Current through September 24, 2024
This section describes the joint application processing
procedures and action that must be taken by the Social Security Administration
and the Department of Human Services when an SSI household applies for food
stamps at the Social Security Administration Office. Certification of these
households must be accomplished by joint processing. The application will be
taken by the Social Security Administration and eligibility determination will
be made by the Department. The Food Stamp Act of 1977 provides for certain
households containing applicants for and recipients of Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) to apply for food stamps at offices of the Social Security
Administration. Many SSI recipients are also eligible for food stamps, but have
found participation difficult. To make it easier for SSI recipients to obtain
food stamps, the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services have
developed a procedure by which households in which all members are SSI
recipients could apply for food stamps at the Social Security Office.
(1) SSI Households. For purposes of this
section, SSI is defined as Federal SSI payments made under Title XVI of the
Social Security Act, federally administered optional supplemental payments
under Section 1616 of that act, or federally administered mandatory
supplementary payments under 212 (a) of Public Law 93-66. Pure SSI households
are those households in which all members are applying for or are participating
in SSI.
(a) Entitlement to Joint Processing.
Joint processing of food stamp allocations at the SSI Office will be limited to
pure SSI households; that is, households in which all members are applicants
for or recipients of SSI, and who are neither certified for food stamps nor
have applied for food stamps within the past 30 days or do not have an
application pending for food stamps. These household's food stamp eligibility
and benefit levels shall be based solely on food stamp eligibility criteria in
accordance with the notice, procedural, and timeliness requirements of the Food
Stamp Act of 1977 and its implementing regulations. The county office shall
make an eligibility determination based on information provided by SSA and/or
by the household.
(2)
Responsibilities of SSA.
(a) Initial
Application and Eligibility Determination.
1.
The SSA Office will complete and forward food stamp applications to the local
Food Stamp Office when SSI households apply for food stamps at the SSA Office.
Whenever a member of the household consisting only of SSI applicants or
recipients applies for SSI or at redetermination for SSI at the SSA Office, the
SSA shall inform the household of:
(i) Its
right to apply for food stamps at the SSA Office without going to the Food
Stamp Office; and
(ii) Its right to
apply at a Food Stamp Office if it chooses to do so.
2. Filing an Application. For purposes of
this joint processing procedure, SSA will use the National Food Stamp
Application Form instead of the DHS Application for Assistance. An application
for food stamps is a signed form FNS-385 Application for Food Stamps submitted
to SSA by the SSI household. Applications may be filed in person, by mail or by
an authorized representative. Application must be made during regular working
hours.
3. Handling of Application
for Food Stamps. The SSA will accept and complete food stamp application for
pure SSI households received at the SSA Office and forward them within one
working day after receipt of a signed application to a designated county
office. Form SSA 42.33, Social Security Administration Transmittal for Food
Stamp Applications, which will contain references to verification obtained by
the SSA employee will also be forwarded to the designated county office with
the signed application form.
4.
Interviewing Households. Households in which all members are applying for or
participating in SSI will not be required to see a state eligibility worker or
otherwise be subjected to an additional state interview. The SSI household must
be interviewed by SSA and submit a signed application prior to eligibility
determination by DHS. Interviews may be held in the following manner:
(i) Telephone Interview. If SSA takes and SSI
application or redetermination on the telephone from a member of the pure SSI
household, a food stamp application shall also be completed during the
telephone interview. In these cases, the food stamp application shall be mailed
to the claimant for signature for return to the SSA Office or to the designated
county office. The county office shall not require the household to be
interviewed again in the Food Stamp Office.
(ii) Face to Face Interview. The SSA will
accept and complete applications from pure SSI households at the SSA Office.
All signed applications received by SSA shall be forwarded to the designated
DHS Office within one working day after receipt of the signed
application.
5.
Prescreening for Expedited Service. The SSA shall prescreen all applications
for entitlement to expedited service on the day the application is received in
the SSA Office and shall mark "Expedited Processing" on the first page of each
household's application that appears to be entitled to expedited service. The
SSA will inform households which appear to meet the criteria for expedited
service that benefits may be issued a few days sooner if the household applies
directly at the Food Stamp Office. The household may take the application from
SSA to the Food Stamp Office for screening, an interview, and processing of the
application.
6. Standard of
Promptness. The SSA shall forward applications received from SSI households to
the designated Food Stamp Office within one working day after receipt of a
signed application.
7. Reserved for
Future Use.
8. SSI Recipients
Redetermined by Mail. The SSA shall send a stuffer to SSI recipients
redetermined by mail informing them of their right to file a food stamp
application at the SSI Office (if they are members of a pure SSI household) or
at the local Food Stamp Office and their right to an out of office interview to
be performed by the county office if the household is unable to appoint an
authorized representative.
