Policy                                                            Issuance Number: FSC 01-03

Food Stamp Certification Manual          Issuance Date: 06/01/01

From: Ruth Whitney, Director                     Expiration Date: Until Superseded

Subj: Incorporation of Revised Definition of Categorical Eligibility and Other Changes

This packet of revised policy includes changes to the following sections of the Food Stamp Certification Manual: [FSC 100], [FSC 1000], [FSC 5000], [FSC 6000], [FSC 8000], [FSC 10000], [FSC 11000], [FSC 12000], and the [Glossary].

Each section has been reformatted and updated.  A summary of changes to each individual section of policy follows.

INQUIRIES TO: Betty Helmbeck, Food Stamp Section, (501) 682-8284

1. [FSC 200] – A new item three was added to advise county offices of their responsibility to establish procedures to serve special needs households.
2. [FSC 210] – Two items have been added: 1) This item instructs DHS county offices to provide food stamp applications and pamphlets to interested parties. 2) This item instructs DHS county offices to explain the county’s procedures for scheduling appointments to interested parties.
3. [FSC 211] – This is a new section. It explains the county office’s role in outreach activities.
4. [FSC 312] – A reference to the online FSC manual was added to this section.
5. [FSC 440] – This section, which provided information for destroying old manual issuance records, has been deleted.
6. [FSC 900] – The section was expanded to include the provisions for naming one AR to apply for benefits for the household and another AR to use the household’s EBT card to obtain food for the household. Also included are instructions for naming an AR in an emergency.
7. [FSC 920] – The provisions under which an individual disqualified for committing an intentional program violation (IPV) as an AR have changed.
8. [FSC 981.4] – A statement was added to instruct treatment centers to provide Change Report Forms to departing residents if possible.
9. [FSC 981.5] – Three additional guidelines for treatment centers were added: 1) If none of the resident’s benefits have been accessed before he or she leaves the treatment center, the treatment center must not access these benefits. 2) The AR should report changes in the resident’s circumstances to the DHS county office if there are changes while he or she is residing at the center. 3) Once a resident leaves a treatment center, the resident, not the treatment center has access to any food stamp benefits remaining in the EBT account.

1. [FSC 1621] – The entire section has been rewritten to:

• Expand the definition of a U.S. citizen.

• Define the "non-citizen national" and explain that non-citizen nationals are treated as U.S. citizens.
• Add an explanation of when citizenship must be verified.
• Provide a list of items that may be used to verify citizenship.
• Define a qualified alien.
• Explain which aliens are lawfully residing in the U.S.

2. FSC1621.1 – This section has been rewritten to remove repetitious information and to clarify the existing rules. Additional information about eligible categories of American Indians was added to items 4 and 5. Additional information about Hmong and Laotian tribe members and their dependents was added to item 6.
3. [FSC 1621.2] – Additional instructions have been added about providing households with a reasonable opportunity to provide acceptable documentation of eligible alien status. Also, additional information has been added to clarify which aliens should not be reported to the INS when the alien is unable or unwilling to provide the needed documentation of eligible alien status. Aliens who are verified to be in the U.S. in violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act will now be reported to the appropriate INS office.
4. [FSC 1621.2.1] – The examples in this section were updated. An example was added to illustrate when to determine if an alien is eligible under another status.
5. [FSC 1621.3] – A statement has been added to clarify that if there is a divorce, the former spouse’s quarters of work will continue to be credited to the participating alien until the household’s next recertification.
6. [FSC 1621.3.2] – This is a new section. The information about disregarding any quarter of work in which the alien received a Federal means-tested public benefit has been moved to this section. Additional instructions have been added.
7. [FSC 1621.4] – Additional information has been added to clarify which individuals with a military connection may participate in the Food Stamp Program.
8. [FSC 1621.4.1] – A definition of a battered alien has been added.
9. [FSC 1621.7] to FSC 1621.7.6 – These sections have been rewritten to explain the new provisions that apply to sponsored aliens. Under these provisions, there will be only one method of deeming income. Deeming will not apply unless the sponsored alien is an eligible household member.
10. [FSC 1821.2] – Instructions for shortening the household’s certification period have been removed from this section.
11. [FSC 1830] – A statement has been added to clarify that residents of a group living arrangement authorized by FNS as a authorized retail store may participate in the Food Stamp Program. Also, a statement has been added to clarify that when personalized meals are prepared and paid for with food stamp benefits, that resident’s food stamp benefits must be used to pay for the meals.
12. [FSC 1834] – Instructions have been added for providing a departing group living arrangement resident with their EBT card and one-half of their monthly food stamp benefits if they leave before the 16^th of the month.
13. [FSC 1835] – This is a new section. It provides the rules under which residents of group living arrangements must report changes.
14. [FSC 1836] – This is a new section. It provides the guidelines under which group living arrangements must submit Daily Census Reports.
15. [FSC 1841.2] – Instructions for shortening the resident’s certification period when the resident leaves the treatment center have been removed.
16. [FSC 1920] – A statement has been added to clarify that suspension or recoupment of TEA or SSI benefits will have no impact on a determination of categorical eligibility.
17. [FSC 1922] – Under this new provision if citizenship was verified for another program, the county office worker may accept participation in that program as proof of citizenship.

