26th, the date of application will be changed to August 31st.
When a migrant or a seasonal farmworker household declares receipt of food stamp benefits during the 30 day period prior to the date of application in Arkansas, the household will be asked to submit proof of participation such as an ID card or an approval notice. Households with no such proof will be asked to provide a statement about the location and the date of last participation. Both the date and location of the household's last participation must be documented.
NOTE: This provision does not entitle households to participate twice in the same month. Migrant or seasonal farmworker households may only participate in the Food Stamp Program in one state during any given month.
8612 Food Stamp Proration Chart
To determine benefits for the initial month, locate the date of application in column I, then multiply the corresponding factor in Column II by the total monthly food stamp benefit amount calculated.
|
Column I Date of Aool. |
Column II Factor |
|
1 |
1.0000 |
|
2 |
.9667 |
|
3 |
.9334 |
|
4 |
.9000 |
|
5 |
.8667 |
|
6 |
.8334 |
|
7 |
.8000 |
|
8 |
.7667 |
|
9 |
.7334 |
|
10 |
.7000 |
|
11 |
.6667 |
|
12 |
.6334 |
|
13 |
.6000 |
|
14 |
.5667 |
|
15 |
.5334 |
|
16 |
.5000 |
|
17 |
.4667 |
|
18 |
.4334 |
|
19 |
.4000 |
|
20 |
.3667 |
|
21 |
.3334 |
|
22 |
.3000 |
|
23 |
.2667 |
|
24 |
.2334 |
|
25 |
.2000 |
|
26 |
.1667 |
|
27 |
.1334 |
|
28 |
.1000 |
|
29 |
.0667 |
|
30 |
.0334 |
|
31 |
.0334 |
8620 Minimum Food Stamp Benefits
A minimum food stamp benefit amount is the smallest monthly food stamp benefit amount that may be issued to an eligible household. The minimum benefit amount for each household size is listed on the "Exhibit A -Food Stamp Basis of Issuance Charts." To determine the minimum benefit amount for one and two person households, see FSC 8630 below.
To determine the minimum benefit amount for households with three or more members, see FSC 8640 below.
NOTE: Minimum benefit requirements do not apply in an initial month of eligibility. In an initial month of eligibility, prorated benefits of less than $10.00 are not issued. Therefore, a one or two person household could have a calculated monthly food stamp benefit amount of $8.00 ajid a date of application on the 1st of the month. This household would not receive food stamp benefits for the month of application. In the following month, minimum benefits of $10.00 would be issued.
8630 Minimum Food Stamp Benefits for One and Two Person Households
The minimum food stamp benefit amount for eligible one and two person households is $10.00.
This provision applies to aged/disabled, categorically eligible and regular households. See the Glossary, Appendix A, for definitions of both Aged/Disabled and Categorically eligible households.
A categorically eligible household with one or two persons will receive a minimum benefit of $10 regardless of the household's net income.
8640 Minimum Food Stamp Benefits for Households with Three or More Members
Categorically eligible households with three or more members will be entitled to a minimum benefit of at least $2.00 if the Thrifty Food plan reduced by 30% of the household's net income is at least $1.00. Minimum benefits for households with three or more members vary with the household size and depends on the point at which the household's net income exceeds the limit on the issuance charts. Minimum benefit amounts may be found on the "Exhibit A."
For example, as of October, 1997, the minimum food stamp benefit amount for an eligible regular household of five was $15.00, and the minimum benefit amount for an eligible regular household of six was $44.00. (See the current Exhibit A for the minimum food stamp benefit amounts in effect at this time.)
8641 Benefits For Categorically Eligible Households
A categorically eligible household is eligible for food stamps benefits, regardless of the net income calculated for the household.
Exception: Households with three or more members receive benefits only if the household benefit calculation is $1 or more. If the household's benefit amount is less than $1, the case is treated as an otherwise eligible case. These cases must be keyed onto the food stamp system in the same manner as cases which receive benefits. Field 98 will contain a "0" for such households.
Categorially eligible households with 1 or 2 members will receive a minimum benefit of $10, regardless of the benefit calculation.
