SR 07-05 Dated 07/07

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases the annual July updates to the:

·   NHEP/FAP/UP Standard of Need (SON); and

·   resource deduction figures for Children with Severe Disabilities (CSD).

This SR additionally releases unrelated revisions to Form 756, Employment Verification. Corresponding revisions to the New HEIGHTS-generated AE0012, AE0014, AE0067 and AE0068 will be implemented and released by New HEIGHTS under separate cover.

BACKGROUND

The annual July update of the SON is mandated by the NH Legislature per RSA 167:7,II, to reflect changes in the cost of living. This year’s SON figures were updated using information obtained from the NH Housing Finance Authority and the IRS, in addition to applying the 2006 Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase to the 2001 DFA Market Basket Survey and Josiah Bartlett Study results.

The annual July update of the CSD resource deduction figures is mandated by State rule He-W 641.04(e). The increase reflects the 2007 Federal Poverty Income Guidelines published in the Federal Register dated January 24, 2007.

POLICY

NHEP/FAP/UP Standard of Need Changes

The annual July update to the NHEP/FAP/UP Standard of Need (SON) affects:

·   NHEP/FAP/UP cases closed or denied due to lump sum income;

·   open NHEP/FAP/UP cash cases with a non-sanctioned deemer; and

·   open NHEP/FAP/UP-related medical assistance cases in deductible status with a non-sanctioned deemer.

The SON is used to determine the period of ineligibility for cases receiving lump sum income, and eligibility and benefit amount for cases with deemed income. The increase in the SON may result in shorter periods of ineligibility for those cases that are currently NHEP/FAP/UP ineligible due to receipt of lump sum income, and in less income being counted as available for those NHEP/FAP/UP cases with deemed income.

The maximum SON equals the Basic Maintenance Needs Allowance (BMNA) plus $310, the weighted average of the maximum shelter payment allowances. The 2007 BMNA and SON are noted below:

2007 BMNA and SON

*For household sizes over 12, calculate the BMNA by adding $67 for each additional person to the basic maintenance payment allowance (BMPA) and divide the result by 0.1167. To obtain the SON, add $310 to the BMNA figure.

Lump Sum Calculations

Individuals who receive lump sum payments are ineligible for assistance for the number of months resulting from dividing the lump sum amount (plus any other monthly income) by the SON. Clients whose cases were closed or denied due to receipt of lump sum income may reapply or request a recalculation due to the increase in the SON. If requested, the District Office must recalculate the client’s period of ineligibility. A new Notice of Decision (NOD) will be generated if the recalculation results in a different period of ineligibility.

Deemed Income Cases

The SON is used for NHEP/FAP/UP deeming from parents, including ineligible alien parents, alien sponsors, and three generation deeming. Due to the increase in the SON, less deemed income is counted as available to the client. HEIGHTS will automatically recalculate benefit amounts for open cases with deemed income during the Mass Change. No District Office action is required.

Clients whose cases were closed or denied due to excess deemed income may reapply or request to have their eligibility redetermined due to the increase in the SON. If requested, the District Office must recalculate the client’s eligibility.

Children with Severe Disabilities (CSD) Resource Deduction Increase

CSD resource eligibility for medically-needy medical assistance is determined by reducing the parents’ total resources by the CSD resource deduction for the appropriate household size and combining the balance with the child’s resources. The CSD resource deduction is based upon 50% of the current federal poverty income guidelines.

CSD RESOURCE DEDUCTION FIGURES

SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

July NHEP/FAP/UP SON and CSD Resource Deduction Update

New HEIGHTS will update all reference tables with the new figures effective July 1, 2007, and will use the new amounts for any cases computed or recomputed beginning on or after that date.

Clients Denied or Closed Prior to 7/1/07 Due to Deemed Income or Receipt of Lump Sum

No District Office action is necessary unless a client requests to have their eligibility redetermined or their period of ineligibility recalculated. If a client requests this recalculation, the current SON released by this SR and effective July 1, 2007 will be automatically applied during the recalculation. If the client’s eligibility for assistance or length of ineligibility changes during the recalculation, a new NOD will be generated.

Open Cases With Deemed Income

New HEIGHTS will run an initial query to identify all open/on-going cash cases with a non-sanctioned deemer and all deductible cases with a non-sanctioned deemer whose grant amounts or spenddowns will change during the mass change. The cases identified will be recomputed during the daily production run the evening of June 13, 2007. Cases with deemed income whose grant amounts or spenddowns change will receive the appropriate message reflecting the new benefit level.

Because less deemed income will be counted as available, medical assistance only cases with a non-sanctioned deemer, and cases with a non-sanctioned deemer currently eligible for NHEP/FAP/UP cash assistance but not actually receiving the grant because the amount is under $10 per month, may now become eligible for a cash grant for the first time.

