113-6          RECIPIENT REFUSAL oR FAILURE TO COOPERATE

Recipient cooperation with a QA Quality AssessmentQuality Assuran ce  review is a condition of eligibility for the Alaska Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).  Occasionally, the recipient will not cooperate with the QA Quality AssessmentQuality Assurance Reviewer by not responding to the first QA Quality Assessment letter requesting the recipient to contact QA Quality Assessment for an interview, clients refusing to be interviewed, or failing to provide information that is needed to complete the review.  When this happens the following actions are taken:

1. The QA Quality AssessmentQuality AssuranceQuality Assurance Reviewer sends a second letter to the recipient requesting cooperation in completing the review process and the QA Supervisor will also send a letter requesting cooperation.
   
   

2. If the recipient continues to not cooperate after the letters are sent:
   
   The QA Quality Assessment Quality AssuranceQuality AssurancReviewer will email the office team supervisor or designee requesting the  F714 notice to be sent to the recipient soliciting cooperation in completing the QA Quality AssessmentQuality AssuranceQuality Assurance review process.  Do not close the case based on this action.
   
   

3. If the recipient remains uncooperative, the QA Quality AssessmentQuality AssuranceQuality Assurance Reviewer will determine if the recipient meets the FNS definition of refusal (113-6A) or failure (113-6B) to cooperate.

113-6 A. REFUSAL TO COOPERATE

For recipients meeting the refusal to cooperate criteria, the QA Quality Assessment Supervisor will contact the office Eligibility Team Supervisor of the recipient's refusal by email and attach the Q-Form.  For SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cases the instructions will include the reason for the refusal, the effective of dates of the disqualification period, and the QA Quality Assessment contact instructions for the client. The Eligibility Supervisor will be directed to close the case allowing for adverse action, and to send the F402 disqualification notice to the recipient.   

Follow the instructions in the Alaska Temporary Assistance if an ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program recipient refuses to cooperate.

If the SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipient reapplies during the disqualification period, all applications should be denied for failure to cooperate with QAQuality Assurance until the disqualification period has ended, or the recipient has cooperated with QAuality Assurance.

When the recipient cooperates with QAQuality Assurance after the closure, the QAuality Assurance will contact the Eligibility Team Supervisor of the recipient's cooperation and provide the date to end the disqualification. A new application may be processed normally as of that date.

In some situations, the QAQuality Assurance Reviewer can complete the review without the recipient's cooperation.  Completing the review does not change the client’s penalty for refusing to cooperate.  

113-6 B. FAILURE TO COOPERATE

Some clients agree to cooperate, but fail to cooperate for reasons outside of their control. This may be due to a refusal of employer cooperation or a collateral contact will not provide information needed to complete the review.  If this occurs, the case remains open, unless some other factor affecting eligibility is discovered, and the client is not penalized.  

The QA Quality Assessment Reviewer may determine the household has failed to cooperate when the recipient does not respond to QA Quality Assessment letters or phone messages due to loss of contact.  In these instances, the QA Quality Assessment Supervisor will send an email to the Eligibility Team Supervisor the case is currently carc’d to, and request a Special Review of the household.

In this situation, the Eligibility Team Supervisor or designee will:

• Mail a GEN 50 C Application for Services application form to the recipient's current EIS Eligibility Information System mailing address;
  

• Send the N020 notice giving them 10 days to submit a new application and inform the client they must schedule an eligibility interview; and
  

• Enter a case note with a follow-up alert

If the recipient responds, schedule and conduct the interview following the initial application process. Re-determine eligibility for all open programs the recipient is currently receiving, and provide appropriate approval or closure notice(s) to the recipient allowing for adverse action.

If the recipient does not respond, close all programs allowing for adverse action and send the F413 notice for Loss of Contact. If this is a combo case, send the C413 notice.