8650 Retroactive Benefits
Retroactive benefits are food stamp benefits due a household at application approval for months in the application period prior to the month of approval. For example, an application is submitted in June and approved in August. June and July food stamps will be authorized as retroactive benefits.
Retroactive benefits will be issued only if the county was at fault for the delay in processing the application and the household is eligible for those months.
Retroactive benefits are subject to proration.
Example: An application is approved on April 10 for a household that applied on March 15. Retroactive benefits for March are prorated to the date of application, March 15.
When a household is entitled to retroactive benefits, the amount of retroactive benefits will be calculated, proration will be applied as necessary, and the retroactive benefits will be entered in the "RETRO" fields of the Food Stamp Master File (WFSM).
If a household is not eligible for the current month but is eligible for a prior month or months in the application period, the household will be issued any retroactive benefits.
Example: A household applies for food stamp benefits on March 15th. On May 2nd, the worker determines that the household is currently ineligible and the county was at fault for the delay in processing. The household was eligible for food stamp benefits in March and April, so the worker calculates the household's March and April food stamp benefits. March benefits are prorated to the date of application, March 15. These benefits are authorized as retroactive benefits.
8651 Aggregate Benefits
A household that files an initial application after the 15th of the month and is approved by the end of the month of application will be issued aggregate benefits. Aggregate benefits are combined benefits for the month of application and the following month. (If the initial month's benefits are less than $10, only the benefits for the following month will be issued. Prorated initial benefits amounting to less than $10 are not issued. See FSC 8610.)
Example: A household submits an initial application on November 21st, and the application is approved on November 29th. On November 30th the household will be issued aggregate benefits for the months of November and December.
Households that apply after the 15th of the month and are certified under expedited service provisions will be issued prorated benefits for the first and second months within the expedited timeframe.
Aggregate benefits will be authorized via the RETRO fields of the Food Stamp Master File (WFSM). See DCOUM 7300 for instructions on authorizing an aggregate allotment.
8700 Certification Period
A certification period is a designated period of time during which a household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits. Certification periods are based upon calendar months. The month a household applies for food stamp benefits is usually the first month in the certification period even if the application is not approved until a later month.
A household may be determined eligible for the month the application was submitted but not receive any food stamp benefits due to proration. In these cases, the certification period will begin with the month of application even though the household will not receive any food stamp benefits for that month.
Example: A household applies on May 20 and is approved on May 22. Prorated benefits for May are $8.00; therefore, no food stamp benefits will be issued to the household in May. Regardless of this, a certification period beginning in May and ending in July is assigned.
When a household is ineligible for a month (or months) in the period of application, the certification period begins with the first month of eligibility.
Example: A household applies for food stamp benefits on July 7 and is ineligible for July benefits but eligible for August. The period of certification will begin in August.
Eligibility for food stamp benefits ceases at the end of each certification period. All households participating in the regular Food Stamp Program must reapply, be interviewed, verify certain information, and be found eligible to participate in the Food Stamp Program before additional benefits will be issued.
Certification periods range in length from 1 month to 24 months and are assigned according to the current household situation.
1. Households consisting totally of aged/disabled members with no earnings will be assigned certification periods of up to 24 months. See FSC 11600.
2. A household composed entirely of SSI recipients will be assigned a 12 month certification period if one or more members has earned income from a sheltered workshop. See FSC 11510, item 6.
3. A household composed entirely of aged and/or disabled members and minor dependent children will be given up to a 12 month certification period. However, if a change is expected, a shorter certification may be assigned. For example, if a minor child will be turning 18, the certification period should expire in the month of the child's birthday. See FSC 11510, item 8.
4. Households subject to quarterly reporting will be assigned a 12 month certification period. See FSC 11500-11510.
5. A household certified under the expedited service provisions with verification postponed will be assigned a one or two month certification period. See FSC 9500.
6. Households that cannot reasonably predict what their circumstances will be in the near future or those very likely to have significant changes in income or household status will be assigned a one or two month certification period. See FSC 11510, item 7.
Assignment of certification periods will be prioritized under the following guidelines:
First, households certified under expedited service procedures with verification postponed will be certified for one or two months.
Second, households where all members are either aged or disabled and have no earnings will be assigned a certification period of up to 24 months.
Third, households subject to quarterly reporting will be assigned a 12 month certification period.
