Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 016 - DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Division 28 - Division of County Operations
Rule 016.28.21-006 - SNAP 9000 Expedited Case Actions
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
SNAP Certification Manual - Section 9000
9100 Expedited Case Actions - Summary
9200 Households Entitled to Expedited Service
9100 Expedited Case Actions - Summary
SNAP Manual 10/01/97
Certain eligible households are entitled to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits within seven calendar days of application. Households entitled to expedited service are identified through a screening process.
The following section of policy identifies the households entitled to expedited service and describes the procedures under which applications from these households are processed.
9200 Households Entitled to Expedited Service
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
The following households are entitled to expedited service:
Sometimes a household disqualified for failure to cooperate with a quality assurance (QA) reviewer will reapply and be entitled to expedited service. Any such household reapplying within ninety-five (95) days of the end of the QA annual review period must cooperate with the QA reviewer prior to certification.
Any such household, reapplying more than ninety-five (95) days after the end of the annual QA review period, has to provide verification of all eligibility requirements before certification. However, if the household is entitled to expedited service, only identity must be verified before the first month's benefits are issued. The household must provide verification of all eligibility requirements before its next certification period begins.
There is no limit to the number of times a household may be certified under the expedited service provisions. However, prior to each subsequent expedited certification, the household must either complete the verification requirements that were postponed or be certified under normal processing standards. See SNAP 9441.1 for additional information.
9300 Screening Applications
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Each SNAP application received in the county office must be screened to determine if the household is entitled to expedited service, if the household is not currently participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This includes:
* Initial applications; and
* Applications for recertification received after the end of the household's certification period but within thirty (30) days of the last day of the household's last month of certification.
Screening is accomplished by reviewing the application form to determine if the household meets the criteria in SNAP 9200.
A currently certified household, that submits an expedited application before the household's recertification is due, may be attempting to report a change. If the applicant is still in the office, a county worker will interview the applicant to determine why an application was submitted. A Telephone Report will be completed if necessary.
9321 Applications Submitted in Person
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
An individual requesting a SNAP application may verbally indicate that the household is in desperate need. These households will be encouraged to file an application immediately. Upon request, the application form will be provided in an alternative format such as large print, etc.
Assistance in completing the application form will be provided.
9322 Applications Received by Mail
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Applications received by mail will be screened to see if the applicant has declared an immediate need for SNAP benefits. If, based upon the information on the application, the household is entitled to expedited services, the application will be processed according to the Agency's expedited service procedures. Lack of a telephone number on the application must not delay delivery of expedited service beyond mandated time frames.
Applications received from the Social Security Administration (SSA) through the joint processing provisions (SNAP 8920) must also be screened. Expedited applications received from SSA must be processed by the same guidelines. These applications must also be screened for Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) eligibility.
9323 Household Moved from Another State
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
When an expedited applicant has just moved to Arkansas, the worker must ask if the household is receiving SNAP in another state. If yes, the household will not be eligible to participate for the month of application. The worker must notify the other state that the household has applied in Arkansas.
If the household is eligible for the following month, the worker will use the same application to certify the household for the second month. If the household is entitled to expedited service in the second month, the application must be processed within seven (7) calendar days of the date of application or the first working day of the following month, whichever is later.
An expedited applicant who has moved to Arkansas from another state will be asked to sign a statement that the household is not currently authorized to receive benefits in that state. Once the statement has been signed, the worker will contact the state where the applicant is certified to determine if benefits were authorized for the current month. If benefits were authorized, the worker will determine if the applicant may access those benefits in Arkansas with the EBT card issued by the other state. If the household's benefits for the current month have been authorized and the household can access those benefits in Arkansas with the EBT card issued by the other state, the household will not be certified in Arkansas for the current month.
9324 Agency Conference
SNAP Manual 10/01/97
Households disputing a county decision not to expedite a SNAP application will be offered an agency conference within two working days. The household may request the conference be scheduled at a later date. Households may orally decline an agency conference.
The household will be advised that the agency conference is optional and will in no way delay or replace an administrative hearing. Even though the agency conference may lead to an informal resolution of the dispute, any requested hearing must be held unless the household makes a written withdrawal of its request.
Agency conferences must be attended by a supervisor and by the household or its representative. The worker responsible for the decision to deny expedited service may attend the conference.
9325 Tracking Expedited Applications
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
An expedited application is one where the approval or denial is an initial application or an application for recertification received after the end of the household's certification period but within 30 days of the last day of the household's last month of certification. Dispositions of expedited applications are tracked within the eligibility system. The expedited indicators are code "Y" or code "L." Code "Y" indicates the application was screened and identified as an expedited application when it was registered. Code "L" indicates the application was identified as an expedited application sometime later in the application process (see SNAP 9410). The date that the household was found to be entitled to expedited service is the late determination date (LDDATE). The processing time frame for late determinations is seven (7) days from the date the application was identified as an expedited application.
