604-3 A.      SEMI-ANNUAL REPORTING

All households except those in which all members receive Adult Public Assistance or Interim Assistance benefits are assigned to semi-annual reporting.  Once assigned to semi-annual reporting, the household stays in semi-annual reporting through the current certification period.

1. Household Semi-Annual Reporting Requirements

Households assigned to semi-annual reporting are required to report when their actual total gross monthly income (not converted) exceeds the gross income limit for their household size.

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.

Note:  

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

2. Notice Requirements for Semi-Annual Reporting

Household will be notified in writing of their reporting requirements when they are initially approved for food stamps, when changes are reported during the certification period, and at recertification.  These notices inform households of the gross income limit for their household size.

• To determine the household size, count all eligible members (participation code IN).  Disqualified household members (participation codes DI, DJ and DF) are not included in the household size when determining the household’s gross income limit.

• The household’s gross income limit remains the same for the entire certification period unless the household voluntarily reports a change in household size.  When this happens, take action to add or remove the household member and send the household a notice informing them of the change and their new gross income limit.

3. Changes that Must Be Acted on for Semi-Annual Reporting

Under semi-annual reporting, caseworkers must take action on Food Stamp 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 Food Stamp case.  For example, a father reports that his son is now living with him.  The son is currently included in his mother’s Food Stamp case.  The worker would act on the change to determine if the son should be removed from his mother’s case based on this report of change.    

2. Alaska Temporary Assistance, Adult Public Assistance, Senior Benefits, or Medicaid (excluding DKC Denali KidCare ) eligibility and/or benefits are redetermined.  This means that when a change is received from someone other than the household and that change results in a change on the household composition, resource, income, expense, or payment screens on EIS Eligibility Information System , the change is also processed for the Food Stamp case.  This includes when the cash benefit increases, decreases, starts or stops due to a review, application or report of change.  This policy is necessary because the programs share one eligibility information system and it is not possible to act on the change for one program and not the other.

The change may not affect the Food Stamp eligibility or benefit amount the same way as the other program.  For example, a Medicaid case closure for failing to provide requested information will not result in a Food Stamp case closure since closing the Medicaid case does not affect Food Stamp eligibility.  If a report of change is received that does not require a change in EIS Eligibility Information System , the worker is not required to take action on the Food Stamp case under this section.

Note:  

If the household is receiving only FS Food Stamp in addition to DKC Denali KidCare and the ET Eligibility Technician receives an email or alert from a DKC Denali KidCare caseworker about a change in income, they should not take action on that change.  The notification is information only so that, if the ET Eligibility Technician acts on a change that does not involve the income and goes through the FSAD Food Stamp Allotment Determintion screen, the ET Eligibility Technician can ensure the income screens show the income originally used in the Food Stamp benefit determination.

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 food stamp eligibility and benefit amount will also be redetermined, there is no food stamp overpayment if the household was not required to report the change for food stamps.

3. An EIS Eligibility Information System alert is received from:

• SDX (information about SSI Supplemental Security Income payments)

• Department of Labor ( DOL Department of Labor ) (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 DOL Department of Labor interface verifies only UIB Unemployment Insurance Benefit income.  Do not act on any other employment or wage information that may be located on the DOL Department 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 EBT Electronic Benefit Transfer transaction report

  1.  

  2.  

Note:

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.

A household member has died;

A household member is incarcerated or is residing in a long-term care facility.

A FS Food Stamp 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.

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

6. If the agency finds via the interface a family received a PFD Permanent Fund Dividend when working an application for other benefits, this information must be acted on only if the application is approved.  This is because the household does not have to report the change unless the PFD Permanent Fund Dividend  causes the household’s income to go over the gross income limit.  If the application is approved, adjust the Food Stamp benefit.  If the application is denied, do not adjust the Food Stamp benefit since the change was not reported by the household.

