Current through all regulations passed and filed through December 16, 2024
(A) What is a reporting requirement?
Every assistance group receiving benefits
is to
report certain changes that affect eligibility. Reporting requirements ensure
an accurate benefit amount is received and that only assistance groups who
remain eligible continue to receive benefits.
(B) What are the requirements for reporting
changes?
(1) Assistance groups
that are
determined eligible with their gross monthly income at or below one hundred
thirty per cent of the monthly poverty income guideline for their assistance
group size are to report when their gross income exceeds one hundred
thirty per cent of the monthly poverty income guideline for their assistance
group size within ten days following the end of the month in which the change
first occurred;
(2)
Assistance groups that are determined eligible with
their gross monthly income above one hundred thirty per cent of the monthly
poverty income guideline for their assistance group size, who are eligible
because of notification of the Ohio careline services as outlined in rule
5101:4-2-02 of the
Administrative Code, are to report when their gross income exceeds two hundred
per cent of the monthly poverty income guidelines for their assistance group
size within ten days following the end of the month in which the change first
occurred;
(3) Able-bodied adults
without dependents subject to the work requirements and time limit described in
rule 5101:4-3-20 of the
Administrative Code are to report
any changes in work hours that bring an individual below twenty hours per week
or eighty hours per month, as defined in rule
5101:4-3-20 of the
Administrative Code, within ten days following the end of the month in which
the change first occurred;
(4) Assistance groups
are to report when any member of their assistance group wins substantial
lottery or gambling winnings as defined in rule
5101:4-1-03 of the
Administrative Code within ten days following the end of the month in which the
change first occurred;
(5) All assistance
groups are to submit an interim report prior to the end of the sixth month of a
twelve month certification period as defined in paragraph (H) of this rule.
Assistance groups certified six months or less, do not have to submit an
interim report; and
(6) Elderly or disabled
assistance groups (ED AG) certified for thirty-six months as described in rule
5101:4-5-03 of the
Administrative Code do not have to submit an interim report. However, when
there is a case change processed in accordance with paragraph (I) of this rule
and they are no longer an ED AG, the assistance group is to submit an interim
report every six months in accordance with paragraph (H) of this
rule.
(C) How are
changes reported?
The assistance group may report changes as follows:
(1) By returning a JFS 04196, "Food
Assistance Change Reporting." The county agency is to pay the
postage for return of the form.
(2)
In person, electronically or over the telephone. The county agency
is to
use discretion in determining when further verification is necessary. These
changes are
to be acted on in the same manner as those reported on a change report
form.
(D) When
is the
county agency to provide a change report form?
A change report form is to be
provided to assistance groups at application, recertification upon request, and
whenever the assistance group returns a change report form. The county agency
can provide the form more often at its option.
(E) How does an assistance group know their
reporting requirements?
Assistance groups will be advised of their reporting
requirements on the notice of approval and/or notice of change at application,
recertification or any time a change occurs and is reported.
(F) What
is an applicant
to report during the application process?
(1) Once the applicant submits an
application, the applicant is to report any changes in the information on the
application at the certification interview.
(2) The applicant is to report all
changes that occur after the certification interview but before receiving the
notice of their eligibility, within ten days of the receipt of the
notice.
(G) What are the
reporting requirements when the application was taken at the local social
security administration?
The county agency is to not impose any additional reporting requirements
other than those listed in paragraph (B) of this rule. Assistance groups whose
applications were taken by the social security administration are
to report all changes to the
county department of job and family services.
(H) What is the interim report and how is it
processed?
Assistance groups assigned a twelve month certification period
or that have been assigned a thirty-six month certification period but are no
longer an ED AG as described in rule
5101:4-5-03 of the
Administrative Code
are to sign, complete, and submit a JFS 07221
"
SNAP Assistance Interim Report" or a JFS 07223
"
SNAP Interim Report Reminder Notice." The
signature may be handwritten
or electronic as described in rule
5101:4-2-01 of the
Administrative Code. The interim report will provide the county agency with
updated information on the assistance group's circumstances.
(1) A JFS 07221 will be sent to the
assistance group during:
(a) The fifth month
of a twelve month certification period; or
(b) Month five, eleven, seventeen,
twenty-three, and twenty-nine for assistance groups that are no longer ED AG
unless there is less than six months in the certification period.
(2) When the county agency does
not receive the completed interim report by the fifteenth day of the month that
the interim report was issued a JFS 07223 is to be sent to
the assistance group.
(3) The
assistance group is to return the completed interim report or reminder
notice to the county agency prior to the end of the month that the interim
report was issued.