The latter cases that do not have sufficient Benefit Issuance information during the daily production run of June 13th will appear on the MC Exception Report (NMC550RA) with the Reason for Exception listed as "No BI Payment Information." District Offices must rerun eligibility and supply the missing Benefit Issuance information when that screen appears in the driver flow.

NOTE: These cases should be contacted prior to confirmation to be informed of the availability of cash assistance, including an explanation of appropriate NHEP/FAP/UP cash program policies (e.g., work program requirements and the 60-month time limit on receipt of cash assistance). If the client agrees to receipt of cash assistance, explain the process required to establish benefit issuance. $10 minimum grant cases confirmed after the mass change will receive a standard opening message from New HEIGHTS. District Offices are not required to refer these cases to the NHEP team, as New HEIGHTS will have already referred mandatory NHEP participants to the NHEP team.

Procedures for CSD Cases

New HEIGHTS will update all reference tables with the new CSD Resource Deduction figures effective July 1, 2007, and will use the new amounts for any cases computed or recomputed beginning on or after that date.

CLIENT NOTICES

Assistance groups experiencing a change in eligibility due to the mass change will receive the following text in the "Explanation" section of the Notice of Decision (NOD):

ON JULY 1 THE NHEP/FAP/UP STANDARD OF NEED, THE RESOURCE DEDUCTION FOR FAMILIES WITH A SEVERELY DISABLED CHILD, AND THE CHILD CARE INCOME LIMITS INCREASED.

NOTE: SR 07-08 will release changes to the child care income limits.

POST MASS CHANGE REPORTS

The following reports will be available with any July Mass Change related information beginning July 14, 2007.

NMC540RA: AG’s Affected by MC

This report lists all cases that the Mass Change ran successfully through confirmation. It contains the following information: D.O., Worker Name, Client Name, and Case Number.

NMC550RA: MC Exception Report

This report lists cases that were selected for computation during the Mass Change, but were not confirmed due to some discrepancy in data. These cases require further District Office action. The report contains the following information: D.O., Worker Name, Client Name, Case Number, Reason for Exception, and Mass Change Type.

REVISIONS TO FORM 756, EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION

Unrelated revisions to Form 756, Employment Verification, were made based on analysis and evaluation by the Error Reduction Advisory Team (ERAT) to incorporate more definitive language and eliminate ambiguity in the requested information for employment verification. The following changes will help reduce the number of telephone calls to the client and employers, and will better facilitate the application/recertification processes:

·   "Worker Name" was changed to "Case Worker Name;"

·   "Please Complete and Return by" was moved under "Today’s Date;"

·   "Our agency requires employment and wage information concerning" was replaced by "Name of Employee;"

·   "Medical Insurance" was further delineated by adding boxes for "Self" and "Family;"

·   "Gross" was added in front of "Amount of Final Paycheck;" and

·   The text "COMPLETE THIS SECTION FOR BOTH CURRENT AND TERMINATED EMPLOYMENT" was added to the top of the last section on the form.

These revisions did not necessitate any changes to the form instructions, Form 756(i). New HEIGHTS will be incorporating the revisions described above into New HEIGHTS-generated client letters AE0012, AE0014, AE0067 and AE0068 at a later date.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Family Assistance Manual Topics

PART 601, Table A  TANF/UP Basic Maintenance Needs Allowance and Maximum Standard of Need

PART 601, Table D  Children with Severe Disabilities Resource Deduction

IMPLEMENTATION

The CSD & SON revisions identified in this SR will be implemented July 1, 2007, and will apply to all cases processed on or after that date.

The version of Form 756 dated July 2005, SR 05-15, remains valid and should be used until the current supply is exhausted. The new version will not be printed until the current stock is depleted. As such, a certificate of destruction has not been included in the SR as the current stock is not to be destroyed or recycled.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

A public hearing regarding the updated SON figures was held on May 14, 2007.

In addition to the client notice referenced above, clients will be notified as needed about the updates in the SON and CSD Resource Deduction at the next case action or upon request.

No special notification is necessary for Form 756. District Offices, employers, and clients will begin to use the new version of the form upon receipt.

TRAINING

No training is planned or needed due to the procedural nature of this SR.

FORMS MANUAL POSTING INSTRUCTIONS

DISPOSITION

This SR may be deleted or destroyed once its contents have been noted and the revised manual topics released by this SR have been posted to the On-Line Manual.

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.nh.gov/DHHS/DFA/LIBRARY, effective July 2, 2007.

This SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all hard copy holders of the Family Assistance Manual.

DFA/KD:s