SR 15-29 Dated 10/15

 

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

INTER-DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATION

 

FROM OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, DFA:

Terry R. Smith

DFA SIGNATURE DATE:

October 2, 2015

AT (OFFICE):

Division of Family Assistance (DFA)

TO:

District Office Supervisors

 

SUBJECT:

Increase in the Number of Towns in which Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) Are Allowed Exemptions from the ABAWD Food Stamp Program Work Requirements

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016

 

SUMMARY

 

This SR releases an increase in the number of towns in which an Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) is allowed an exemption from ABAWD Food Stamp Program work requirements. In addition to the current towns of Dummer, Errol, Stark, Stratford, and Wentworth’s Location, ABAWDs who reside in the towns of Clarksville, Ellsworth, Harts Location, and Columbia are now also exempt from ABAWD work requirements and are not subject to the 3-month cap for receiving Food Stamp benefits if not complying with these requirements. Note that two of the four newly exempted towns are not associated with the Berlin catchment area (Ellsworth is in the Laconia catchment area and Hart’s Location is in the Conway catchment area).

 

FORMER POLICY

NEW POLICY

ABAWDs are exempt from ABAWD work requirements if the ABAWD:

·      Meets one of the Work Registration exemptions listed in the Food Stamp Manual (FSM) 809, EXEMPTIONS FROM FOOD STAMP PROGRAM (FSP) WORK REQUIREMENTS;

·      Is under age 18 or is age 50 or older;

·      Is pregnant;

·      Is receiving Food Stamps with other people and at least one person is under the age of 18; or

·      Is residing in the towns of Dummer, Errol, Stark, Stratford, and Wentworth’s Location.

The existing ABAWD exemption reasons remain unchanged except that the number of towns that are now allowed a blanket ABAWD exemption has increased.

Effective October 1, 2015, ABAWDS residing in the towns of Clarksville, Ellsworth, Harts Location, and Columbia, are also now exempt from ABAWD work requirements and are not subject to the 3-month cap for receiving Food Stamp benefits if not complying with these work requirements.

 

POLICY

 

In addition to the existing Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents (ABAWD) exemption reasons for work requirements, ABAWDs residing in the towns of Clarksville, Ellsworth, Hart’s Location, and Columbia are now also exempt from meeting ABAWD work requirements. The impacted ABAWDs will not be limited to 3 months of Food Stamp assistance in a 36-month period and can continue to receive Food Stamp benefits without meeting ABAWD work requirements through the end of the waiver period, September 30, 2016.

 

NEW HEIGHTS SYSTEMS PROCEDURES AND IMPLEMENTATION

 

District Office staff have been instructed by the Food Stamp Program Specialist to enter “Not Required” on the ABAWD screen in New HEIGHTS to correctly exempt the individuals who reside in the towns identified in this SR.

 

POLICY MANUAL REVISIONS

 

Revised Food Stamp Manual Topics

 

Section 245.03  Criteria for Exemption from ABAWD Work Participation

 

IMPLEMENTATION

 

The policy released in this SR is effective from October 1, 2015 through September 30, 2016, based upon the FNS approval of a waiver submitted pursuant to 7 CFR 273.24(f). Inform ABAWDS of any changes in their exemption status at the next client interaction.

 

CLIENT NOTIFICATION

 

Eligibility workers must verbally notify clients living in the impacted towns of the ABAWD exemption as appropriate at the next client interaction.

 

TRAINING

 

No special 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 November 2, 2015. 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