1. In the following sections of policy, all instructions and/or references to the Jobs Training Partnership Act (JTPA) have been replaced by instructions and/or references to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) which replaced the JTPA: FSC 5405, FSC 5501, and FSC 5509.

Additional changes were made as explained below.

2. [FSC 5405] – A statement was added to item 4 to clarify the treatment of payments made for weatherization or emergency repair or replacement of heating and cooling devices.
3. [FSC 5621] – A definition of a boarder was added to this section.
4. [FSC 5670] – The steps for calculating the farm loss deduction were changed. The deduction is first applied to any other self-employment income reported by the household and then to all the other household income.
5. [FSC 5691] – The instructions for assigning a certification period to a household with self-employment income have changed. Under the new provisions, the household’s certification period will no longer be shortened. Instead, the household’s annual self-employment income will be recalculated at the time a quarterly report is submitted.

1. [FSC 6300] – This section has been updated. All instructions for entering information to the FACTS system have been deleted.
2. [FSC 6400] – This section has been updated. Information has been added about handling dependent care costs reimbursed by the Division of Child Care.
3. [FSC 6510] – Several items have been added as allowable medical costs. This includes corrective shoes and orthotics prescribed by a doctor or other health care professional, nursing home insurance premiums, dental insurance premiums, prescription drug plans and "cards", costs of a lifeline service, and certain items purchased over the counter. Information has been added about how to handle food supplements.
4. [FSC 6610] – Several items have been added as allowable shelter costs. This includes condominium and association fees, well installation and maintenance costs, and septic tank installation and maintenance costs. Information has been added about how to handle the $300 tax credit allowed on real estate taxes.
5. [FSC 6624] – The section has been updated. Information about keying a prorated standard utility standard to FACTS was not deleted but was simplified.
6. [FSC 6627] – A statement has been added to clarify that actual utility costs are handled separately. Therefore, if a household verifies some, but not all, actual utility costs, only the unverified costs will be disallowed.
7. [FSC 6628] – The first paragraph has been revised to removed instructions for keying information to FACTS. Information has been added about the new maximum utility deduction that became effective 4-01-01. The example has been updated.
8. [FSC 6722] – A statement has been added to clarify that utility usage is not to be projected simply by averaging the household’s utility costs for the last several months or the last year. A statement has been added to clarify that actual utility costs are handled separately

1. [FSC 8100] – Information about accepting electronically transmitted applications has been added to this section. The definition of an initial application has changed.
2. [FSC 8120]– Information about accepting electronically transmitted applications has been added to this section.
3. [FSC 8130] – Information about accepting electronically transmitted applications has been added to this section. Also, item 3 has been expanded to provide additional information about encouraging households to apply for food stamp benefits.
4. [FSC 8140] – Information has been added to this section about faxing applications received in the wrong office to the correct office.
5. [FSC 8141] – This is a new section. It provides information about how to handle an application submitted to the wrong office in a county where there is more than one DHS office.
6. [FSC 8220] – Information about the correct procedures for scheduling interviews for food stamp applicants has been added to this section. Specifically, the policy now states that it is not acceptable to ask households to return to the DHS county office to be seen on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each applicant must be assigned a date and time to return for the interview.
7. [FSC 8230] – Information about the county office’s responsibility to schedule food stamp interviews to accommodate the needs of groups with special needs has been added to this section. Also, a paragraph has been added to clarify that an application may not be denied prior to the 30^th day of the application period if the household fails to appear for an interview.
8. [FSC 8250] – A statement that a face-to-face interview must be scheduled for any household that requests one has been added to this section. Also, a statement has been added to clarify that the use of a telephone interview will not affect the length of the certification period assigned to the household.
9. [FSC 8300] – A statement has been added to emphasize the worker’s responsibility to provide assistance in obtaining needed verification to food stamp applicants.
10. [FSC 8500] – Information was added about applying 30 day processing to untimely applications for recertification.
11. [FSC 8610] – Information was added about prorating benefits on untimely applications for recertification when the application is submitted within 30 days of the last day of the household’s last certification.
12. [FSC 8710] – In this section, the guidelines for assigning certification periods have changed. Under item 5, unstable households will generally be assigned a three-month certification period. Under items 7 and 8, households in treatment centers and households that are likely to soon become ineligible to receive food stamp benefits will be assigned a one or two month certification period. (This will not affect expedited households with verification postponed. These households are addressed in item 6.

13. [FSC 8970] – The following information about joint applications has been added to this section:

• No household will be required to apply for TEA or Medicaid in order to receive food stamp benefits or vice versa.
• Information verified for TEA purposes will be used to process the food stamp application.
• If a household has met all Food Stamp Program requirements but information is still needed to process the TEA application, the food stamp application will be processed without delay.
• No household will be required to file a new food stamp application just because a TEA or Medicaid application has been delayed.
• When a worker is attempting to divert a household from TEA cash assistance, the worker must make clear that the disadvantages of applying for cash assistance do not apply to the Food Stamp Program.
• The worker must explain that even when a TEA case is closed, the household may continue to receive food stamp benefits.