9.
Referral of Non SSI Households. The SSA shall refer non SSI households and
those in which not all members have applied for or receive SSI to the correct
Food Stamp Office. The county office shall process those applications in
accordance with the timeliness standards in 1240-1-17.
(b) Recertification.
1. Jointly processed households which have
received Form HS-0258, Notice Concerning Your Application or Redetermination,
shall be entitled to make a timely application for food stamp recertification
at the SSA Office when the following criteria are met:
(i) The food stamp certification is
ending;
(ii) Household is still
pure SSI;
(iii) Initial food stamp
application was filed with SSA;
(iv) Household chooses to file with
SSA.
2. The SSA Office
shall accept the application of a pure SSI household and forward the completed
application, SSA 42.33 Social Security Administration Transmittal for Food
Stamp Applications, and any available verification to the designated Food Stamp
Office.
(3)
Responsibilities of the Department (DHS). The county office shall make an
eligibility determination and issue food stamp benefits to eligible SSI
households whose application are forwarded by SSA.
(a) Providing Address of County Office. The
local Food Stamp Office shall designate an address for the SSA to forward food
stamp applications and accompanying information.
(b) Contacting the Wrong Office. If the
application for food stamps is sent to the wrong office by SSA, the application
should be sent to the correct office by the county office within one working
day of its receipt in the wrong county office.
(c) Informational Material for Applicants.
The State Office shall provide the county office with informational material to
be forwarded to the SSA Office serving the area. This material will include the
following information:
1. Address and
telephone number of the household's correct Food Stamp Office.
2. Information for the applicant/recipient.
The informational material will contain the following:
(i) The remaining actions to be taken in the
application process;
(ii) That a
household should be notified of the food stamp determination within 30 days and
should contact the DHS Office if it receives no notification within 30 days or
has other questions or problems;
(iii) The client's rights and
responsibilities;
(iv) How and
where to obtain coupons; and
(v)
How to use coupons, including the commodities clients may purchase with food
coupons.
(d)
Determining Participation. The county office shall determine if members of SSI
households whose applications are forwarded by the SSA are already
participating in the Food Stamp Program.
(e) Disposition of Applications. The
application continues in the application stage until action is taken to approve
or deny the case. Disposition of the application should be made in accordance
with 1240-1-14-.07.
(f) Standard of
Promptness.
1. Normal Processing. The worker
shall make an eligibility determination and issue food stamps to eligible SSI
households within 30 days following the date the application was received by
the SSA. Applications shall be considered filed for normal processing standards
when the signed application is received by SSA.
2. The worker shall prescreen all
applications received from the SSA for entitlement to expedited service on the
date the application is received in the correct Food Stamp Office. For SSI
households entitled to expedited service, the county office shall mail the
household's ATP card or coupons no later than the close of business of the 5th
calendar day following the date the application was received in the correct
county office.
(g) The
county office shall complete the application process and approve or deny timely
application for recertification in accordance with 1240-1-19-.01. A
face-to-face interview shall be waived if requested by a household consisting
entirely of SSI participants unable to appoint an authorized representative.
The county office shall provide these households with Form HS-0258, Notice
Concerning Your Application or Redetermination, in accordance with
1240-1-19-.01 except that such notification shall inform households consisting
entirely of SSI recipients that they are entitled to a waiver of a face-to-face
interview if the household is unable to appoint an authorized
representative.
(4)
Verification Procedures. Regardless of whether the SSA or the county office
conducts the interview, the required verification must be made prior to a
certification of the household for food stamp benefits. Verification is the use
of third party information or documentation to establish the accuracy of the
application. Form SSA 42.33, Social Security Administration Transmittal for
Food Stamp Applications, shall be used for verification purposes of information
on the application form. However, the worker shall insure that information
required as listed below is verified prior to certification of households
initially applying in accordance with 1240-1-16.
(a) Verification for Expedited Processing.
The worker shall postpone the verification required above. However, the
household's identity and residency must be verified through a collateral
contact or readily available documentary evidence in accordance with section
1240-1-5-.07. The SSA 42.33, Social Security Administration Transmittal for
Food Stamp Applications, shall be used for verification. SDX and Bendex may be
used to verify information.
(b)
Contact with the Household. After the application is received from the SSA, the
worker shall not contact the household further in order to obtain information
for certification for food stamp benefits unless the application is improperly
completed; mandatory verification is missing; or the worker determines that
certain information on the application is questionable. The applicant shall not
be required under any circumstances to appear at the Food Stamp Office to
finalize the eligibility determination. Further contact with the household made
in accordance with this subparagraph shall not constitute a second food stamp
certification interview.