4. Examples of Information and Changes that Must Be Acted on for Semi-Annual Reporting

Below are examples of actions taken on information and reported changes as required for food stamp households assigned to semi-annual reporting:

Example - ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program Eligibility is Redetermined  

Lisa receives ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program and FS Food Stamp benefits for herself and her two children.  On July 25th, Lisa’s ATAP Alaska 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 ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program eligibility and benefit amount counting the new income, decreasing the ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program payment beginning September. FS Food Stamp eligibility and benefit amount for September must now be recalculated using the new ATAP Alaska 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 Alaska Temporary Assistance case is closed for failure to provide requested information and timely notice of adverse action is sent.  The worker recalculates the Food Stamp benefit without the ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program income and sends notice of benefit change.  Since the report of employment is not a change that must be acted on for semi-annual reporting, no further action is taken regarding that employment for Food Stamps.

Example - Medicaid Eligibility is Redetermined

Marge receives Family Medicaid and Food Stamps for herself and her daughter.  An EIS Eligibility Information System case alert is received reporting UIB Unemployment Insurance Benefit benefit information.  Check the DOL Department of Labor system to determine if the UIB Unemployment Insurance Benefit income is new or changed.  If it is, redetermine the Food Stamp and Medicaid eligibility using the new UIB Unemployment Insurance Benefit income information, and send the appropriate notice action (timely if FS Food Stamp benefits decrease, adequate if FS Food Stamp benefits increase).

In reviewing the DOL Department of Labor information it is noted that DOL Department of Labor is counting wages that have not been reported, and the wages are reducing the weekly UI Unemployment Insurance benefit amount.  Marge did not report this change, as required by Medicaid policy.  The caseworker follows up on the new employment information according to Medicaid policy.  No further action is taken on Marge’s Food Stamp case until the Medicaid redetermination is completed.

 If Marge provides verification of earnings as requested to determine her Medicaid eligibility, redetermine FS Food Stamp eligibility and benefits when the change (new earned income)  is processed for Medicaid.

 If Marge does not provide verification of earnings as requested, close the Medicaid case for failure to provide requested information, with timely notice of adverse action.  The Food Stamp case is not closed for failure to provide information since the FS Food Stamp household was not required to report the new employment.

Example - Fraud Discovers Misinformation Reported at Application

Household of two applies for Food Stamp 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 Food Stamp 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 and recalculate the Food Stamp allotment by rolling through the FSAD Food Stamp Allotment Determintion.  Send notice of adverse action and document the action in the case note.

Example - Report of Household Member Incarcerated

Fred receives Food Stamps as a one-person household.  On May 3rd, Fred’s parole officer calls to report Fred has been sentenced and is going to remain in jail for 6 months.  Close the Food Stamp case effective May 31st, sending timely notice of adverse action, and documenting this action in the case record.

Example - Report of Work Requirement Non-compliance

On September 22, a caseworker receives an e-mail from an E&T Employment and Training Program worker reporting a household member failed to attend an assessment interview and must be disqualified for non-compliance.  Disqualify the household member effective October. 31st (it is too late to provide timely notice of adverse action for October.), redetermine the household’s FS Food Stamp eligibility for November, and send timely notice of adverse action to the household.  Document this action in the case record.

Example - Report from Office of Children’s Services

A caseworker gets a call from the social worker at OCS Office 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 Food Stamp case.  Timely notice of adverse action is required, and the child is removed effective January 1.

Example - PFD Permanent Fund Dividend Reported on Application

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

Example - PFD Permanent Fund Dividend Receipt Discovered via Interface

Cindy is currently receiving Food Stamps. She applied for ATAP Alaska Temporary Assistance Program on 10/15.  While processing her application, the caseworker checked the PFD Permanent Fund Dividend interface and discovered  that Cindy received a PFD Permanent Fund Dividend in October. Cindy’s ATAP application is denied for failure to provide requested information.  Since the application was denied, the caseworker must not act on the PFD Permanent Fund Dividend information. See MS 605-7B.