SR 11-16 Dated 04/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases a change in the Food Stamp Program Heat & Utility Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) from $584 to $518.

POLICY

The full Heat & Utility SUA is now $518 effective from April 1, 2011 to September 30, 2011.

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

New HEIGHTS will rerun the Food Stamp mass change for approximately 35,000 cases over a two-week period in early March. However, the new SUA value has already been entered into New HEIGHTS, so if a Food Stamp case is adjusted prior to the mass change, the new budget for April will display the new $518 figure.

Households experiencing a change in Food Stamp benefits during the mass change will receive a standard New HEIGHTS Notice of Decision (NOD). The following message will also appear in the "Explanations" section of the NOD:

The Federal Government required NH to change 1 deduction you get. The deduction was $584. Now the figure is $518. This change means that you may now get a lower Food Stamp benefit. Your Food Stamp budget below reflects this change.

POST MASS CHANGE REPORTS

The reports below will be produced as a result of this Mass Change.

NMC600RA: Status After MC

This report lists all cases that were selected for the Mass Change, including cases that were successfully confirmed as shown on NMC540RA and those that were not confirmed (exceptions shown on NMC550RA). This report is sorted by District Office and contains the following information: D.O., Worker Name, Client Name, Case Number, and Household Size.

NMC600RB: Status Before MC

This report shows the pre-mass change status of cases that were selected for the Mass Change. It contains the following information: D.O., Worker Name, Client Name, Case Number, and Household Size.

NMC540RA: AG’s Affected by MC

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

NMC550RA: MC Exception

This report lists cases that were selected for 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.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics

PART 601, TABLE I  FOOD STAMP DEDUCTIONS

IMPLEMENTATION

Policy released in this SR is effective April 1, 2011.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

Households experiencing a change in Food Stamp benefits due to the mass change will receive a standard New HEIGHTS NOD. The following message will also appear in the "Explanations" section of the NOD:

The Federal Government required NH to change 1 deduction you get. The deduction was $584. Now the figure is $518. This change means that you may now get a lower Food Stamp benefit. Your Food Stamp budget below reflects this change.

TRAINING

No training is planned or needed.

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 www.dhhs.nh.gov/DFA/publications.htm, effective March 28, 2011. Additionally, this SR, and printed pages with posting instructions, will be distributed under separate cover to all internal hard copy holders of the Food Stamp Manual.

DFA/JBV:s