SR 00-19 Dated 06/00 |
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION
SIGNATURE DATE: |
Mary Anne Broshek 4/24/00 |
FROM: |
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR |
AT (OFFICE): |
Office of Family Services, Division of Family Assistance |
TO: |
DFA Supervisors
|
SUBJECT: |
Revised Food Stamp Certification Policy; Implementation of 4 Month Certification Periods for Most ABAWD Households; Revised Redetermination Policy for Joint FS and AP/MA Households; Policy Clarification Regarding Expedited Service Cases; Revised Family Assistance Chapter 100, and Revised Food Stamp Manual Chapters 100 and 200 |
EFFECTIVE DATE: |
June 1, 2000 |
SUMMARY
This SR releases changes which affect households with members who are able bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD), and revises food stamp certification periods to coincide with New HEIGHTS processing changes. ABAWD policy has been revised to specify that only full months of receipt of food stamp benefits count toward the 3 participation month limit as a non-exempt individual. Standard 3 month maximum certification periods have been replaced by 4 month maximum certification periods for most households previously subject to 3 month certification periods. Redetermination periods for joint FS and AP/MA cases have also been revised accordingly.
This SR also explains how New HEIGHTS sets recertification periods for cases which are recertified in the month prior to the last month of the certification period.
A policy clarification has been added to Food Stamp Manual PART 121, Delay in Processing, and PART 125, Expedited Service, as explained in the text of this SR.
POLICY
Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics
161 REDETERMINATION/RECERTIFICATION
Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics
133.06 Households With Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD)
133.07 Public Assistance Households
245 ABLE BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS
ABAWD Households
ABAWD policy has been revised to specify that only full months of receipt of food stamp benefits count toward the 3 participation month limit that an ABAWD individual can receive benefits as a non-exempt individual. Previous policy required that any months of participation, partial or full, be counted towards the 3 month limit. Policy has been changed due to proposed food stamp regulations which allow counting of only full months of participation when applying the 3 month participation limit to ABAWD households.
Most ABAWD households are now entitled to a 4 month initial certification period due to the counting of only full months of participation towards the 3 month ABAWD limit. However, if an ABAWD household applies for benefits on the first day of the month and is certified on the first day of the month, that household is only entitled to a 3 month certification period. As indicated on page 3 of this SR, District Offices must set recertification periods for households containing an ABAWD member(s), as New HEIGHTS is not programmed to set recertification periods based on ABAWD policy. The length of the recertification period must be adjusted to accommodate any full months of receipt of benefits during the last 36 months in which the ABAWD participated as a non-exempt individual. For example, if an ABAWD has previously received 2 full months of benefits as a non-exempt individual, that person’s recertification period would be set at 1 month.
Certification Periods for Households Recertified in the Month Prior to the Last Month of the Certification Period
When setting recertification periods for cases which are recertified in the month prior to the last month of the certification period, HEIGHTS will not count the initial month of the new certification period and will set the length of the certification period according to case circumstances. No District Office action is necessary unless the District Office determines the date set by HEIGHTS should be changed. District Offices can override the preselected HEIGHTS recertification period when necessary due to case circumstances.
Standard Maximum 4 Month Certification Periods for Certain Food Stamp Cases
Standard 3 month certification periods have been eliminated in the Food Stamp Program and have been replaced with 4 month certification periods. Certain certification periods are automatically set by New HEIGHTS, and other certification periods must be set by the District Office.
4 Month Certification Periods Which Will Be Automatically Set by New HEIGHTS
Assistance groups receiving cash or medical assistance and food stamps with at least 1 of the following characteristics will be targeted by HEIGHTS for 4 month certification periods:
receiving unemployment compensation benefits;
receiving earned income; or
jointly receiving FS and adult category AP or MA and having an unequal household size in each program.
4 Month Certification Periods Which Must Be Set by District Offices
District Offices must manually set recertification periods for assistance groups with the following characteristics:
containing a potential wage earner;
having a clear potential for fluctuating circumstances;
expenses exceed household income; and
containing one or more ABAWD members.
Policy Clarification Regarding Expedited Service Cases
A policy clarification regarding application processing for expedited service cases has been added to Food Stamp Manual PART 121, Delay in Processing, and PART 125, Expedited Service. Expedited households that are subsequently closed due to failure to submit documentation within 30 days of the date of application must reapply. These households are unable to use the same application within a 60 day period of the original application, as this provision is applicable only to applications denied under normal processing standards.
/t
This policy is effective with all initial certifications and recertifications processed on or after June 1, 2000.
CLIENT NOTIFICATION
District Offices may notify cases of the revised policy on an as needed basis.
TRAINING
No training is planned due to the procedural nature of this SR.
DISPOSITION
This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-line manuals.
DISTRIBUTION
This SR will be distributed according to the electronic distribution list for Division of Family Assistance policy releases. This SR, and revised On-Line Manuals, will be available for agency staff in the On-Line Manual Library, and for public access on the Internet at http://www.dhhs.state.nh.us/PMIndex.htm, effective June 1, 2000.
This SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Family Assistance and Food Stamp Manuals.
DFA/SJC:s