Other households will be assigned a certification period of one to twelve months depending on the household's circumstances.
8800 Forms and Notices Supplied at Certification
Certain forms and notices are provided to all eligible households when an initial application is approved. These forms and notices are described in the FSC 8810-8830.
8810 Approval Notice
Each eligible household must be provided with an approval notice at initial application and recertification. Approval notices will contain at least the following information:
FACTS automatically generates notices to all approved households except when: '
A notice will be prepared manually in these situations using the Notice of Action (DC0-1). All required information must be included.
8820 Change Report Form/Households Not Subject to Quarterly Reporting
Each household must be advised during the application interview of the household's responsibility to report required changes. If a Change Report Form (DC0-234), and a business reply mail (BRM) envelope were not issued to the household during the application interview, a DC0-234 and business reply mail (BRM) envelope will be issued at application approval. (The form is available in different formats such as large print.)
When the DC0-234 is issued during the application process, whether during the interview or at approval, the household will be instructed in the use of the form.
The change reporting process is fully explained in FSC 11300-11350.
* 8821 Quarterly Reporting Households
Households subject to quarterly reporting will be trained at the time of the application interview. During the training, the county office worker will give a copy of the pamphlet entitled Quarterly Reporting to the household and will explain the contents of the pamphlet.
If for any reason the household is not trained at the time of the Interview, a pamphlet will be mailed to the household. The household will be instructed to contact the county office if additional information is needed.
8830 Notice of Food Stamp Certification Expiration
Each household must receive a Notice of Food Stamp Expiration (DCO-239) before the first day of the last month of the household's certification period. DCO-239's are generated by Food Stamp Automated Customer Tracking System (FACTS) around the third workday of the month for all households expiring the following month. The date by which the household must reapply to insure uninterrupted receipt of benefits and the date for the household's interview appear on the DCO-239. A DCO-239 will be manually issued at the time an initial application is approved if:
See FSC 10210 for information on completing the DCO-239.
FSC 8840 and FSC 8850 deleted effective 2-1-99.
8900 Special Procedures at Initial Application
8920 Processing Joint SSI/Food Stamp Applications
Food stamp households composed only of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) applicants and/or recipients may apply for food stamp benefits at Social Security Administration (SSA) offices. SSA will accept the application for food stamps, obtain verification, and forward the application with an approved transmittal and any other appropriate documents to the county office.
The county office will determine eligibility; and if the household is eligible, will determine the food stamp benefit amount. The county office will send the household an approval or denial notice. If the household is found to be eligible, the notification will specify the food stamp benefit amount and the certification period.
8930 Social Security Administration (SSA) Responsibilities
When a member of a household composed entirely of SSI recipients transacts business at a Social Security Office, the individual will be advised that he or she has a right to apply for food stamp benefits at the local Social Security Office or at the DHS County Office.
If the household chooses to submit an application for food stamp benefits at the Social Security Office, SSA is required to accept the application.
Applications for food stamp benefits accepted by SSA must be forwarded to the appropriate DHS County Office within one working day along with the transmittal and verification supplied by the household.
If not all members are SSI recipients, the SSA office will refer the households to the appropriate DHS office. These households will be offered a blank Food Stamp Application (DCO-220) by SSA.
An informational pamphlet will be provided to households who have applied for food stamp benefits through SSA.
The pamphlet wi 11 i nform the household of the address and telephone number of the appropriate DHS County Office and the remaining actions to be taken in the application process.
The Social Security office will screen all applications for food stamp benefits to determine if the household is entitled to expedited services.
If the household is entitled to expedited services, SSA will so indicate on page 1 of the Food Stamp Application (DCO-220). The SSA worker will advise the household that the time required to complete its application may be reduced if the household delivers the application to the local DHS County Office.
If SSA takes an SSI application from a member of a pure SSI household by phone, a Food Stamp Application (DCO-220) will be completed at the same time, mailed to the household for signature, and returned to the SSA office. The application will then be forwarded to the DHS County office.
When an SSI recipient's eligibility for SSI is redetermined by mail, SSA will enclose a notice with the SSI application. The notice will advise the SSI household of the right to file an application for food stamp benefits at the Social Security Office. The notice will also advise the household that out-of-office interviews are available if the household cannot go to the office or appoint an authorized representative.
