Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) What are the general standards for
application processing?
(1) An assistance
group's eligibility shall be determined and benefits shall be authorized for an
eligible assistance group as soon as possible but no later than thirty calendar
days after the assistance group or its representative files the application.
Applications for residents of public institutions shall follow the standards
described in rule
5101:4-2-01 of the
Administrative Code.
(2) Assistance
groups who apply for benefits after the fifteenth day of the month shall
receive their prorated allotment for the initial month of application and their
first full month allotment at the same time. Assistance groups not entitled to
a combined allotment are as follows:
(a) An
assistance group whose initial month prorated benefits are less than ten
dollars.
(b) An assistance group
determined ineligible to receive benefits for the initial month of
application.
(c) An assistance
group determined ineligible to receive benefits the month following the initial
month's prorated benefits.
(d) An
assistance group that has not provided necessary verification to determine
eligibility.
(B) When should a case be denied?
(1) An assistance group found to be
ineligible shall be sent a notice of denial as soon as possible, but no later
than thirty days following the date the application was filed. When the
assistance group failed to appear for a scheduled interview and has made no
contact with the county agency to express interest in pursuing the application
after being issued a JFS 04218 "Notice of Missed Interview" in accordance with
paragraph (E) of rule
5101:4-2-07 of the
Administrative Code, the county agency shall send the assistance group a notice
of denial on the thirtieth day following the date of application.
(2) When the county agency conducted an
interview with an assistance group and verifications requested in accordance
with rule
5101:4-2-09 of the
Administrative Code were not received within ten calendar days of the request
and the applicant did not ask for assistance in obtaining the verifications,
the county agency may deny the application on the first business day
immediately following the tenth day, but no later than the thirtieth day
following the date of application.
(a) When
all the requested verifications are received after the date of the denial but
before the thirtieth day following the date of application, the county agency
shall rescind the denial and determine eligibility from the date of
application.
(b) The county agency
shall offer assistance in obtaining the verifications when requested by the
assistance group.
(C) How are benefits issued?
Supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits will
be issued to assistance groups into an account and drawn down electronically by
means of an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card that recipients use to make
purchases. The county agency shall inform an assistance group of the date the
benefits will be available.
(D) How are assistance group-initiated
adjustments made when an error has occurred in a benefit transaction?
(1) The assistance group shall request an
adjustment through the EBT vendor within ninety calendar days of the error
transaction. A recipient requests an adjustment by contacting the vendor
through the customer service department that is listed on the back of the EBT
card.
(2) Adjustments requested
within ninety calendar days shall be investigated, have a decision made and
funds moved within ten business days of the error being reported.
(E) How does the assistance group
dispute a decision from a retailer-initiated adjustment request?
(1) The assistance group has ninety days from
the date of the notice to request a fair hearing.
(2) When the assistance group disputes an
adjustment and requests a hearing within ten days of the notice, a provisional
credit shall be made to the assistance group's account.
(F) What happens when the assistance group's
EBT card is lost, stolen or not received?
The assistance group shall contact the EBT card vendor's
customer service center to request a replacement card. The vendor mails the
replacement EBT card within two business days of receiving the replacement
request from the assistance group.
(G)
When are benefits
expunged from an EBT account?
SNAP benefits are expunged from an EBT
account when:
(1)
An EBT account is inactive. An EBT account is
considered inactive when the assistance group has not made a purchase or return
for nine months (two hundred seventy-four days).
(a)
SNAP benefits are
expunged from the EBT account as each benefit allotment ages to nine months
(two hundred seventy-four days) since the date of issuance or since the date of
last account activity, whichever date is later.
(b)
If at any time
after the expungement process begins, the assistance group initiates activity
affecting the balance of the account, SNAP benefits will stop expunging from
the EBT account and the aging process will start over for the remaining
benefits.
(2)
When it is verified that all members of the assistance
group are deceased, the entire remaining SNAP balance in the assistance group's
EBT account is expunged at that time.
(H)
What are the
expungement noticing requirements?
(1)
Not later than thirty days before benefit expungement
is scheduled to begin, the assistance group is provided written notice that
benefits in their EBT account are approaching expungement due to inactivity.
The notice includes:
(a)
The date upon which benefits are scheduled to be
expunged,
(b)
The steps necessary to prevent the expungement
and
(c)
The right to request a fair hearing.
(2)
A
notice is not required when benefits are expunged in accordance with paragraph
(G)(2) of this rule.