(4) The county
agency is
to propose termination of benefits for any assistance group who fails to
return a signed and completed interim report or reminder notice by the end of
the month following the month that the interim report was issued.
(5) When the assistance group fails to
provide sufficient information or verification regarding a deductible expense
indicated on the interim report, the county agency is not
to terminate the assistance group, but instead
is to
determine the assistance group's supplemental nutrition assistance program
(SNAP) benefits without regard to that deduction.
(6) The county agency
is to
reinstate benefits without a new application for any assistance group whose
benefits have been terminated in accordance with paragraph (H)(4) of this rule
when the county agency receives the interim report or reminder notice within
thirty days of the closure date. The assistance group's benefits are to be prorated beginning the day the report or
reminder notice was returned.
(I) How does the county agency process
changes?
(1) The county agency
is to
take action within ten days on all reported changes to determine when the
change affects the assistance group's ongoing eligibility or allotment.
Reported changes include changes reported by the assistance group, changes
considered verified upon receipt, and changes known to the county agency. Even
when there is no change in the allotment, the county agency
is to
document the reported change in the case file, provide another change report
form to the assistance group, and notify the assistance group of the receipt of
the change report. When the reported change affects the assistance group's
eligibility or level of benefits the adjustment is to also be
reported to the assistance group.
(2) The county agency
is to
also advise the assistance group of additional verification requirements, when
any, and state that failure to provide verification is to result in
the reduction or termination of benefits.
(3) The county agency
is to
document the date a change is reported, which is to be the
date the county agency receives a report form or is advised of the change over
the telephone, electronically or by a personal visit.
(4) Restoration of lost benefits
are to
be provided to any assistance group when the county agency fails to take action
on a change that increases benefits within the time limits specified in
paragraph (K)(3) of this rule.
(J) What are the verification requirements
for changes?
(1) Changes reported during the
certification period are subject to the verification procedures described in
rule 5101:4-2-09 of the
Administrative Code. The county agency is to verify
changes that result in an increase in an assistance group's benefits prior to
taking action on these changes.
(2)
The assistance group
is to be allowed ten days to provide any
mandatory verification. When the assistance group provides verification within
this period, the county agency is to take action on the changes within the time
periods described in paragraph (K)(3) or (K)(4) of this rule. The time periods
are to
begin from the date the change is reported, not from the date of
verification.
(3) When the
assistance group fails to provide the required verification within ten days
after the request date but does provide the verification at a later date, the
time periods
are to begin from the date verification is provided
rather than from the date the change is reported.
(4) In cases where the county agency has
determined that an assistance group has refused to cooperate, the county agency
is to
terminate the assistance group's eligibility after issuing the notice of
adverse action as described in rule
5101:6-2-04 of the
Administrative Code.
(5) During the
certification period, the county agency may obtain information about changes in
an assistance group's circumstances from which the county agency cannot readily
determine the effect of the change on the assistance group's continued
eligibility for SNAP, or in certain cases, the benefit amount. The county
agency may receive unclear information from a third party or from the
assistance group itself. Unclear information is information that is not
verified, or information that is verified but the county agency needs
additional information to act on the change.
(a) The county agency
is to
verify the assistance group's circumstances by sending the assistance group a
JFS 07105 "Verification Request
Checklist" or its computer-generated equivalent. The
JFS 07105 is to clearly advise the assistance group of
the verification it is to provide or the actions it
is to
take to clarify its circumstances, notify the assistance group that it has at
least ten days to respond and state the consequences when the assistance group
fails to respond. The county agency is to follow the
procedures set forth in rule
5101:4-2-09 of the
Administrative Code to verify unclear information received during the
certification period.
(b) When the
assistance group responds to the JFS 07105 and provides
sufficient information, the county agency is to act on the
new circumstances in accordance with paragraph (K) of this rule.
(c) When the assistance group does not
respond to the JFS 07105, does respond but refuses to provide
sufficient information to verify its circumstances, or the county agency is
unable to obtain the necessary information by contacting the assistance group
as identified in paragraph (J)(5) of this rule, the county agency
is to
propose termination of the SNAP benefits and a notice of adverse action
is to be
issued in accordance with rule
5101:6-2-04 of the
Administrative Code.
(6)
During the certification period, the county agency may obtain information from
a prisoner verification system or a deceased matching system that may affect an
assistance group's circumstances or benefit amount.
(a) When the unclear information received is
a data match from a prisoner verification system or a deceased matching system,
the county agency is to send the assistance group a
JFS
07105 or the electronic equivalent. The JFS 07105 is to clearly advise the assistance group of
the match results and the verification it
is to provide or
the actions it
is to take to clarify its circumstances, notify the
assistance group that it has at least ten days to respond and state the
consequences when the assistance group fails to respond.
