109.01 Filing an Application SR 09-07, 04/09 (FSM-A) |
Application is made in person at the District Office or an application may be submitted by mail. Personal eligibility interviews are in person at the District Office or, if approved by the District Office supervisor, by telephone or home visit. *
Accept an application as valid if it contains the applicant’s:
• name;
• address;
• signature, or the signature of an authorized representative acting on behalf of the applicant; and
• request for program(s) of assistance.
Exceptions:
• When a resident of an institution applies prior to leaving the institution, the filing date of the application is the date the applicant is released from the institution.
• Inmates of NH State Prison facilities who are enrolled in a pre-release program may apply prior to their release. The filing date of the application will be the first day of the month in which the applicant is released, regardless of the actual release date.
• The filing date for pure SSI households who apply at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office will be the date SSA receives the signed application.
Support Staff Process
• Provide the individual with Form 800, Application for Assistance, upon request.
• Assist the applicant in completing the form, if requested.
• When the client returns the application, review to ensure the application is valid as described above, and then date stamp the application.
• Complete the "Agency Use Only" section on the back of the first page (the Coversheet) of the Form 800, indicating the date the application was received.
• Review the application for eligibility for expedited Food Stamp services (see PART 125, EXPEDITED SERVICE). All individuals potentially eligible for expedited Food Stamp services are interviewed on the same day that the application is filed. If the applicant cannot be interviewed on the date of application, schedule a personal or phone interview for the next business day or when it is otherwise convenient for the applicant.
• Schedule the individual for an eligibility interview by completing Client Registration (CR) in New HEIGHTS and using the "Schedule Individuals" screen. Do not initiate or print Form 800H, also known as the HAF, at the conclusion of CR. Write a note on the Form 797, Eligibility Narrative, to notify the FSS that CR has been completed.
• Give the Form 800 Coversheet plus New HEIGHTS-generated letter CS0002, Schedule Initial Interview, Form 800A, DFA Program and Services Guide*, and all other applicable forms to the individual.
*
• Create a case file for the client or retrieve the client’s file from storage.
Filing of an Application in the Wrong DO
If an application is mailed to the wrong office, date stamp it and forward it to the appropriate office on the same day that it was received, unless it meets the criteria for expedited Food Stamp services. If information on the application indicates the household is eligible for expedited benefits, process the Food Stamp portion of the application immediately.
If an individual contacts the wrong office *give the individual the address and telephone number of the correct office, andoffer the individual the opportunity to complete an application that same day.
If the individual hand-delivers an application to the wrong office, schedule an appointment for the correct office and forward the application to that office. Give the individual the address and telephone number of the correct office, with the CS0002 indicating the time of the individual’s appointment in the correct office.
Special Procedures for Applications Filed by Mail
Once a mailed Form 800 is received in the District Office, support staff review all the information on the application and complete the "agency staff only" boxes on the application. Most applicants will then be scheduled for the next available interview appointment. However, the following applications are not immediately scheduled for an interview:
• applications containing information indicating potential eligibility for Expedited Food Stamps. These applications are given to the Supervisor for review once the support staff determines potential eligibility. If the Supervisor confirms the potential eligibility, support staff calls the applicant to schedule an interview for the next business day, or another day convenient to the applicant. If the applicant cannot be reached by phone, an interview is scheduled no sooner than 5 business days from the date of application; and
• applications containing information indicating no potential eligibility for any DFA assistance program or service requested. These applications are given to the Supervisor for review as well. If the Supervisor confirms that there is no potential eligibility for all assistance requested on the Form 800, the DFA worker may deny all assistance requested without an interview, per PART 127, INTERVIEWS.