(c)
Methods of Verification.
1. The county office
shall not require the household to personally present verification at a Food
Stamp Office. The following may be used to verify information:
(i) Form SSA 42.33 Social Security
Administration Transmittal for Food Stamp Applications;
(ii) SDX;
(iii) Bendex. Bendex may be used to verify
benefit payments or individuals receiving SSI or SSA;
(iv) Documentary Evidence;
(v) Collateral Contact;
(vi) Home Visit.
2. Form SSA 42.33 and SDX/Bendex are the
sources of verification that the worker shall use unless they do not contain
the necessary information to determine eligibility for food stamps. If the
necessary information cannot be verified from these sources, the worker may use
an alternate method in accordance with 1240-1-16.
(5) Assigning Certification
Periods. Households certified under joint processing procedures shall be
certified for up to twelve months in accordance with 1240-1-7 P eriods of
Eligibility and 1240-1-5-.08 D estitute Households.
(6) SSI Determination Results in Denial. In
cases jointly processed in which the SSI determination results in denial and
the worker believes that food stamp eligibility may be affected, the worker
shall send the household Form HS-0258, Notice Concerning Your Application or
Redetermination, advising that the certification period will expire at the end
of the month following the month in which the notice is sent and that it must
reapply if it wishes to continue to participate. Then notice shall also explain
that its certification period is expiring because of changes in circumstances
which may affect food stamp eligibility or benefit level and that the household
may be entitled to an out-of-the-office interview in accordance with
1240-1-15-.06.
(7) Changes in
Circumstances. When changes occur within the certification period which affect
the household's eligibility or level of benefits, action must be taken to
adjust the benefits.
(a) Household
Responsibilities. Households shall report changes in accordance with
1240-1-19-.04 of Volume II of the Family Assistance Manual.
(b) Worker's Responsibilities.
1. The worker shall inform the household at
each application and recertification of its responsibility to report changes,
and action shall be taken on such changes in accordance with 1240-1-19-.04 of
Volume II of the Family Assistance Manual.
2. The worker shall monitor the SDX tape on a
regular basis to determine the disposition of the application for SSI. Action
shall be taken within 10 days of learning of the determination of applications
for SSI to adjust benefits in accordance with 1240-1-19-.04 of Volume II of the
Family Assistance Manual.
(8) SSI Households Applying at the County
Office. The county office shall allow SSI households to submit food stamp
applications at the local Food Stamp Office. In such cases, all verifications,
including that pertaining to SSI Program benefits, shall be provided by the
household, by SDX or Bendex, or obtained by the county office rather than being
provided by the SSA.
(9)
Restoration of Lost Benefits. The county office shall restore to the household
benefits which were lost whenever the loss was caused by an error by the county
office or by the SSA through joint processing. Such an error shall include, but
not be limited to, the loss of an applicant's food stamp application after it
has been filed with SSA. Lost benefits shall be restored in accordance with
1240-1-21.
(10) Work Registration
Requirements. Household members who are applying for SSI and for food stamps
under joint processing procedures shall have the requirement for work
registration waived until:
(a) They are
determined eligible for SSI and thereby become exempt from work registration;
or
(b) They are determined
ineligible for SSI and, where applicable, a determination of their work
registration status is then made through recertification procedures in
accordance with 1240-1-14-.14(6) or through other means.
(11) Mass Changes. The county office shall be
responsible for automatically adjusting a household's food stamp benefit level
to reflect the cost-of-living increases received in Social Security and SSI
benefits.
(12) Recertification. The
county office shall complete the application process and approve or deny timely
applications for recertification in accordance with Volume II of the Family
Assistance Manual. A face to face interview shall be waived if requested by a
household consisting entirely of SSI participants unable to appoint an
authorized representative. The county office shall provide these households
with Form HS-0258 Notice Concerning Your Application on Redetermination in
accordance with 1240-1-19-.01 except that such notification shall inform
households consisting entirely of SSI recipients that they are entitled to a
waiver of a face-to-face interview, if the household is unable to appoint an
authorized representative. SSI households which have received Form HS-0258
Notice Concerning Your Application or Redetermination shall be entitled to make
a timely application for food stamp recertification at the SSA office. The SSA
shall accept and forward the application and supporting verification to the
local food stamp office. These households shall not be required to appear at a
second office interview; however, the county office may conduct an
out-of-office interview, if necessary.
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 14-27-104 and
14-27-107; PL 97-35; 7 CFR
272.2(k)(i),
273.2(i)(2).
