Ohio Administrative Code
Title 5101:4 - Division of Food Stamps
Chapter 5101:4-2 - Application Process
Section 5101:4-2-01 - Food assistance: initial application process
Universal Citation: OH Admin Code 5101:4-2-01
Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) How does an individual apply for supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits?
(1) The application process begins with a
request for SNAP. Upon request to apply, the county agency shall provide the
individual or authorized representative with all of the following forms:
(a) A JFS 07200, "Application for
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Cash Assistance, Medical
Assistance or Child Care Assistance"; and
(b) A
JFS 07217 "Voter Registration Notice of Rights and Declination" and a voter
registration form (for requirements and procedures of the National Voter
Registration Act of 1993 refer to rule
5101:1-2-15 of the
Administrative Code).
(2) Assistance groups wishing to participate
in the program shall file a complete application.
For purposes of division 5101:4 of the Administrative Code:
(a) An "application" is a JFS
07200 or its telephonic or electronic equivalent; and
(b) Except as outlined in paragraph (A)(2)(c)
of this rule, a "complete application" is an application that includes, at a
minimum, the name, address and signature of the person completing the
application.
(c) A complete
telephonic application includes, at a minimum:
(i) A name, and address;
(ii) A completed interview in accordance with
rule 5101:4-2-07 of the
Administrative Code; and
(iii) A
telephonic signature of the person completing the application. A telephonic
signature is an audio recording of the assistance group's verbal assent and a
summary of the information to which the assistance group assents.
(3) The county agency
shall assist an assistance group in the completion of its application and offer
to provide a copy of a completed application to the assistance group. The
county agency shall provide an electronic copy of the completed application
when the applicant requests an electronic copy. When the application is signed
with a telephonic signature the county agency is to provide the assistance
group a written copy of the JFS 07008 "Benefit Application Summary" or its
electronic equivalent of the information attested to during the
interview.
(4) The county agency
shall provide a means for the applicant to immediately begin the application
process whether the process is paper, electronic, or telephonic.
(B) What are the methods for filing an application?
(1) An assistance group
may submit an application to the county agency:
(a) In person;
(b) Through an authorized
representative;
(c) By
fax;
(d) By electronic
transmission;
(e) By mail;
or
(f) By telephone.
(2) Assistance groups shall have
the right to apply for SNAP in writing. The county agency shall make the JFS
7200 readily accessible and available even if the county agency accepts
applications using other means as described in paragraph (B)(1) of this
rule.
(3) Pure supplemental
security income (SSI) assistance groups, in which all members are applicants
for or recipients of SSI, may apply at either the social security
administration (SSA) district office or the county agency.
(4) Individuals scheduled for release from a
public institution who are applying for SSI benefits will also be permitted to
apply for SNAP in accordance with rule
5101:4-6-19 of the
Administrative Code.
(C) Who shall sign the application?
(1) The
application shall be signed by:
(a) A member
of the assistance group;
(b) An
authorized representative when the designation has been made in accordance to
rule 5101:4-2-05 of the
Administrative Code; or
(c) An
unaccompanied homeless minor as defined in rule
5101:4-2-03 of the
Administrative Code.
(2)
The types of signatures include:
(a)
Handwritten signatures (including handwritten signatures that are transmitted
by facsimile or other electronic submission). When the signatory cannot sign
with a name, an 'X' is a valid signature. The county agency may require a
witness to attest to an 'X' signature. An employee of the county agency may
serve as a witness.
(b) Electronic
signatures which include the following:
(i) A
digital signature;
(ii) A
handwritten signature input on electronic signature pad or display screen;
or
(iii) A digitized image of a
handwritten signature that is attached to an electronic record or a typed name
on an online application. This excludes telephonic signatures as described in
paragraph (C)(2) of this rule.
(c) Telephonic signatures obtained in
accordance with procedures approved by the Ohio department of job and family
services (ODJFS).
(3) A
handwritten signature shall not be required when there is an electronic or
telephonic signature. Electronic and telephonic signatures shall have the same
legal effect and are enforced in the same way as a handwritten
signature.
