604-4          REPORTING AND ACTING ON CHANGES DURING THE CERTIFICATION PERIOD

Households are required to report when their actual total gross monthly income (not converted) exceeds the gross income limit for their household size. Changes can be reported on a change report form, by telephone, letter, or in person.

The household must report this change within 10 days from when they know their household’s income is over the limit.  Households may not know until the end of the month, so changes reported by the 10th day of the following month are considered timely.

Additionally, households are required to report receipt of lottery/gambling winnings of $4,250 or more. The household must report this change within 10 days of receipt.

Households that contain an individual that is an ABAWDAble-bodied Adult Without Dependents must report when the ABAWDAble-bodied Adult Without Dependents individual's work hours fall below 20 hours per week. When the individual is no longer meeting the ABAWDAble-bodied Adult Without Dependents work requirements (MS 602-1F), months in which benefits are received become countable ABAWDAble-bodied Adult Without Dependents months.

In situations where multiple changes are reported and DPADivision of Public Assistance receives required verification for some, but not all reported changes, caseworkers must work all received required verifications, and take action to pend for the missing information.  

Note:  

Households receiving benefits from other public assistance programs must still report changes as required by those programs.  

Caseworkers must take action on SNAP cases when:

1. A household member reports a change, or requests that their case be closed.

Note:

A non-household member can report a change on behalf of another person who is currently in a SNAP case.    

2. Alaska Temporary Assistance, Adult Public Assistance, Senior Benefits, or Medicaid eligibility and/or benefits are redetermined.  This means that when a change is reported or received from an outside source and that change results in a change in the household composition, resource, income, expense, or payments screens, the change is also processed for the SNAP case. This includes when the cash benefit increases, decreases, starts or stops due to a review, application or report of change.  

Note:  

The caseworker may be required to establish an Alaska Temporary Assistance or Adult Public Assistance overpayment claim because the recipient failed to report the change timely.  Although SNAP eligibility and benefit amount will also be redetermined, there is no SNAP overpayment if the household was not required to report the change for SNAP.

3. An EISEligibility Information System alert is received from:

• SDX (information about SSISupplemental Security Income payments)

• SVES (information aboud deceased individuals)

• Department of Labor ( DOL ) (information about unemployment insurance benefit payments)

Note:

The action taken is limited only to the change in payment information reported by the interface or data match.

The DOLDepartment of Labor interface verifies only UIBUnemployment Insurance Benefit income.  Do not act on any other employment or wage information that may be located on the DOLDepartment of Labor system.

4. Information is received by the agency that indicates:

• The household or a household member has moved out of state.  This information may be obtained by, but is not limited to:

• Mail returned with an out-of-state forwarding address, or
• Contact from a public assistance agency in another state reporting the household has applied for assistance there.
• The EBTElectronic Benefit Transfer transaction report
• The PARIS match (IEVSInstant Eligibility Verification System)

  1.  

Note:

The EBTElectronic Benefit Transfer Transaction report may be an indicator that the household moved out of state, but should not be used as the only basis for case closure.  We must request for proof of residency prior to case closure.

See MS 604-4C(5) for notice requirements when a household leaves the state.  

See MS 604-4C(6) for notice requirement when mail is returned that indicates the household is out of state.

See Admin MS 112-4(B) for further information regarding the EBTElectronic Benefit Transfer Transaction Report. 

• A household member has died;
   

Note: 

This includes notification from a funeral home via submission of a GEN 60 (General Relief Assistance - Burial Application) or GEN 61 (General Relief Assistance Burial Additional Services Pre-Authorization and Itemized Billing Form). 

• A household member is incarcerated or is residing in a long-term care facility.
• A SNAP intentional program violation or fraud disqualification must be imposed;
• The household fails to comply with a quality assessment review.
• A disqualification or penalty must be imposed due to non-compliance with work requirements for the Alaska Temporary Assistance or Native Family Assistance programs.
• A child is removed or returned to the home as reported by the Office of Children’s Services.
• A Native Family Assistance Program reports a change in the amount of assistance paid to a household member.

e. If the household reports receipt of a PFDPermanent Fund Dividend either on an application for benefits, or independently, the information must be acted on.

Examples of Information and Changes that Must Be Acted on

Below are examples of actions taken on information and reported changes as required for SNAP households:

Example - ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program Eligibility is Redetermined  

Lisa receives ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program and SNAP benefits for herself and her two children.  On July 25th, Lisa’s ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program case manager reports Lisa started working on July 22nd, but did not have wage information.  The caseworker requests verification of the new earnings.  When the verification comes in, the caseworker redetermines ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program eligibility and benefit amount counting the new income, decreasing the ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program payment beginning September. SNAP eligibility and benefit amount for September must now be recalculated using the new ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program payment amount and the new earnings information.  The worker sends timely notice of adverse action for September and documents the action in the case file.

If Lisa does not provide verification as requested, the ATAP and SNAP cases are closed for failure to provide requested information and timely notice of adverse action is sent.  

Example - Medicaid Eligibility is Redetermined

Marge receives Medicaid and SNAP for herself and her daughter.  An EISEligibility Information System case alert is received reporting UIBUnemployment Insurance Benefit benefit information.  Check the DOLDepartment of Labor system to determine if the UIBUnemployment Insurance Benefit income is new or changed.  If it is, redetermine the SNAP and Medicaid eligibility using the new UIBUnemployment Insurance Benefit income information, and send the appropriate notice action (timely if SNAP benefits decrease, adequate if SNAP benefits increase).

Example - Fraud Discovers Misinformation Reported at Application

Household of two applies for SNAP benefits in June and is certified through November.  The intake worker refers the case to fraud because of inconsistent statements provided by the applicant regarding household income.  Information received from the fraud investigator on July 2nd verifies the applicant failed to report on their June application that one member has been working since April and receiving a salary of $750/month. Since this information should have been reported at the initial application, the caseworker redetermines the household’s SNAP eligibility and benefits for August counting the $750 in monthly wages.  The caseworker decreases the benefit, sends timely adverse action to the household, and documents this action in the case record.

If the Fraud Control Unit pursues the fraud finding, the overpaid benefits back to June will be documented on the fraud loss statement.  If a fraud disqualification is not pursued, submit a claim determination.

Example - Report of Household Move

On January 1, the caseworker receives a message from a client that they have moved from Bethel to Anchorage, with no mention regarding change in shelter costs.  Update the ADDR, remove the previously verified shelter expenses, and recalculate the SNAP allotment by rolling through the FSAD.  Send notice of adverse action and document the action in the case note.

Example - Report of Household Member Incarcerated

Fred receives SNAP as a one-person household.  On May 23rd, Fred’s parole officer calls to report Fred has been sentenced and is going to remain in jail for 6 months.  Close the SNAP case effective May 31st, documenting this action in the case record, and sending adequate notice.

Example - Report from Office of Children’s Services

A caseworker gets a call from the social worker at OCSOffice of Children's Services on November 26 reporting that a child has been removed from the parent’s home on November 23.  The caseworker must process this change, removing the child from the SNAP case.  Timely notice of adverse action is required, and the child is removed effective January 1.

Example - PFDPermanent Fund Dividend Reported on Application

Cindy is currently receiving SNAP. She applied for ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program on 10/15. On the application she reported she received a PFDPermanent Fund Dividend. During the interview she said she plans to spend the PFDPermanent Fund Dividend by the end of November. The caseworker must act on this information and issue PFDPermanent Fund Dividend Hold Harmless for November. See FS MS 605-7I.