SNAP and POWER Policy Manual – 1600 – Extended Menu

1601    POWER Periodic Reviews

A. Conduct a periodic review of the eligibility factors whenever a change is known or suspected, or at the time specified by the notice of initial POWER Payment Approval. Certification periods shall not exceed six (6) months, with the month of application being the first month:

1. When SNAP and POWER are both received, review of eligibility factors shall occur for POWER anytime a SNAP recertification is conducted.

2. Verify compliance with Child Support regarding status of previously granted good cause with local CSE.

3. DFS-SO will provide compliance information 30 days prior to when the good cause claim is due for review;

4. Allow the recipient the opportunity to withdraw the good cause claim:

a. Refer the recipient to CSE to complete a new DFS543/545/546 Child Support application form when the recipient wishes to cooperate;

b. Change the code on the CSEA screen to indicate the recipient wishes to cooperate; and

c. Notify the POWER DFS-SO of the change.

5. Document the good cause status in the case record.

6.When a child age 18 years old and expected to graduate by age 19;

a. Request verification the child is attending high school as specified in Section 602 and will graduate by age 19;
b. Remove the child's needs from the performance payment when verification is not provided or the eligibility factor is not met; and
c. Authorize the nonpayment status for the corresponding performance period; or
d. Terminate the POWER performance payment when this is the only child in the assistance unit and generate a notice of adverse action (see EPICS Notices).
e. Document the case record.

7. Inter-field office transfers (see Section 1604); and
8. Five (5) year benefit limits (see Section 1701).

B. Require completion of the DFS 100 Application form.

C. Schedule the interview for a timely recertification.

D. Request verification when it becomes known the circumstances have changed.

E. Establish a new best estimate when the assistance unit receives income.

F. A periodic review can be required at anytime continued eligibility is questionable or a stable history has not been established.

G. EPICS will automatically generate the POWER Periodic Review Notice, X101, 30 days prior to the end of the certification month. The recipient has until the 20th of the certification month to complete the review requirements. This means that if a client provides a recertification application prior to the auto closure notice being sent out of EPICS, the recertification application is considered timely.  

H. Authorize benefits by deadline when the recipient has completed the interview during the recertification month, provided requested information/verifications and all other pay-after-performance requirements have been met.

I. If the recipient completes an untimely review, they will be required to serve a $1 sanction for the payment month following the recertification month.

J. Good Cause may be issued at the worker's discretion, based on the case history, if the application is received after the 20th of the month but before the end of the recertification month.

K. If the recipient fails to complete a periodic review, EPICS will automatically close the case at the end of the month and generate the POWER Termination - No Periodic Review Closure Notice, X102.

1602 - SNAP Re-certification

A. Do not continue benefits to an assistance unit beyond the end of the certification period.

B. Require the assistance unit to:

1. Reapply by the end of the certification period by completing the DFS 100;
2. Report changes which have occurred within the certification period;
3. Schedule a face-to-face interview or waive the face-to-face interview as allowed for initial interviews per Section 402;
4. Schedule the interview for a timely recertification to allow 10 days from the date of the notice so verification can be provided and uninterrupted benefits received; and
5. Provide the required verification(s) before benefits are authorized;

a. Unchanged information need not be verified unless the information is incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent or outdated.

C. The notice of expiration is provided at the time of the certification for an assistance unit certified for one (1) or two (2) months.

D. For an assistance unit certified over two (2) months:

1. DFS-SO shall mail a SNAP Re-certification Reminder Notice (EPICS Notice) approximately three (3) days before the last month of certification; and
2. The application for re-certification is timely when received by the 15th day of the last month of the certification period.

E. Approve or deny the timely recertification.

1. Provide notification of the determination in writing by the end of the certification period;
2. Do not deny the assistance unit for failure to appear for an interview scheduled prior to receipt of a timely application.
3. Do not deny before the end of the certification period or before the tenth day when a client fails to provide required verification.

F. Assume the POWER assistance unit is categorically eligible in the absence of a timely periodic review.

G. Inform the assistance unit of the following rights:

1. To receive the notice of expiration according to the time frames stated in C. and D.;
2. Have a complete or incomplete application accepted;
3. File the application in person, fax, e-mail or through the mail;
4. Have an authorized representative or other responsible household member file the application;
5. To an administrative hearing;
6. The opportunity for uninterrupted benefits if eligible when a timely reapplication is filed and the interview and verifications are provided as required and within the time frames; and
7. To receive benefits within five (5) working days when an eligible assistance unit is not determined eligible in time to provide benefits by its normal issuance cycle due to the time frame for submitting missing verification.

H. Do not allow benefits to continue on the regular issuance cycle for an eligible assistance unit who:

1. Fails to file a timely application for recertification;
2. Fails to complete a timely interview, as required, after providing a timely or untimely reapplication; and/or
3. Fails to provide missing verification within the verification notice deadline after filing a timely or untimely application but allow participation within five (5) working days after the missing verification is furnished.

I. Process the case and provide a full month's allotment for the first month of the new certification period if a timely application cannot be processed within 30 days because of a fault of DFS.

J. Treat an application for re-certification not submitted by the end of the certification period as an initial application.

Timely Recertification Explanation & Examples

Regulation States: The State agency must schedule the interview to allow household at a minimum 10 days after the interview to provide verifications before their certification period expires. This means, all interview must be schedule at least 11 days prior to the expiration of the household's certification period.

Example 1: Household is due to recertify in August and submits an application August 11th. An interview must be scheduled by August 21st in order to allow the household 10 days to provide verification by August 31st.

Regulation States: A household that submits its application for recertification by the 15th day of the last month of the expiring certification period is considered to have applied timely. If the household has met the recertification requirements (provided all verifications) before the end of the certification period, the State agency must provide the households with a notice of eligibility or denial by the last day of the household's certification period. In addition, the household must be provided the opportunity to participate by the end of the household's normal issuance cycle in the month after the household's current certification period expires.

Example 2: Household is due to recertify in January and submits an application January 2. The household receives their benefits on the 3rd of each month. The State agency must (1) complete the recertification process and send a notice of eligibility by January 31 and (2) If the household is eligible, the State agency must make benefits available by February 3.

1603      Quality Control Reviews

A. Terminate an assistance unit who refuses to cooperate with a review of eligibility and benefit level by a quality control reviewer.

B. Allow the assistance unit to reapply but do not allow eligibility until the assistance unit cooperates with the quality control review; or

C. Allow the assistance unit to reapply 115 or more days after the annual QC review period ends September 30.

1604      Inter-Field Office Transfers

Follow these authorization procedures when transferring a POWER case from one (1) DFS-FO to another.

A. The transferring Benefit Specialist has primary responsibility for a transfer between field offices because s/he will have knowledge concerning the transfer of the POWER case.

B. Transferring child support and work program action center staff will contact the receiving contract office to advise an open POWER case will be transferred.;

C. Process the performance payment when the client has contacted the receiving DFS-FO by the 15th and verified and met all eligibility factors, including the performance requirements.

D. Authorize the $1 nonpayment status when the client has not contacted the receiving DFS-FO by the 15th to update the changes and met the performance requirements.

E. Terminate the case when there is a loss of contact for a full performance period and generate the appropriate closure notice (see Table V).