602-1 B.     RESIDENCY

To be eligible for SNAP, the applicant must be physically present within the State of Alaska.  Households must remain in Alaska to continue to be entitled to SNAP  from Alaska.  There is no minimum length of time requirement, however, persons in Alaska solely for vacation are not considered residents.

There is no fixed residence or mailing address requirements.  Persons are not required to live in a house or apartment, nor are they required to provide a residence address.  Living at a campsite, in a car, or at a homeless shelter satisfies the residency requirement.  

Residency in the state must be verified.  Documentation used to verify other factors of eligibility, such as a rent receipt, utility bill, current driver's license, telephone book, city directory, or collateral contact, will generally be sufficient to verify residency.

Note:

Available interfaces can be used to verify Alaska residency in the following circumstances, unless questionable:

• SOLQ - if the individual is currently receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the residential address is in Alaska
• DOL/SAM - if the individual has current wages and the residential address is in Alaska
• INME9/PFD - if the individual is eligible for the most recent PFD year

For applicants, recipients or newly added household members, a check for IPVIntentional Program Violation's in another state must be done. Eligibility Technicians must check IPV status for all adult applicant/household members in eDRSElectronic Disqualified Recipient System prior to approving SNAP benefits.

Exception:  

When verification cannot reasonably be accomplished, such as for newly arrived or homeless households, accept client statement and document in the case file why verification was not obtained.  

Households that leave the state, based on reliable information that the entire SNAPSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program household no longer resides in Alaska, will have their cases closed for not meeting the residency requirement. See MS 604-5C(5) for notice requirements.  When only part of the household leaves the state, those household members must be removed from the SNAP household following the policy at MS 604-4F.

Note: 

There is not a specified period of time in which a client can be out of state before losing residency.  When DPADivision of Public Assistance receives information that indicates a client is out of state, we must attempt to contact the household by phone to verify continued Alaska residency. When attempts to reach the household by phone are unsuccessful, a request for verification must be mailed to the household to provide proof of continued Alaska residency. 

Exception:  

When a categorically eligible household leaves Alaska but continues to receive Alaska Temporary Assistance or Native Family Assistance cash benefits from Alaska, the residency requirement is waived.  See MS 605-6.  These households can continue to receive SNAP  from Alaska.  

Households receiving Medicaid from Alaska who are out-of-state for medical treatment continue to meet the SNAP residency requirement.