605-6          CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY

1.  Households comprised solely of TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families and/or SSISupplemental Security Income recipients are categorically eligible (CECategorical Eligibility) for SNAP.  For CE purposes, recipients of TANF and/or SSI include:

a. Individuals who receive TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families (including Diversion payments) and/or SSISupplemental Security Income benefits.  (Refer to definition of TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families at MS 600-2.)

Note:  

Categorical eligibility extends over the three-month period beginning with the first month of Diversion eligibility.

b.  Individuals authorized to receive TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families or SSISupplemental Security Income benefits but who have not yet received payment.

c.  Individuals are recipients of TANF or SSI if their TANF or SSI payments are suspended or recouped.

d.  Individuals entitled to TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families or SSISupplemental Security Income but who are not paid such benefits because the grant is less than a minimum benefit.

e.  TANF households who are determined eligible for but choose not to receive a TANF grant.

f.   Households entitled to TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families post-recipient case management services (refer to TA MS 740); occurs when there is an employed adult family member at time of TANF closure.

Note:  

Under this category, CECategorical Eligibility is limited to six months following the month the TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families case closed.

2. Categorical eligibility for SNAP occurs when each member of the SNAP household is a TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families and/or SSISupplemental Security Income recipient.  All SNAP eligibility factors apply except:

• Resource Limits

• Gross and Net Income Limits

• Social Security Number

• Sponsored Alien

• Residency

3. Categorical eligibility cannot be extended to recipients of DPADivision of Public Assistance Adult Public Assistance ( APA ) programs who do not receive SSISupplemental Security Income or TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families .

605-6 A.       JOINT APPLICATION PROCESSING:    ATAPAlaska Temporary Assistance Program and FSFood Stamp

When a joint Alaska Temporary Assistance and SNAP application is filed, the caseworker must determine SNAP eligibility within 30 days.

1. If the household is determined eligible for SNAP prior to the Alaska Temporary Assistance eligibility determination, process the case as a regular SNAP case.

2. If the applicant household is found ineligible for SNAP prior to the 30th day and Alaska Temporary Assistance eligibility is not yet determined, delay issuing the denial letter until the 30th day

    or when Alaska Temporary Assistance eligibility is determined, whichever is sooner.  The application denial is delayed because the household may be categorically eligible for SNAP if the

    Alaska Temporary Assistance is approved.  See MS 605-6 for policy on categorical eligibility.  

3. If the Alaska Temporary Assistance eligibility is still pending on the 30th day and the household is ineligible for SNAP, deny the SNAP application.

4. If a household is ineligible for SNAP, but the joint application is later approved for Alaska Temporary Assistance and the household is categorically eligible (See MS 605-6):

a. Determine SNAP eligibility and allotment based on information from the original joint application.

b. Do not conduct an additional interview unless contact is necessary to resolve any changes in circumstances.

c. If information on the original joint application has changed significantly, have the applicant initial and date the changes and re-sign and date the application.

d. Prorate initial month benefits from the Alaska Temporary Assistance benefit start date or the original SNAP application date, whichever is later.

Note:  

This joint processing policy does not apply to situations where an application form is copied and shared with a Native Family Assistance Program.  In these situations, the applications for SNAP and Native Family Assistance are processed separately, not jointly.

605-6 B.   CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY HOUSEHOLD DETERMINATION

1. A household in which all members are TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families and/or SSISupplemental Security Income recipients is categorically eligible except when:
 

• The entire SNAP household is institutionalized; or
   

• The entire SNAP household is disqualified for any reason.
   

2. Categorical eligibility ends when any member of the SNAP household is disqualified for an intentional program violation.
 

3. No person shall be included as a member in any household which is otherwise categorically eligible if that person is an ineligible alien, an ineligible student, ineligible drug felon, ineligible fleeing felon, or ineligible

    because of failure to comply with a work requirement.  This means that CECategorical Eligibility is not extended to the disqualified members.  However, the remaining household can be found categorically eligible.

Note:

Households with individuals who are TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families or SSISupplemental Security Income recipients but who are disqualified for SNAP due to no SSNSocial Security Number are categorically eligible since the SSNSocial Security Number eligibility factor is waived under categorical eligibility rules.

605-6 C.       SPECATSpecial Category Household/Individual MEDICAL AND UNCAPPED SHELTER DEDUCTION           

The household becomes entitled to the medical and uncapped shelter deduction effective the date SSISupplemental Security Income is authorized or the SNAP application date whichever is later.

605-6 D.     VERIFICATION

Eligibility factors already verified for Alaska Temporary Assistance or Adult Public Assistance purposes need not be verified again.  However, the caseworker must verify factors related to SNAP eligibility or benefit calculation that have not been verified and information that is questionable, including:

• Household composition (ensure all household members are TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families and/or SSISupplemental Security Income recipients); and,

• Citizenship or alien status.

605-6 E.     WORK REGISTRATION EXEMPTIONS

Most adults in categorically eligible households will be exempt from SNAP work requirements due to being subject to TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families work requirements, or having a child under age six, or being disabled.  See MS 602-1G for information on work requirement exemptions.

605-6 F.     BENEFIT CALCULATION AND ZERO BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY

1. Disregard gross and net income limits for CECategorical Eligibility households.

2. Follow the normal procedures for allotment calculation and benefit level.  See MS 603-3A.

3. Issue no benefits to CE households with three or more persons when benefit levels calculate to less than $1. Monitor changes reported by the household until circumstances change and SNAP

    benefits are recalculated and payable.  Inform the household of the special status of program eligible but not benefit eligible.

605-6 G.     CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES

1. Consider changes reported by a categorically eligible SNAP household pertaining to the Alaska Temporary Assistance Program and Adult Public Assistance Program as having been reported for SNAP.

2. Disregard any changes affecting the five waived categorical eligibility factors unless the changes affect Alaska Temporary Assistance or Adult Public Assistance eligibility.  Otherwise, act only upon changes affecting the remaining eligibility factors and SNAP benefit level.

605-6 H.     CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY CASE PROCESSING

1. All SNAP factors of eligibility determinations, benefit determinations, and household notification are to be applied after the CECategorical Eligibility factors for the case have been waived.  For instance, a CE

   household member who commits an intentional program violation will be disqualified and must serve the appropriate disqualification period.  The household would then lose its CECategorical Eligibility status under MS

   605-6B(2).

2. If the CECategorical Eligibility factor that is waived is not related to the household's income, normal SNAP budgeting procedures are required.  

3. Since all members of the SNAP household must be recipients of TANFTemporary Assistance for Needy Families and/or SSISupplemental Security Income for the household to be CECategorical Eligibility , household composition must be checked at each recertification.   CE status ends

    when a household member is no longer a TANF or SSI recipient.  See MS 605-6 for the definition of TANF and SSI recipients.

4. If a person were to be disqualified from SSI for reasons equivalent to intentional program violation, CECategorical Eligibility status would end for that household.