(4) When an application
is not signed by the necessary individuals then the application for benefits
for that assistance group is considered incomplete. The county agency shall
contact the individuals listed and attempt to obtain a valid signature. The
county agency shall not certify an assistance group without a signed
application.
(5) The signature on
the application certifies, under penalty of perjury, the truth of the
information contained on the application, including the information concerning
citizenship and alien status of the members applying for benefits.
(D) When can an application be filed?
(1) An assistance group shall be
advised of the right to file an application on the same day it contacts the
county agency during office hours. The county agency:
(a) Shall encourage an assistance group to
file an application the same day the assistance group or its representative
contacts the county agency and expresses interest in obtaining SNAP or
expresses concerns that indicate food insecurity.
(b) Shall post signs that explain the
application processing standards and the right to file an application on the
day of initial contact.
(c) Shall
include information about same-day filing in outreach materials.
(2) Except for application filed
telephonically, the assistance group shall also be advised that it does not
have to be interviewed before filing an application and that it may file an
application as long as the application contains the applicant's name, address,
and the signature of the appropriate individuals as defined in paragraph (C)(1)
of this rule.
(E) Where shall an application be filed?
An application shall be filed with the county agency that serves the county in which an applicant resides.
(1) When an application is filed with a
county agency that does not serve the county where an applicant resides, the
following shall occur:
(a) When the
application is filed in person, the county agency shall provide the applicant
with the address and telephone number of the county agency that serves the
county in which the applicant resides and shall offer to forward the
application to the county agency that same day. The county agency shall forward
the application on the same day or forward it the next day by any means that
ensures the application arrives at the county agency the same day it is
forwarded.
(b) When the application
is filed by mail or electronically, the county agency shall mail, fax or
electronically send the application to the appropriate county agency on the
same day or forward it the next day by any means that ensures the application
arrives at the county agency the same day it is forwarded.
(2) When an individual contacts a county
agency and declines to go to the county agency to file an application that same
day and instead prefers to receive an application by mail, the county agency
shall mail an application on the same day the request is received. The county
agency shall include with the application the name and address of the county
agency where the application shall be filed (when known) and remind the
applicant eligibility for benefits is based on the date the application is
received.
(F) What is the date of application?
(1) The date of
application is the date the agency receives the completed application. For
telephonic applications, the date of application is the date the telephonic
application process is completed. When the completed application is received
after business hours, the date of the application shall be the next business
day. When an assistance group is determined eligible, benefits shall be
provided from the date of application to the end of the month.
(2) County agencies shall document the date
the application was received by recording the date of receipt on the
application.
(3) The filing date of
the application to be recorded by the county agency is the date of release of
the applicant from the institution when a resident of an institution is
applying for SNAP benefits prior to leaving the institution. When a resident of
an institution is jointly applying for SSI and SNAP benefits prior to leaving
the institution, the date of release of the applicant from the institution will
be considered the date of application.
(G) How many applications can be filed by a household?
(1) One application can be
submitted for all assistance groups within a household when the individual
signing the application has been designated as an authorized representative for
all assistance groups.
(2) When
more than one assistance group resides in a household, each assistance group is
to complete its own separate application with a signature as described in
paragraph (C) of this rule. Rule
5101:4-2-03 of the
Administrative Code shall be followed to determine the composition of
assistance groups within the residence.
(3) The household shall not be required to
complete more than one application when it is indicated that the household is
applying for medicaid, cash and/or SNAP simultaneously.
(H) What happens when an assistance group refuses to cooperate with the application process?
(1) When the assistance group refuses to
cooperate with the county agency in completing any part of the application
process, the application shall be denied at the time of refusal. For a
determination of refusal to be made, the assistance group must be able to
cooperate, but clearly demonstrate it will not take the actions required to
complete the application process. For example, to be denied for refusal to
cooperate, an assistance group must refuse to be interviewed, not merely fail
to appear for the interview.
(2)
When there is any question as to whether the assistance group has merely failed
to cooperate, as opposed to refused to cooperate, the assistance group shall
not be denied, and the agency shall provide assistance in obtaining required
verification.