Social Security must request the following verification:
If the applicant has verification of these items at the time of the interview, SSA will provide copies of the verification to the local DHS County office. (SSA may also indicate on the transmittal that verification is being retained in the SSA files.)
If the applying household does not have the required verification at the time of the SSA interview, the SSA representative must advise the household of the verification needed. The local DHS County office must contact the household to obtain this verification.
8940 DHS Responsibilities
The date of application will be:
See FSC 8500-8530 for processing time frames for initial applications.
See FSC 9400-9800 for processing time frames and special procedures for expedited applications.
Social Security will attempt to obtain needed verification; however, DHS must obtain any verification not provided by SSA.
All further contact with the household to obtain needed verification will be made by telephone, letter or scheduled home visit. Another interview will not be scheduled to complete the verification requirements.
Work registration requirements will be waived on all household members applying for SSI until:
See FSC 3000 for the work registration requirements. If a household member is denied for SSI but continues to claim that he or she is not able to work, a statement will be requested from a health care professional unless the disability is obvious. (When the disability is obvious, the nature of the disability and the anticipated length of the disability must be documented in the case record.) The statement must support the member's contention that he or she is unable to work due to a physical or mental impairment and must state if, or when, it is anticipated that he or she may be able to return to work.
See FSC 8710-8720 for information about the proper period of certification.
NOTE: Certification periods will be shortened if a household member's application for SSI is denied and the household's eligibility or food stamp benefit amount may be affected.
See FSC 11320 for instructions on shortening periods of certification.
Each county office must determine if any member of a household applying through SSA is already participating in the Food Stamp Program.
8945 The Prerelease Program
Any resident of a public institution who applies for SSI prior to their release from the institution under the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Prerelease Program may at the same time apply for food stamp benefits.
SSA will accept applications from participants in the Prerelease Program who apply for SSI and wish to make an application for food stamp benefits at the same time. Applications for food stamp benefits will be accepted only if the individual will not be residing in a boarding house or another institution.
The SSA Representative will complete a Food Stamp Application (DCO-220) that must be signed by the prerelease applicant. The word "PRERELEASE" will be written, in red, across the top of the first page of the application. The application and an SSA Transmittal (SSA-4233) will be mailed to the DHS Office in the county in which the applicant expects to live after his or her release from the institution.
SSA will advise the county via SSA-4233 when the applicant's SSI application is either approved or denied. SSA will also provide the following information to the appropriate county:
The date of release as provided by the institution to SSA.
Any delays in the date of release and the reason for the delay as provided by the institution to SSA.
Any changes in the applicant's address-e.g., applicant moves to an address other than the one reported on the original application.
8946 Processing Applications From Prerelease Participants
When an application for food stamp benefits labeled "PRERELEASE" and accompanied by an SSA-4423 is received in the county office, the application will be held in an accessible location until SSA notifies the county of the applicant's date of release. After the county receives an SSA-4233 giving the applicant's date of release, the following actions will be taken:
The application will be processed under the normal processing standards specified in FSC 8500 unless the household is entitled to expedited service. Expedited prerelease applications from eligible households must be processed and keyed via WFSH no later than the first working day following the day the county received notice from SSA of the applicant's release from the institution.
NOTE: When determining a prerelease applicant's eligibility to expedited service, the worker must check to see if the applicant is now receiving SSI benefits.
The county will not conduct another interview with the prerelease applicant. However, the applicant will be expected to provide verification of any information not verified through SSA. (See FSC 9441 for the verification standards for expedited applications. If verification of identify is needed for expedited prerelease applicants, SSA may be able to provide this verification by telephone or by fax.) See the Glossary, definition of Verification, for the verification standards for other applications.
Prerelease applicants will not be work registered unless the applicant's SSI claim has been denied because the applicant was not found to be disabled. However, any other household members will be work registered unless they meet one of the exemptions in FSC 3210-3290.
