Current through Vol. 41, No. 13, March 15, 2024
(a)
Cases with unverified deductible
expenses.
(1)
Food benefits
without deductions. When a deductible expense that must be verified, per
Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC)
340:50-7-31 cannot be verified
within the 30-day processing standard for applications, the worker determines
the household's benefit level without giving a deduction for the claimed but
unverified expense.
(2)
When
the household is ineligible unless deductible expense is allowed. When a
deductible expense cannot be verified before the 30-day processing standard for
applications expires and the household is ineligible unless the expense is
allowed, the worker:
(A) denies the
application on the 30th day when the worker gave the household at least
10-calendar days to verify the expense; or
(B) delays making a decision until the
10-calendar day verification period expires.
(b)
Determining household
eligibility. The worker determines the household's eligibility based on
gross or net monthly income standards per (3) or (4) of this subsection unless
the household is considered a categorically eligible household, per OAC OAC
340:50-11-111(b) and
(2) of this subsection. When changes in
household composition or other circumstances occur, households certified under
gross income standards may become subject to net income standards during the
certification period or vice versa. The worker changes the income standard when
making other changes to the household's eligibility, benefit level, or
certification period, or at certification renewal, whichever is earlier.
(1)
Income and expense
calculation. The worker calculates the household's gross income before
subtracting deductible expenses to arrive at the net monthly income for the
household.
(A) The worker calculates each
source of monthly gross income separately for each person, using dollars and
cents, and then rounds cents to the nearest dollar. The worker rounds one cent
through 49 cents down and 50 cents through 99 cents up.
(B) The worker uses the same rounding method
for each deductible expense. Deductible expenses are subtracted from gross
income to arrive at the net monthly household income. Deductible expenses may
include dependent care, shelter, legally-binding child support payments, or
medical expenses.
(2)
Categorically eligible households. Per Section
273.2(j) of Title
7 of the Code of Federal Regulations and OAC
340:50-11-111(d);
categorically eligible households are not subject to the gross or net income
standards per (3) or (4) of this subsection.
(3)
Households without elderly or
disabled members. Households that do not include an elderly or disabled
member and are not considered categorically eligible per (2) of this subsection
are not eligible for food benefits when the household's total gross monthly
income exceeds the gross monthly income standard by household size on Table I
of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) Appendix C-3, Maximum Food
Benefit Allotments and Standards for Income and Deductions. When the household
meets the gross income standard and non-financial conditions of eligibility,
per OAC 340:50-5, the worker computes the household's net monthly income to
determine eligibility. When the net food benefit income does not exceed the net
income by household size on the food benefit allotment chart on the Appendix
C-3, the household is determined eligible. The worker follows steps (A) through
(H) to determine the household's net food benefit monthly income.
(A) Add gross monthly income earned by all
household members, per (1) of this subsection including any net self-employment
income, per OAC
340:50-7-30 to determine the
household's total gross earned income.
(B) Subtract the appropriate earned income
deduction per OKDHS Appendix C-3 to determine the net monthly earned income.
The household is not eligible for the earned income deduction on any portion of
income earned under a work supplementation or support program that is
attributable to public assistance.
(C) Add the net monthly earned income and the
total monthly unearned income of all household members, minus income
exclusions, per OAC
340:50-7-22.
(D) Subtract the standard deduction, per
OKDHS Appendix C-3.
(E) Subtract
monthly dependent care expenses. A dependent care deduction is not allowed when
dependent care expenses are reimbursed or paid for under an employment and
training (E&T) program or other source.
(F) Subtract verified legally binding child
support payments made to someone outside the food benefit household.
(G) Add together the allowable shelter
expenses, including the appropriate utility standard, to determine the
household's total shelter costs. Subtract from the total shelter costs 50
percent of the adjusted income, the household's monthly income after all of the
deductions given in (A) through (F) of this paragraph are subtracted. The
remaining amount, if any, is the excess shelter costs. When there are no excess
shelter costs, the net monthly income is determined. When there are excess
shelter costs, proceed to the next step.
(H) When the total shelter costs exceed the
maximum shelter cost deduction shown in OKDHS Appendix C-3, only the amount not
exceeding the maximum shelter cost deduction or the homeless shelter deduction
when appropriate per OAC
340:50-7-31(a)(6)(A)(v)
is deducted.
(4)
Households with an elderly or disabled member. When a household
that includes an elderly or disabled member meets the non-financial conditions
of eligibility, per OAC 340:50-5, the household's net food benefit monthly
income, and household size are the basis for determining eligibility. The
worker compares the household's net food benefit monthly income to the Maximum
Net Income Standards for the appropriate household size shown on Table II of
OKDHS Appendix C-3. When the net food benefit income does not exceed this
standard, the household is determined eligible. The worker follows steps (A)
through (H) of this paragraph to determine the household's net food benefit
income.
(A) Add gross monthly income earned
by all household members per (1) of this subsection including any net
self-employment income, per procedures at OAC
340:50-7-30, to determine the
household's total gross earned income.
(B) Subtract the appropriate earned income
deduction, per OKDHS Appendix C-3 to determine the net monthly earned income.
The household is not eligible for the earned income deduction on any portion of
income earned under a work supplementation or support program that is
attributable to public assistance.
(C) Add the net monthly earned income and the
total monthly unearned income of all household members, minus income
exclusions, per OAC
340:50-7-22.
(D) Subtract the standard deduction as shown
in OKDHS Appendix C-3.
(E) Subtract
medical expenses that exceed $35 for elderly or disabled household members
only. The worker subtracts the $35 only once for the household rather than for
each household member.