9400 Processing Standards
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
SNAP benefits must be available to the expedited households by the seventh calendar day from the date of application or the late determination date. The seven-day period begins the day after the application is received in the county office and is continuous. This includes weekends and holidays. For example, if an expedited application is received on Tuesday, November 10; the seven-calendar-day period begins on Wednesday, November 11 (a holiday), and ends on Tuesday, November 17.
9410 Changes in Expedited Status
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
If screening fails to identify a household entitled to expedited service and the county later discovers the error, expedited service must be provided within seven (7) calendar days of the date of discovery. If a household becomes entitled to expedited service as the result of a change which occurred after application, but before the interview, the expedited service must be provided within seven (7) calendar days of the date of discovery. See SNAP 9325 for additional information. If a household loses its entitlement to expedited service between the date of application and the date of interview, the county worker will process the application under the guidelines in SNAP 8500. The application must be reclassified as a non-expedited application in order for the system to begin tracking the application as a regular application. See SNAP 9420 for instructions on handling applications where the household misses an expedited interview.
9420 Scheduling Interviews
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Application interviews with expedited households must be scheduled to comply with the sevenday processing standards specified above. In no instance will the interview be waived in order to process the application within the specified timeframes.
Case records will be documented regarding the scheduling of the interviews. Documentation will include copies of all forms used to schedule interviews and a narrative fully explaining the scheduling or rescheduling of the interview.
9430 Out-of-Office Interviews
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
When an expedited household is entitled to an out-of-office interview as specified in SNAP 8250, the interview must be conducted. The application must be processed in accordance with the standards in SNAP 9400.
If an application has not been submitted when the telephone interview is conducted, the application must be completed during the course of the interview. The completed application will be signed electronically or mailed for signature. Day one (1) of the processing standards will be the date immediately following the date of the telephone interview.
If an application has not been submitted and a home visit is made, the application will be completed during the home visit. The worker who completed the interview will return the application to the county office the same day. Processing standards will begin on the day the home visit is conducted.
9440 Processing Expedited Applications
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
SNAP sections 9440-9446 contain instructions for processing expedited applications.
9441 Verification
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
In all cases, the case head's identity shall be verified through a collateral contact or any available documentation. All reasonable efforts shall be made to verify the household's residency, income (or lack of income), liquid resources, utility costs (if used), and medical expenses during the interview. Verification of these factors can be accomplished through collateral contacts or easily obtainable documentation. However, application processing will not be delayed because these factors have not been verified. See SNAP 9441.1 for additional information.
Households unable to supply documentary evidence to verify identity may supply a collateral contact. See the Glossary definition of Verification for additional information. Once a collateral contact has been supplied or assistance has been requested, the worker must take immediate action to verify identity through the collateral contact.
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
When verification of eligibility factors other than identity cannot be accomplished during the interview, certification of households entitled to expedited service must not be delayed.
Verification of the factors listed below may be postponed:
There is no limit to the number of times a household may be certified under the expedited service provisions. However, prior to each subsequent expedited certification, the household must either complete the verification requirements that were postponed or be certified under normal processing standards.
Prior to certification, the eligibility worker must determine if the household's last application was certified under the expedited provisions with verification postponed. If the verification postponed at the last expedited certification occurred within one (1) year, the household must complete the verification requirements that were postponed. If the postponed verification from the previous certification is beyond twelve (12)-months from the current application date, the household must be certified under normal processing standards (see SNAP 9442 and SNAP 9443).
Households certified under the expedited service provisions with verification postponed will be issued a notice specifying what the household must verify before its next certification.
9442 The SSN Requirement
SNAP Manual 07/01/03
Households certified under the expedited service provisions do not have to declare or apply for a social security number for all members who wish to be included as a household member prior to certification. However, the household must declare or apply for a social security number for all members who wish to be included as a household member prior to being certified for additional months. See SNAP 2200 for a full explanation of the SSN requirement.
9443 Work Registration
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
All non-exempt household members are automatically work registered when the application form is signed. Household members, who claim a work registration exemption due to disability, must provide verification of the exemption unless the disability is obvious (see SNAP 3230).
Verification of a work registration exemption shall not delay expedited service. If the member who claims the disability is subject to the Requirement To Work (RTW), he or she will not be referred to the Employment and Training (E&T) Program. However, he or she will be referred at the next certification if verification of disability is not provided.
For households with a member who must meet the RTW, the imposing of a RTW penalty or the granting of a discretionary exemption will not be delayed. However, the process of verifying RTW compliance may be delayed. See SNAP 3600 for additional information.
9444 Alien Status
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Expedited service only provides for postponing verification. If an individual will not declare basic information about citizenship or alien status, there is no basis on which to allow the individual to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. He or she will be classified as an ineligible alien when the application is processed. See SNAP 1621.6.