14. [FSC 8971] – A new item has been added to this section to clarify how to handle an out-of-office interview when a household applies for TEA cash assistance and food stamp benefits at the same time.

1. [FSC 10100] – The definition of a recertification was rewritten, and an example was added.
2. [FSC 10210] – Instructions were added to send a DCO-239 when a QR is reinstated in the last two months of the household’s certification period.
3. [FSC 10400] – The date by which to file an untimely application was changed to the end of the month that follows the last month of certification.
4. [FSC 10500] – The reference to the interview guide was deleted.
5. [FSC 10520] – This paragraph has been rewritten to explain the new provisions for rescheduling missed interviews at recertification.
6. [FSC 10550] – This section was revised to provide information about the verification requirements.
7. [FSC 10620] – Under item 1, additional information was added about the verification process and the worker’s responsibility to assist the household in obtaining the verification.
8. [FSC 10630] – Instructions to issue a DCO-206 to request information were added. A statement about reinstating timely filed applications was added.
9. [FSC 10650] – Information about how to handle delays in processing timely filed applications was added to this section
10. [FSC 10660] – This section, which formerly contained the chart about delays in processing, was deleted.
11. [FSC 10700] – This section was revised to explain the process of reinstating untimely applications for recertification.

12. [FSC 10710] – This section was rewritten. It now provides additional information about handling delays in processing untimely applications.

13. [FSC 10800] – This section now provides a chart that explains how to handle delayed applications for recertification when the delay was the fault of the agency. This includes the new provisions for reinstating applications and prorating benefits.

14. [FSC 10810] – This section now provides a chart that explains how to handle delayed applications for recertification when the delay was the fault of the agency. This includes the new provisions for reinstating applications and prorating benefits.
15. [FSC 10900] – This section now contains the provisions for handling applications for recertification filed at the Social Security Office.

1. [FSC 11110] – This is a new section. It provides the provisions under which a county office may and may not require a participating household to report for an interview.
2. [FSC 11120] – The policy that defines refusal to cooperate following certification was moved from the 8000 section of the FSC manual to this location.
3. [FSC 11430] – The instructions for shortening a certification period have been removed and replaced. Certification periods may no longer be shortened unless it appears that the household is ineligible.
4. [FSC 11510] – Item 6, which referred to households participating in the SFSP, was deleted.
5. [FSC 11520] – Instructions for shortening a household’s certification period were removed. Also, instructions were provided for recalculating self-employment income at the time a quarterly report is submitted.
6. [FSC 11530] – A statement was added to instruct the counties to reinstate eligible households that submit a quarterly report before the end of the report month.
7. [FSC 11630] – This section was revised so food stamp households that submit a midpoint review will be allowed to choose between actual shelter costs and the utility standard when the midpoint review is submitted. Also, the instructions for shortening a certification period when the midpoint review is processed were deleted.
8. [FSC 11640] – New instructions were provided for handling one-time medical expenses when a midpoint review is submitted.
9. [FSC 11650] – This section was revised to remove the instructions for issuing a notice when the household’s certification period was shortened as a midpoint review was processed.

1. [FSC 12227] - Instructions for shortening a household’s certification period were removed, and new instructions for obtaining the signature of a responsible household member were added.

14. [FSC 12241] – Instructions for shortening a household’s certification period were removed and a reference to FSC 12400 was included.
15. [FSC 12400] – This section has been renamed and rewritten. It now provides instructions for handling cases where the household’s current situation must be clarified before the household can continue participating in the Food Stamp Program.
16. [FSC 12410] – Instructions for shortening a household’s certification period were removed and a reference was provided to FSC 12400, which provides instructions for handling questionable situations.
17. [FSC 12430] – Two references to FSC 12400 were added. FSC 12400 provides instructions for handling questionable situations.
18. [FSC 12440] – Instructions for shortening a household’s certification period were removed and a reference was provided to FSC 12400, which provides instructions for handling questionable situations.
19. [FSC 12450] – A reference was provided to FSC 12400, which provides instructions for handling questionable situations. Instructions for handling generally known information for quarterly reporting households have been revised.
20. [FSC 12460] – This chart has been changed to reflect the changes in the way questionable information is handled.

[FSC 16400] – This policy now states that untimely requests for administrative hearings will be handled by the county as requests for restored benefits.

[FSC 16800] – A reference to FSC 1623.2 was added. FSC 1623.2 provides instructions for calculating a budget when a household member has been disqualified.

1. [Collateral Contact ]– Examples of acceptable collateral contacts were provided. Instructions were provided for obtaining information from collateral contacts without disclosing information about the food stamp household.
2. [Home Visits] – Information was added about the conditions under which a home visit may be conducted.
3. [Verification] – The following information was added to items 2 and 3 respectively:

• A statement that the household may provide verification by facsimile or other electronic device.
• Clarification that assistance in obtaining verification will be provided to households that are cooperating with the Agency.