(F) Subtract
monthly dependent care expenses. A dependent care deduction is not allowed when
dependent care expenses are reimbursed or paid for under an E&T program or
other source.
(G) Subtract verified
legally binding child support payments made to someone outside the food benefit
household.
(H) Add together the
allowable shelter expenses, including the appropriate utility standard, to
determine the household's total shelter costs. Subtract from the total shelter
costs 50 percent of the adjusted income, the household's monthly income after
all of the deductions in (A) through (G) of this paragraph are subtracted. The
remaining amount, if any, is the excess shelter costs. When the homeless
shelter deduction per OAC
340:50-7-31(a)(6)(A)(v)
is greater than the excess shelter costs, the household receives the homeless
shelter deduction instead of the excess shelter costs.
(i) When there are no excess shelter costs or
homeless shelter deduction; the net monthly income is determined.
(ii) When there are excess shelter costs or a
homeless shelter deduction; subtract the larger deduction from the adjusted
income to determine the net monthly
income.
(c)
Food benefit allotment.
(1)
Initial month proration.
(A) Initial month means the first month the
household is certified for food benefits following any period the household was
not certified. Food benefit allotments for an initial month are prorated from
the date of application.
(i) Migrant and
seasonal farm worker's food benefits are not prorated when the household
received food benefits in the prior month.
(ii) For the initial month, the worker
considers the household's circumstances for the entire application month, even
though the food benefit allotment is based on the day of the month the
household applies for benefits.
(iii) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) cash assistance payments are also prorated from the application date,
per OAC 340:65-3-5(5).
When the worker certifies the household for TANF and food benefits for the same
month, the worker uses OKDHS Appendix B, Prorated TANF and Food Benefit
Payment, or the formula: (31 minus the application date) x monthly benefit
divided by 30 to determine TANF countable income for the initial
month.
(B) The prorated
benefit is rounded down to the lower dollar. When the prorated food benefit is
less than $10, the worker denies food benefits for the application month and
certifies the household for the next month.
(C) When the worker certifies the household
for the month following the month of initial application because the household
failed to furnish necessary information, the worker:
(i) changes the application date to the date
the household furnishes the information to OKDHS; and
(ii) prorates benefits from the new
application date.
(2)
Monthly benefit. The monthly
benefit for all months except the initial month is the food benefit allotment
listed on OKDHS Appendix C-3 for the appropriate household size and net income.
(A) All one-person and two-person
categorically eligible households whose income exceeds gross and net income
standards during the certification period must receive the minimum monthly
allotment per Appendix C-3.
(B)
Categorically eligible households with three or more members are entitled to
have the case remain open with no benefits issued when the household's gross or
net income exceeds the Appendix C-3 income standards during the certification
period.
(d)
Certification periods. Certification periods are established for
each eligible household to receive benefits. When the certification period
ends, the household must complete a new application, be interviewed, and
provide required verification, per OAC
340:50-3-2 and
340:50-3-3, before the worker
determines continuing eligibility. Under no circumstances are benefits
continued beyond the end of a certification period without completion of a
certification renewal.
(1)
Month of
application. The month of application is the first month in the
certification period for initial applicants when eligibility is determined
within the 30-day period.
(A) Because of
anticipated changes, a household may be eligible for the application month but
ineligible for the subsequent month. In this situation, the worker certifies
the household for the application month only.
(B) When the worker determines a household is
ineligible for the application month, but is eligible for subsequent months, a
new application is not needed. The worker denies benefits for the application
month and certifies food benefits effective the month following the application
month.
(2)
Missed
interview. When a household fails to interview within 10-calendar days
of the application date, OKDHS sends the household a Notice of Missed
Interview. The household may request an interview through the 30th day
following their application date. Refer to OAC
340:50-9-4 to determine the
proration date of the food benefit allotment when applications are
delayed.
(3)
Information
furnished after the application is denied. When the worker denies an
application because the household did not provide the requested information and
the applicant furnishes the required information to determine eligibility
within the second 30-calendar day period, a new application is not required.
The worker certifies food benefits using the date the household provides
required information or verification as the application, certification, and
proration date.
(e)
Length of certification periods. The worker assigns the longest
certification period possible based on the predictability of the household's
circumstances.
(1)
One month.
The worker assigns a one-month certification to:
(A) households eligible only for the
application month;
(B) migrant farm
worker households in the work stream, who apply before the 16th of the month;
and
(C) households eligible for
expedited services per OAC
340:50-11-1(b)
who apply before the 16th of the month and verification is
postponed.
(2)
Two
months. The worker assigns a two-month certification to:
(A) households eligible only for the
certification month and subsequent month; and
(B) migrant farm worker households in the
work stream, who apply after the 15th of the month; and
(C) households eligible for expedited
services per OAC
340:50-11-1(b)
who apply after the 15th of the month and verification is
postponed.
(3)
Three or four months. The worker assigns a three- or four-month
certification period to households that include an able-bodied adult without
dependents (ABAWD) member who is not meeting the work requirement or is not
otherwise exempt, per OAC
340:50-5-100. This occurs when an
ABAWD:
(A) is eligible to receive his or her
initial three or four countable months of benefits; or
(B) regains eligibility for three-consecutive
countable months and is not meeting work requirements.
(4)
Twelve months.
(A) The worker assigns a 12-month
certification period to households at certification unless the household meets
criteria in (1), (2), (3), or (5) of this subsection.
(B) These households complete a
mid-certification renewal at six-month intervals and are semi-annual reporting
households.
(5)
Twenty-four months. The worker assigns a 24-month certification
period to households when all adult members are elderly or disabled with no
earned income. These households complete a mid-certification renewal at
12-month intervals and are annual reporting households.