STATE OF ALASKA

Department of Health and Social Services

Division of Public Assistance

TRANSMITTAL NUMBER:   2009-01

MANUAL:   Alaska Food Stamp Program

DATE:   February 20, 2009

Self-Employment Annualization income standards are based upon the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) for Alaska as set each year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  We have updated the Self-Employment Annualization Standards chart to reflect these changes which take effect March 1, 2009.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (also referred to as the Economic Stimulus bill) signed into law on February 17, 2009, increases Food Stamp benefits by 13.6% effective April 1, 2009.  Addendum 4 is updated with the new maximum and minimum benefit amounts.

Verification sections were also updated to add information about the SOLQ State Online Query interface and remove obsolete information about the Senior Benefits interface.

In response to questions from field staff this manual change includes information on how Refugee Cash Assistance and one-time Refugee Resettlement payments are treated for the Food Stamp Program.

Three policy corrections are also included:

1. Adverse Actions Requiring Only Adequate Notice

We corrected the policy by replacing first of the following month with next scheduled issuance date.  This means that if the benefit is already issued (i.e., listed on the Food Stamp Issuance History – FSIH screen), the benefit cannot be retracted and closed the end of the month.  Instead, the benefit is issued and the case is closed the end of the following month.

2. Definition of Institutions

We removed Certified Retailer or Wholesaler as a separate eligible institution category.  The certified retailer or wholesaler status applies only to drug and alcohol treatment centers.

3. Overpayments that Do Not Require a Claim

We corrected the policy to reflect that client-caused overpayment claims, regardless of the amount, are established.  The $125 threshold applies only to agency-caused overpayments on closed cases.

Highlights of these policy revisions are described below.  If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3382 or e-mail dpapolicy@alaska.gov.

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES

MS 601-4A(3)  Information from Data Systems and EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces

1. •   Adds information about the State Online Query ( SOLQ State Online Query ) interface and clarifies that caseworkers need to check Social Security interfaces only when it appears the applicant or recipient could be eligible for Social Security benefits.

   • Adds note to clarify that the SOLQ State Online Query interface may be used only to determine eligibility for the Alaska Temporary Assistance, Food Stamp, Medicaid, and Adult Public Assistance programs.

   • Reformats EIS Eligibility Information System Interface table to clarify that the SDX, PFD Permanent Fund Dividend , and DOL Department of Labor Wage Match information is accessed through the Interface Inquiry (ININ) item on the INME.  

   • Adds SVES State Verification Exchange System and SOLQ State Online Query to the EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces table.

   • Removes obsolete information about the Senior Benefits Program interface.  Since DPA Division of Public Assistance is now administering the program, the interface is no longer available.

MS 602-2A(4)  Commingled Resources

• Clarifies that the exempt money kept identifiable from countable funds need not be in a bank account to retain its exempt status.  For example, cash from an exempt Native corporation dividend that is kept in an envelope can be considered separate and identifiable as long as cash from a countable source is not put in the same envelope.  

• Clarifies that exempt resources kept separate and identifiable retain their exempt status indefinitely.

MS 602-2B(1)  Home

• Clarifies that the future home site exclusion is limited to one lot.  

MS 602-2B(13)  Real Property up for Sale

• Adds definition of real property.

• Clarifies that personal property like vehicles and fishing permits cannot be excluded under this provision.

MS 602-2D(2)  Non-recurring Lump Sum Payments

• Revises paragraph describing a non-recurring lump sum payment as a resource in the month received.  This revision now conforms to federal regulations and aligns with other program manuals.

MS 602-3B(7)  Other Sources of Countable Unearned Income

• Reformats section by removing subsections (b) Verification and (c) Budgeting.  Verification and budgeting policies are addressed in other sections of the manual.
• Adds Refugee Cash Assistance Payments as a new section (q) under Unearned Income.
• Adds note under this new section to clarify that the one-time Refugee Resettlement payment is considered a non-recurring lump sum.

MS 602-3D(4)  Loans

• Removes requirement that written documentation from the lender and borrower be provided.  Alaska Food Stamp Program rules allow verification by documentary evidence or through a collateral contact and prohibit caseworkers from requiring written verification.

MS 602-3D(13)  Non-recurring Lump Sum Payments

• Revises paragraph describing a non-recurring lump sum payment as exempt income but a resource in the month received.  This revision now conforms to federal regulations and aligns with other program manuals.