When a prerelease application is submitted for an applicant who will be moving into a household that is already participating in the Food Stamp Program, this household will be contacted. The county office worker will establish the applicant's status as a separate household using FSC 1630-1632.1. If the applicant establishes a separate household, the application will be processed. Any applicant who does not establish a separate household will be added to the household under the provisions in FSC 11430-11436. The change will be considered reported when the SSA-4233 stating the applicant's date of release is received by the county. The application will be denied if registration has occurred. Documentation of all circumstances surrounding this action must appear in the case file.
8950 Q.A. Reviews on Applications Taken bv SSA
Errors made by SSA during the application process will not be considered Quality Assurance errors. However, any underissuances of food stamp benefits resulting from an error by SSA will be corrected through restoration. See the restoration procedures in FSC 13300.
8960 Processing Applications on Potentially Categorically Eligible SSI Households
A categorically eligible household is any household in which all members receive or have been authorized to receive TEA Cash Assistance and/or SSI benefits with the following exceptions.
Categorically eligible households need not meet residency requirements, SSN requirements, sponsored alien requirements, the resource limits, or either gross or net income limits. (The household is assumed to have met these requirements.) See FSC 1920 - 1922 for a full definition of a categorically eligible household and information about eligibility factors.
Households in which all members have made application for SSI are considered potentially categorically eligible.
Potentially categorically eligible households entitled to expedited services as specified in FSC 9200 will be processed as instructed in the 9000 section of this manual.
*8961 Eligible Households
If a household that is potentially categorically eligible is also eligible based on all normal requirements, no special provisions will apply. When the application is approved, the approval notice will specify that the household must report to the county when any SSI application is approved.
*8962 ineligible HousehPlds
If a potentially categorically eligible household is ineligible based on residency, the SSN requirements, the sponsored alien provisions, resources, or income (gross or net), the application must be denied at the time ineligibility is determined. If the application is properly coded as a "P" in the HH Type field of the WFAP, the denial notice automatically generated to the household will state that the household may be categorically eligible if the SSI application is approved.
*8970 The Simplified Food Stamp Program (SFSP)
The following households will participate in the SFSP:
*All members receive TEA Cash Assistance. (This includes children who are not receiving TEA Cash Assistance solely due to the family cap provision.)
*All members, except children affected by the family cap provision, receive a combination of TEA Cash Assistance and SSI.
FSC 8961 to 8968 provides general information about the SFSP. For complete instructions see TEA 10000 - 10700.
*8971 Applying For Benefits Under the SFSP
The TEA Application (DCO-180) will be used to apply for food stamp benefits under the SFSP. The questions on page 1 of the DCO-180, along with the remainder of the form provides, the information needed to determine eligibility for either the regular Food Stamp Program or the SFSP.
If the TEA application can be completed within 27 days and the household is entitled to participate in the SFSP, the household's food stamp benefits will be authorized under SFSP rules. Under the following conditions, food stamp benefits for TEA applicants must be authorized under the regular Food Stamp Program rules:
*The household is entitled to expedited service, but the TEA application cannot be certified within seven calendar days.
*The household is not entitled to expedited service, but the TEA application cannot be completed within 27 calendar days.
*The TEA application is approved and the household is eligible for food stamp benefits but is not entitled to participate in the SFSP.
*The TEA application is denied, but the household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits.
*8972 Determining Eligibility Under SFSP Rules
*8972.1 Household Composition
Husbands and wives, parents and their children under age 22, and siblings under age 18 who live in the same dwelling will continue to be restricted from participating as separate households in the SFSP.
*8972.2 Resource and Income Limits
Households participating in the SFSP will only be required to meet TEA resource limits unless there is a child in the home affected by the family cap provision. In that case, the household must meet the regular Food Stamp Program resource limits. Countable resources will be determined using TEA guidelines.
Households participating in the SFSP will only be required to meet TEA income limits unless there is a child in the case affected by the family cap provision. In that case, the household must also meet the gross income limits specified in the Basis of Issuance Charts, Appendix A. Countable income will be determined using TEA guidelines.
*8972.3 Budgeting SFSP Cases
The household's food stamp benefit amount will be determined using normal food stamp budgeting procedures.
*8973 Deductions
Neither medical costs nor dependent care costs are deductible 1n the SFSP. See FSC 8973.4 for an explanation of allowable shelter costs.
