The PFD season is fast approaching. Here's an update on how we will process cases this year.
PFD income and resources continue to be exempt for all programs except Food Stamps. Like last year, we will be anticipating receipt of PFD income for food stamp households. Determining eligibility for resource hold harmless will also be the same - households will be asked to estimate how much PFD money they expect to have left on November 1st.
EIS will automate much of the PFD hold harmless processing.
A match will be done at the end of August to identify individuals who have a PFD application in approved status.
Based on this match, an EIS mass change job will run on August 31st and automatically authorize PFD hold harmless benefits for most food stamp cases for October.
What should you do now?
To ensure the system automatically processes as many cases as possible, it is important that all cases are in the current system month prior to running the mass change jobs on the evening of August 31, 2004. Spending time now to ensure your cases are in the current system month of September will save you time later. Any case not processed by the mass change will need to be processed "manually" by the eligibility worker in September.
What happens next?
Minor changes to the Food Stamp Manual will be made to integrate semi-annual reporting policy with this required PFD processing. Training needs will be assessed. Regional and Office Managers will be kept informed of issues concerning workload impacts and expectations.
In early September, an informational flyer will be mailed to all food stamp households to tell them how the PFD will affect their food stamp benefits. In late September, some households will be sent the PFD Report Form (PFD #1) to tell us how much PFD money they expect to have on November 1.
In October, eligibility workers will determine November eligibility for all food stamp households that were issued October PFD Hold Harmless benefits via the mass change job. Households that are under the resource limit will be returned to the Food Stamp Program. For those that are over the limit due to retained PFD money, the eligibility worker will need to authorize the November PFD hold harmless benefit.
You will receive additional guidance as we reach milestones in the PFD processing season.
If you have any questions please contact the Policy and Program Development Team at 465-3347, email dpapolicy@health.state.ak.us or Field Services at 269-7880, email dpafield@health.state.ak.us.
From Ellie Fitzjarrald, Chief, Policy and Program Development
and Mary Rogers, Chief, Field Operations