MS 604-2E  Verification Requirements: Recertification

• Under (1), adds new section (h) to describe the verification required when a new member joins the household.
• Under (2) Information from Data Systems and EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces, adds information about the State Online Query ( SOLQ State Online Query ) interface and clarifies that caseworkers need to check Social Security interfaces only when it appears the applicant or recipient could be eligible for Social Security benefits; adds note to clarify that the SOLQ State Online Query interface may be used only to determine eligibility for the Alaska Temporary Assistance, Food Stamp, Medicaid, and Adult Public Assistance programs; adds SVES State Verification Exchange System and SOLQ State Online Query to the EIS Eligibility Information System Interfaces table and removes obsolete information about the Senior Benefits Program interface.  
• In the Direct Data Systems table under ASVS Automated Status Verification System , clarifies that the ASVS Automated Status Verification System needs to be checked at recertifications for new household members who are not US citizens that join the household after the initial certification.

MS 604-3A(3)  Changes That Must be Acted on for Semi-Annual Reporting

• Under (b), adds Senior Benefits to the list of other program changes that require the caseworker to take action on the Food Stamp case.  Since DPA Division of Public Assistance administers the Senior Benefits Program, any changes in the Senior Benefits payment (approvals, changes, case closures) are required to be applied to the Food Stamp case.
• Under (c), removes reference to BENDEX alerts. These alerts were discontinued in November 2003.
• Under (c), removes reference to Senior Benefits Program alerts.  There are no longer EIS Eligibility Information System -generated alerts for the Senior Benefits Program.

MS 604-3F  Temporary Ineligibility/Case Suspension

• Adds paragraph to note to clarify that when the household is ineligible for the month of application but eligible for the second month, the application month is denied, not suspended.
• Revises second paragraph in note to be consistently written like the first paragraph.

MS 604-4C  Adverse Actions Requiring Only Adequate Notice

• Adds clarification that the effective date of the case closure or benefit decrease depends on if the action is taken before or after the benefit issuance date (i.e., run date).
• Adds note and guidance regarding EIS Eligibility Information System not issuing benefits when the case has an out-of-state address.
• Under (5), corrects policy by replacing be leaving the state with not be residing in Alaska and by replacing first of the following month with next scheduled issuance date.
• Adds new item (6) to provide the caseworker instructions on what to do when receiving returned mail with an out-of-state address.

MS 605-1B(3)  Budgeting Countable Educational Income

• Under (a), refers the caseworker to MS 602-3B(5) and MS 602-3D(1) to determine if the education income is countable or exempt.
• Under (d), replaces child care with dependent care and removes the reference to child care limits.
• Under (e), adds two notes that instruct the caseworker to subtract allowable education costs from countable income even if the expense is paid for by excluded income and clarifies that costs for room and board are not allowed.

MS 605-1D  Institutions

• Removes certified retailer or wholesaler as a separate category of eligible institution and moves it under Alcohol Abuse and Drug Additional Treatment Centers as a condition of eligible institution status for treatment centers.
• Adds a statement instructing the worker to contact the EBT Electronic Benefit Transfer Help Desk to find out if a facility is an FNS Food and Nutrition Service -authorized retailer.
• Revises and reformats the paragraph regarding adult and minor residents to clarify that it applies to treatment centers.
• Reformats the paragraph regarding persons not receiving treatment to clarify that it applies only to treatment centers.
• Adds note to encourage DPA Division of Public Assistance offices to maintain a list of local facilities that meet the definition of an eligible institution.
• Reformats the second and third paragraphs under (2)(e) to clarify that they apply to (2)(e).
• Reformats the second and third paragraphs under (3)(b) to clarify that they apply to (3)(b).

MS 605-2D(7)  Self-employment Annualization Standards

• Updates the Self-employment Annualization Standards table with new amounts that become effective March 2009.

MS 607-3D  Overpayment that do not Require Claims

• Under (4), corrects policy to reflect that client-caused overpayment claims, regardless of the amount, are established.  The $125 threshold applies only to agency-caused overpayments on closed cases.

Addendum 4  Standards and Maximum Allotments

• Updates the maximum and minimum Food Stamp allotments effective April 1, 2009 to reflect the benefit increases authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.