Current through September 24, 2024
(1) Shelters For Battered Women And Children
- Definition. Shelter for battered women and their children means a public or
private non-profit facility that serves battered women and their children. If
the facility serves other individuals, a portion of the facility must be set
aside on a long-term basis to serve only battered women and children to meet
the criteria for eligibility in a shelter for battered women and
children.
(2) Application Process.
Prior to certifying residents of a shelter for battered women and their
children, the worker must determine whether the shelter meets the definition in
(1) above of this section. The worker must apply the criteria established in
the Program's definition of a shelter for battered women and their children in
order to arrive at a determination, and document the relevant facts for future
reference. However, if the facility has FNS Authorization to redeem coupons at
wholesalers, the worker is not required to make a determination as to whether
the facility meets the program definition. The fact that the facility is
authorized by FNS should be documented in the case record.
(a) Residents of shelters for battered women
and children shall apply as separate households:
1. Through use of an authorized
representative employed and designated by the shelter;
2. On their own behalf; or
3. Through an authorized representative of
their own choice.
(b)
Residents of shelters are exempted from the prohibition against participating
in more than one county in any month. This provision is limited to women and
children leaving the household containing the person who subjected them to
abuse.
1. Their former household may be
certified for participation in the program and its certification may be based
on the household size that includes the women and children who have just left.
Shelter residents who are included in such certified households may apply for
and (if otherwise eligible) participate in the program as separate households
if the certified household which includes them contains the person who
subjected them to abuse. In this instance, shelter residents who are included
in such certified households may receive an additional allotment as a separate
household in a given month. Such residents can receive the additional allotment
only once a month regardless of the number of times the battered women and
their children return to the former household and are forced to take refuge in
a shelter more than once in a given month.
2. Shelter residents whose former household
was not certified for program participation prior to the member(s) entering the
shelter may be certified for program benefits as separate households, if
otherwise eligible. Such residents can only receive one allotment per month,
regardless of the number of times they return to the former household and are
forced to return to the shelter.
(c) Income and Resources. Residents of
shelters for battered women and children who apply as separate households shall
be certified solely on the basis of their income and resources. The only
expenses that should be taken into consideration are the expenses for which
they are responsible in determining deductions for the household. These
households shall be certified without regard to the income, resources, and
expenses of their former household. Jointly held resources with members of the
former household shall be considered as inaccessible resources in accordance
with 1240-1-4-.09.
(d) Processing
Standards. Residents eligible for expedited service shall be handled in
accordance with 1240-1-5. Other residents who make application and are not
eligible for expedited service shall be handled under normal procedures in
1240-1-14.
(e) Verification.
Information for verification of the residents' circumstances may be obtained
from documents possessed by the household, information obtained from the
facility, or collateral contacts.
(f) Certification Period. Households shall be
assigned a one month certification period in accordance with 1240-1-7 due to
the frequent short stay in such facilities.
(g) Use of Coupons. Residents may use the
coupons to purchase meals prepared for them at a shelter which is authorized by
FNS to redeem at wholesalers, or which redeem at retailers as the authorized
representative of the participating household.
(3) Reducing The Former Household's Benefits.
The worker must take prompt action to ensure that the former household's
eligibility and/or allotment reflects the changes in the former household
composition. This is considered as a reported change and should be acted on in
accordance with the procedures in 1240-1-19.
(4) Reporting Changes.
(a) If the resident has made application on
his/her own behalf, the household is responsible for reporting changes to the
county office in accordance with the provisions that apply to all other Food
Stamp households in accordance with 1240-1-19-.04.
(b) If the shelter is acting as authorized
representative, it shall notify the county office of changes in the household's
circumstances, etc. in accordance with the provisions that apply to all other
Food Stamp households.
(5) Household Leaves The Shelter For Battered
Women And Children.
(a) Facility Has Use of
Coupons. When the household leaves the shelter for battered women and children,
the shelter, either acting as authorized representative or retaining use of the
coupons on behalf of the residents, shall provide residents with their ID card
(if applicable) and any untransacted ATP cards. Also, the departing household
shall receive its full allotment if the monthly allotment has been issued and
no coupons have been spent on behalf of that individual household. Once the
resident leaves, the shelter no longer acts as authorized representative for
the household. The shelter shall return any household's ATP card or coupons to
the county office if they are received after the household has left the
shelter.
(b) Household Retains Use
of Coupons. Households which retain use of their own coupons are entitled to
keep the coupons when they leave the shelter.
(6) Shelter For Battered Women And Children
Responsibilities. The reporting responsibilities and reviews for drug and
alcohol treatment centers and group living arrangements also apply to shelters
for battered women and children.
(7) Eligibility Of Residents Residing In
Shelters For Battered Women And Children Which Do Not Provide Meals. Residents
of shelters which do not provide meals may participate in the program, if
otherwise eligible, as any other household. Such residents are not considered
as residing in an institution; therefore, the special provisions in this
section do not apply, i.e., receiving more than one allotment in a given
month.
Authority: T.C.A. § 14-27-104;
7 CFR
273.11.
