600-1 A.     CASEWORKER RESPONSIBILITIES

The policies and procedures throughout this manual are intended to be a guide for SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program certification and are broadly written within the limits imposed by the Food Stamp Act and related regulations.  The policies contained in this manual are intended to be sufficiently flexible to allow the caseworker to exercise reasonable judgment in executing responsibilities.

It is impossible to write procedures that will cover every possible circumstance that a specific case may present.  In this regard, the concept of the prudent person can be helpful.  The term refers to the reasonableness of the judgments made by an individual in a given situation.  In making a certification decision, the caseworker will decide if the action is reasonable based on experience and knowledge of the program.  For example, if the client's shelter expenses stated on the application are out of line with rents charged in the community, the caseworker must ask for an explanation. Similarly, it is the caseworker’s responsibility to exercise reasonable judgment in determining if a given number of individuals who apply for SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as a single household do in fact fit the SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program concept of a household.

If the caseworker finds a problem in a specific case that may necessitate a change in policy or the creation of a new policy, it should be referred to the supervisor. The issue might then be referred to the SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Policy Unit.  However, if the problem applies only to a specific case or is generally covered by existing policy guidelines, the caseworker should make a judgment that can be defended as reasonable and prudent.