(b) When the assistance group fails to
respond to the request or does respond but refuses to provide sufficient
information to clarify its circumstances, the county agency
is to
remove the individual subject to the match and the individual's income from the
assistance group and adjust benefits accordingly. The county agency
is to
issue a notice of adverse action in accordance with rules
5101:6-2-04 and
5101:6-2-05 of the
Administrative Code.
(K) What are the timeframes in which the
county agency
is to act on a change?
(1) Changes in income: When an assistance
group reports a change in income, and the new circumstance is expected to
continue for at least one month beyond the month in which the change is
reported, the county agency is to act on the change in accordance with paragraphs
(K)(3) and (K)(4) of this rule.
(2)
Changes in medical expenses: During the certification period the county agency
is to
not act on changes in the medical expenses that it learns of from a source
other than the assistance group and that, in order to take action, require the
county agency to contact the assistance group for verification. The county
agency is
to only act on those changes in medical expenses that it learns about
from a source other than the assistance group when those changes are verified
upon receipt and do not necessitate contact with the assistance
group.
(3) Changes that increase
benefits:
For changes that result in an increase in benefits, the county
agency is
to make the change effective no later than the first allotment issued ten
days after the date the change was reported to the county agency, unless
reported after the twentieth of the month. In no event
are
these changes to take effect any later than the
month following the month in which the change is reported. Therefore, when the
change is reported after the twentieth of a month and it is too late for the
county agency to adjust the following month's allotment, the county agency
is to
authorize supplemental benefits by the tenth calendar day of the following
month, or the assistance group's normal issuance cycle in that month, whichever
is later.
(a) For example, an
assistance group reporting a one hundred dollar decrease in income any time
during May would have its June allotment increased. When the assistance group
reports the change after the twentieth of May and it was too late for the
county agency to adjust the allotment normally issued on June first, the county
agency would authorize a supplement for the amount of the increase by June
tenth.
(b) Exception: An assistance
group reporting the theft of income normally received during the month is not
entitled to additional SNAP benefits. It is the responsibility of the provider
of the income to make whatever restitution that may be appropriate. The loss is
not deducted from income to the assistance group nor is it counted as income
when and/or when it is replaced.
(4) Changes that decrease benefits:
When the assistance group's benefit level decreases or the
assistance group becomes ineligible as a result of the change, the county
agency is
to issue a notice of adverse action within ten days of the date the
change was reported unless one of the exceptions to the notice of adverse
action in rule
5101:6-2-05 of the
Administrative Code applies. When a notice of adverse action is used the
decrease in the benefit level is to be made effective with the allotment for the
month following the month in which the notice of adverse action period has
expired, provided a fair hearing and continuation of benefits have not been
requested. When a notice of adverse action is not used due to one of the
exceptions of rule
5101:6-2-05 of the
Administrative Code, the decrease is to be made effective no later than the month
following the change.
(L) When should a county agency reinstate
benefits without a new application?
The county agency is to reinstate an assistance group's benefits without
a new application when the assistance group returns requested mandatory
verifications or takes a required action within thirty days after the SNAP
closure date. Benefits are to be prorated from the date the verifications are
returned or the required action was taken, following the procedure set forth in
rule 5101:4-4-27 of the
Administrative Code. However, when the eligibility factor is met or the
required action is taken in the last month of the certification period or
outside of a certification period, benefits cannot be reinstated. The
assistance
group is to complete a recertification.
(M) What happens when a county
agency discovers an assistance group failed to report a change?
When the county agency discovers that the assistance group
failed to report a required change and, as a result, received benefits to which
it was not entitled, the county agency is to file a
claim against the assistance group as set forth in rule
5101:4-8-15 of the
Administrative Code. When the discovery is made within the certification
period, the assistance group is entitled to a notice of adverse action when its
benefits are reduced or terminated. An assistance group
is to
not be held liable for a claim because of a change in assistance group
circumstances that it is not required to report.
(N) What happens when a county agency learns
that an assistance group has (or may have) moved?
(1) When the assistance group has or may have
moved outside the county or county collaboration where it is currently
participating, the county agency where the participant is currently
participating is to follow the procedures described in rule
5101:4-7-01.1 of the
Administrative Code.
(2) When the
assistance group has had a change of address the county agency is to provide
the assistance group with the JFS 07217, "Voter Registration Notice of Rights
and Declination" and JFS 07200-VR, "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).
(3) All other
changes of residence is to be verified in accordance with this
rule.