(3) The assistance
group shall also be determined ineligible when it refuses to cooperate in any
subsequent review of eligibility, including reviews generated by reported
changes and recertifications.
(4)
Once denied or terminated for refusal to cooperate, the assistance group may
reapply but shall not be determined eligible until it cooperates with the
county agency.
(5) The county
agency shall not determine the assistance group ineligible when a person
outside the assistance group fails to cooperate with a request for
verification. The county agency shall not consider individuals identified as
nonassistance group members under rule
5101:4-2-03 of the
Administrative Code as individuals outside the assistance group.
(I) How are assistance groups handled when they reapply after refusing to cooperate with a quality control review?
(1) When the assistance group refused
to cooperate with a state quality control reviewer and reapplies within one
hundred twenty-five days after the annual review period ended, the assistance
group shall cooperate with the quality control reviewer before being determined
eligible.
(2) When the assistance
group refused to cooperate with a state quality control reviewer and reapplies
after one hundred twenty-five days of the annual review period, the assistance
group shall provide verification as required in rule
5101:4-2-09 of the
Administrative Code prior to being determined eligible to
participate.
(3) When the
assistance group refused to cooperate with a federal quality control reviewer
and reapplies within nine months after the annual review period, the assistance
group shall cooperate with the quality control reviewer before being determined
eligible.
(4) When the assistance
group refused to cooperate with a federal quality control reviewer and
reapplies after nine months of the annual review period, the assistance group
shall provide verification as mandated in rule
5101:4-2-09 of the
Administrative Code prior to being determined eligible to
participate.
(J) What is the time limit for processing an application?
(1) The assistance group shall be given an
opportunity to participate no later than thirty days after the application is
filed. Expedited service shall be available to assistance groups in immediate
need in accordance with rule
5101:4-6-09 of the
Administrative Code.
(2) The county
agency shall determine the eligibility and benefit amount within the first
thirty days based on the circumstances for the entire month. Even when the
application is filed late in the month, the assistance group's circumstances
for the entire month shall be considered.
(K) How is a voluntary withdrawal of an application processed?
An assistance group may voluntarily withdraw the application at any time before the county agency determines it to be eligible. "Voluntary withdrawal" means the assistance group, on its own initiative, has contacted the county agency, either orally or in writing, and requested that the application not be processed any further. The county agency shall document in the case file the reason for withdrawal, if given, and that contact was made with the assistance group to confirm the withdrawal. The county agency shall advise the assistance group of its right to reapply at any time and shall notify the assistance group via a statewide automated eligibility system generated notice of the denial of benefits due to voluntary withdrawal.
(L) How is an application for SNAP processed when the assistance group is applying for other benefits?
(1) All SNAP applications, regardless of
whether they are joint applications or separate applications, shall be
processed in accordance with SNAP procedural timeliness standards, notice
requirements, and fair hearing requirements specified in Chapters 5101:4-2,
5101:4-5, 5101:4-6, and 5101:6-2 of the Administrative Code. No assistance
group shall have SNAP benefits denied solely on the basis that an application
to participate in another program has been denied or benefits under another
program have been terminated without a separate determination that the
assistance group failed to satisfy a SNAP eligibility requirement.
(2) An assistance group that simultaneously
requests SNAP and another program and is denied benefits for the other program
shall not be required to resubmit another application for SNAP but shall have
SNAP eligibility determined in accordance with the SNAP processing time frames
from the date the joint application was initially accepted by the county
agency.
(3) To facilitate
participation in the program, the county agency shall notify assistance groups
in which members are applying for other types of assistance that they may file
a separate application for SNAP benefits independent of the application for
benefits for any other program.
(M) When is an application considered an inquiry?
(1) An application is considered an
inquiry when it is signed by one assistance group containing multiple potential
assistance groups and the individual signing the application is not the
authorized representative for all assistance groups; or
(2) A telephonic application is considered an
inquiry when the telephonic process is not complete as outlined in paragraph
(A)(2)(c) of this rule.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Ohio may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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