If an alien states he or she meets one of the conditions under which non-citizens may participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (see SNAP 1621.8) and wishes to be included in the SNAP household, the worker will ask the household to supply documentation of his or her alien status. If the household cannot supply this documentation within the expedited processing timeframes, verification will be postponed. The alien will be allowed to participate. However, the required documentation must be provided at the time of the next application if the alien is to continue participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
9445 Resources
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Countable liquid resources include cash on hand, checking and savings accounts, stocks and bonds, and lump sum payments. See SNAP 7431 for instructions on denying an application when the household resources exceed the limits.
Applications from expedited households with non-liquid resources which exceed the resource limit will be denied. The resource limits are:
9446 Income
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Other than destitute households, income for expedited households will be budgeted prospectively. See SNAP 7100 for instructions on prospective budgeting. See SNAP 6622 for special provisions on selecting the utility standard when the household is entitled to expedited service. See SNAP 9600-9630 for instructions about the budgeting procedures for destitute households.
9500 Assigning Certification Periods
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Normal certification periods shall be assigned to households approved under expedited guidelines when:
Either a one- or two-month certification period will be assigned to households approved under expedited guidelines. A one-month certification period will be assigned when the expedited application was filed on or before the fifteenth day of the month. A two-month certification period will be assigned when the expedited application was filed on or after the sixteenth day of the month and approved the same month.
When a household submits an expedited application after the fifteenth of the month and that application is approved before the end of the month, the household is issued aggregate benefits for the month of application and the following month. For this reason, a two-month certification is usually assigned. See SNAP 8651 for a full explanation of aggregate benefits.
9501 Households Certified with Verification Postponed
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Households certified as expedited with verification postponed must satisfy all verification requirements in order to be certified under normal processing standards. Once all the requested information has been received, the last application will be re-registered as of the date all requested information is received and completed under normal processing standards.
9510 Notices/Forms
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Certain forms and notices are provided to all eligible households (including expedited households) when an application is approved.
These forms and notices are listed below. The policy reference indicates where detailed information regarding the form or notices may be found.
Notice of Action - The notice will be issued automatically unless additional information must be provided - e.g., the household is certified pending verification. The notice must explain that the household must satisfy all verification requirements that were postponed. The notice must also include the last date within the following twelve (12) months that the postponed verification can be provided.
Notice of Expiration- The notice will notify the household of the expiration of the certification period.
Change Report Form - The form will be issued to all occasional reporting households. Its use must be explained. Both a Change Report Form and a CHANGE REPORT ADDENDUM: The Limited Reporting Requirements will be issued to all limited reporting households.
SNAP Semi-Annual Reporting - a pamphlet explaining semi-annual reporting, will be provided to any household subject to semi-annual reporting.
9600 Destitute Households
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Destitute households are migrant or seasonal farmworker households that have little or no income at the time of application.
A migrant is an individual who travels away from home on a regular basis with a group of laborers to seek employment in an agriculturally related activity.
A seasonal farmworker is an individual who travels away from home on a regular basis to seek employment in an agriculturally related activity.
Even though a destitute household may receive income at some other time during the month of application, household members may be in immediate need of food assistance.
There are three income-related criteria under which migrant or seasonal farmworker households may be considered destitute.
Example: A migrant farmworker applies for SNAP benefits on July 15. He reports that he last worked picking tomatoes on June 16 and received fifteen dollars ($15) in wages for that day's work. He expects to go back to work for the same grower picking okra on July 25. This income is considered to be from a new source. Income normally received less often than monthly is considered to be from a new source if less than twenty-five dollars ($25) was received at the last normal pay interval.
Apply this criterion only if the household is to receive no other income in the month of application.
9610 Sources of Income for Destitute Households
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
The "grower," for whom the migrant or seasonal farmworker is working at a particular time, is considered to be the farmworker's source of income. A farmworker who travels with the same crew chief but moves to a different grower is considered to have both terminated and new income sources.
A farmworker who changes jobs but continues to work for the same grower is considered to have income from the same source.
A self-employed household member who secures contracts or other work from different customers is considered to be receiving income from the same source as long as he is selfemployed. For example, a "crew chief" may contract with a grower to pick a crop for a set amount. The farmworkers are paid from this amount. The crew chief is self-employed. Moving from one grower to another will not result in terminated income for the crew chief.
9620 Determining Income for Destitute Households
SNAP Manual 10/01/97
Destitute households are entitled to special income calculation procedures.
The receipt of a wage advance for travel costs does not affect the determination of whether subsequent payments from the employer are a new source of income. Neither will these advances affect whether a household is considered destitute.
9621 Limits on Special Income Calculations for Destitute Households
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
The special income calculations will be applied at initial application for the first month of the certification period only. At recertification, income from a new source of less than twenty-five dollars ($25) will be disregarded if not received by the 10th calendar day after the date of the household's normal issuance date.
9630 Postponing Verification for Destitute Households
SNAP Manual 04/01/2022
Migrant and seasonal farmworker households classified as destitute households applying after the fifteenth of the month may be assigned a certification period longer than one (1) month. These households will be notified via Notice of Action that postponed verification from sources within the state must be provided prior to issuance of the second month's allotment.