*8973.4 Standard Shelter Costs
Except for SFSP households with an aged or disabled member, the shelter cost for each SFSP household will always be a standard amount. The shelter standard, which differs from county to county, includes the rent or mortgage payment, taxes, insurance and utility costs. Households that contain either an aged (age 60 or older) or disabled (SSI recipient) member will be allowed to choose between the shelter standard and the household's actual shelter costs.
*8974 Notices
Notices will be issued at initial approval, when there is an increase or decrease in the food stamp benefit amount, when the SFSP case is closed or to notify a household when a restored benefit or supplemental benefit has been authorized. Whenever possible, the SFSP notice will be combined with the TEA notice.
*8975 FACTS Codes *«
One of the following codes must be keyed in field 12 of the WFSH screen to indicate SFSP status:
REG - Indicates a food stamp household that is not participating in the
SFSP. SSI - Indicates a SFSP household with at least one member who receives
SSI. SFC - Indicates a SFSP household with at least one member affected by the family cap provision. SO - Indicates a SFSP household with all members included in the TEA Cash Assistance.
If there are both SSI recipients and household members affected by the family cap provision, SFC should be keyed in field 12 of WFSM.
*8976 Certification Periods
*8976.1 Certified Under SFSP Rules
Households certified under SFSP rules will be assigned a twelve month certification period. So long as the household participates in the SFSP, no formal recertification is required. Instead, the household's certification period may be extended for up to twelve more months whenever the worker has contact with this household.
*8977.2 Certified Under Regular Food Stamp Program Rules
TEA applicants certified under regular Food Stamp Program rules will be assigned a three month certification period. If the TEA Cash Assistance application is approved before the end of the certification period, the household will be converted to the SFSP and assigned a twelve month certification period.
If the TEA application is denied or the household is not entitled to participate in the SFSP, the food stamp household will undergo the regular recertification process at the end of the three month certification period.
*8977 Conversion of Cases to the SFSP
Cases will be converted from the regular Food Stamp Program to the SFSP when the food stamp househol d i s composed enti rel y of TEA Cash Assistance recipients and SSI recipients. If a TEA applicant is currently participating in the regular Food Stamp Program, conversion will occur at the time the application for TEA Cash Assistance is approved.
For households currently receiving TEA Cash Assistance, conversion may occur at the first case action in either the TEA or the food stamp case. Conversion will consist of recalculating the budget and extending the household's certification period. The * household's extended certification period may be no longer than 12 months.
*8978 Reporting Requirements
Households participating in the SFSP will have no reporting requirements in addition to the TEA Program reporting requirements.
*8979 Extending Certification Periods
The county office must monitor SFSP cases to ensure that the household's food stamp certification does not expire. The county may choose when to extend the household's certification as long as there is some contact with the household at the time the certification is extended. Page 2 of the revised TEA application contains a tool for tracking the certification periods on SFSP participants. County offices may not develop forms or questionnaires to be completed and returned by the household.
8980 Processing Applications From Households Where Child Abuse Has Occurred
When a report of child abuse is substantiated, the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) must take immediate action to protect the child. When sexual abuse or life-threatening physical abuse is involved, the perpetrator of the abuse may be removed from the home creating a serious hardship for the family.
To ease this hardship, special consideration will be given to households in which:
. There is a substantiated report of serious abuse (physical or sexual);
. The perpetrator is the primary wage earner - (no formal determination of primary wage earner status is necessary); and
. The perpetrator is out of the home by court order, incarceration, or voluntarily.
Such households may be identified by DCFS or other authorities. The county office may also identify such households during the application process.
If such households are entitled to expedited processing as specified in FSC 9200, the application will be handled in accordance with the expedited processing standards contained in FSC 9400 - 9448. If such households are not entitled to expedited processing, the county office will schedule the household's interview in accordance with the expedited
procedures; however, the household will be subject to all normal verification requirements. (These requirements are summarized in a table in the Glossary under the definition of "Verification.")
Due to the household's special circumstances, the worker will assist the household, whenever possible, in obtaining any information and/or verification required to complete the application.
Arkansas Department of Human Services FOOD STAMP PROGRAMNOTTCE OF DELAYED APPLICATION
Arkansas Department of Human Services
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM NOTICE OF DELAYED APPLICATION
