SR 12-11 Dated 10/11

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

SUMMARY

This SR releases an increase to the resource limit for Food Stamp (FS) households with a disabled member or household member age 60 or older (target population), as detailed in the Director’s Memo dated January 13, 2012, subject line Increase in Target Population Resource Allowance for Food Stamps. Retroactively effective to October 1, 2011, FS households meeting the target population criteria are considered resource-eligible for Food Stamp benefits when the household’s countable resources are less than or equal to $3,500.

POLICY

Retroactively effective to 10/1/11, the resource limit for Food Stamp households meeting the target population criteria is $3,500, as federally mandated by the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, also know as the 2008 Farm Bill. All other Food Stamp Program policies regarding countable resources remain unchanged.

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

The new $3,500 resource limit for Food Stamp households meeting the target population criteria was implemented in New HEIGHTS as of January 13, 2012.

Households Denied Food Stamp Benefits Due to Being Resource-Ineligible Between October 1, 2011 and January 13, 2012

New HEIGHTS identified 15 target population households whose resources were greater than $3,000 but less than or equal to $3,500, who were denied Food Stamp benefits due to being resource-ineligible during the period of time between October 1, 2011 when the new resource limit became effective, and January 13, 2012, the date the higher resource limit was entered into New Heights. All 15 cases were individually addressed by District Office staff and 12 of the 15 cases were determined to have been eligible for benefits during the specified period. Eligibility was reinstated for these households, and the households were issued corrective Food Stamp benefits via EBT for the specified period. A Notice of Decision (NOD) was issued to each reopened case to inform the household of this corrective action.

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics

PART 403  RESOURCE LIMITS

IMPLEMENTATION

The increase to the Food Stamp Program resource limit for target population households is retroactively effective to October 1, 2011. The change was implemented in New Heights as of January 13, 2012.

The 12 target population households who were determined to have been eligible for Food Stamp benefits during the period of time between October 1, 2011 when the new resource limit became effective, and January 13, 2012, the date the higher resource limit was entered into New Heights, were issued a corrective Food Stamp benefit allotment via EBT, and a NOD was issued to each reinstated case to inform the household of this corrective action.

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

All cases that were identified by New HEIGHTS as having been denied eligibility between 10/1/11 – 1/13/12 for having resources greater than $3,000 but less than $3,500, and were determined to be otherwise eligible for Food Stamps, received NODs informing them of the correct FS benefits that were subsequently issued to their EBT card. No other client notification is planned or necessary.

TRAINING

A Director’s Memo, dated January 13, 2012 and entitled Increase in Target Population Resource Allowance for Food Stamps, was electronically issued on January 20, 2012. No other special training is necessary.

DISPOSITION

This SR may be destroyed or deleted after its contents have been noted and the revised manual topic released by this SR has 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 www.dhhs.nh.gov/DFA/publications.htm, effective February 27, 2012. 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/KD:s