Summary of Changes

1. [FSC 1300] - Added procedures for closing and transferring the food stamp case when a participating household moves from one county to another.
2. [FSC 1622.20] - Added two items: 1) Instructions for handling situations where an individual is disqualified based on a drug-related felony conviction but the charges are later dropped or the individual's record is expunged of the charges; and 2) a guide for imposing disqualifications for drug-related felony convictions.
3. [FSC 1623] - Added policy references to list of disqualification reasons.
4. [FSC 3600] - Updated to include information about the current E&T Program. (Incorporates PD FSC 03-03.)
5. [FSC 3610] - Added a statement to clarify that a DCO-260 must be issued to notify households when household members are subject to the work registration requirements.
6. [FSC 3620] - Added instructions for referring volunteers to the E&T Program. Added instructions for issuing a DCO-260 and DCO-205 to advise households when members have been work registered and/or referred to the E&T Program.
7. [FSC 3630] - Revised section to provide information about reimbursement to E&T Program participants.
8. [FSC 3631] - Added new section that contains information about authorizing transportation reimbursements only. Revised instructions for keying transportation reimbursements to refer to Wise Online Help.
9. [FSC 3650] - Added new section that contains instructions for advising E&T Program worker when food stamp case containing an E&T participant closes or when an E&T participant is removed from a food stamp household.
10. [FSC 4450] - Under item 6, added information about excluding payments to the children of women who are Vietnam veterans if that individual has one or more covered birth defects. Under item 14, corrected the provisions for exclusion of earned income tax credits.
11. [FSC 4600] - Earned income tax credits are no longer listed as an example of a countable resource.
12. [FSC 5405] - Added a new item 12 that contains information about excluding payments to the children of women who are Vietnam veterans if that individual has one or more covered birth defects. (All following items were renumbered.)
13. [FSC 5410] - Added information to clarify that all SSI recoupments will be excluded as income in the food stamp budget because SSA currently has no method of classifying overpayments as intentional program violations.
14. [FSC 5412] - Added information to clarify that benefits excluded as income in the third-party beneficiary's food stamp budget must be counted as income in the intended beneficiary's food stamp budget if both households receive food stamp benefits.
15. [FSC 6100] - Updated paragraph 2 to remove information about the amount of the standard deduction.
16. [FSC 6300] -  Updated the section to incorporate PD FSC 02-15 which mandated different standard deductions for different household sizes.
17. [FSC 6610] - Portions of this section have been rewritten to clarify that shelter costs incurred by food stamp households may be allowable even if the household has not paid this cost.
18. [FSC 8130] - Added information to item 9 to clarify that complete food stamp applications should be registered no later than the end of the first working day after the date the application was received. Revised item 12 to reflect that Food Stamp Nutrition Education is not currently offered in all counties in the state.
19. [FSC 8142] - Added information about handling applications when the applicant moves to another county after the application is registered but before it is approved.
20. [FSC 8504] - Revised this policy to incorporate the use of 002, 003, 004, or 005 denial codes when applications that may be reinstated are denied.
21. [FSC 8505] - Added a new item 2 about explaining the use of EBT to access food stamp benefits.
22. [FSC 9200] - Updated the policy.
23. [FSC 9300] - Revised policy to:

• Include instructions for screening certain applications for recertification.
• Remove instructions for shortening the certification period, which is no longer allowed.
• Expand the instructions for determining income, resources, and shelter costs during screening
• Add instructions for screening for expedited services using the Request for Assistance

24. [FSC 9321] - Added instructions for documenting on the Request for Assistance when the household is not entitled to expedited service.
25. [FSC 9323] - Updated instructions for determining non-receipt of benefits when an applicant has moved to Arkansas from another state.
26. [FSC 9325] - Updated the instructions for use of the expedited indicator. Retitled section as "Tracking Expedited Applications."
27. [FSC 9400] - Added a phrase to clarify how type "L" applications are tracked.
28. [FSC 9410] - Added a statement about reclassifying applications if the worker finds the household is not entitled to expedited service.
29. [FSC 9420] - Updated the language about changing the expedited indicator when a second appointment is scheduled for an expedited applicant.
30. [FSC 9442] - Updated the policy to show that household members who wish to participate must supply an SSN.
31. [FSC 9443] - Added instructions for referring appropriate individuals to the E&T Program in E&T counties.
32. [FSC 9444] - Updated the section to reflect current citizenship policy.
33. [FSC 9445] - Updated the resource chart.
34. [FSC 12330] - Revised last paragraph to incorporate information about issuing a request for contact instead of shortening the household's certification period.
35. [FSC 14132] - Added instructions for use of DCO-238, Declaration of Food Loss.
36. [FSC 14320] - Added a "NOTE" to clarify that the PIN remains the same when a new EBT card is requested unless the household also requests a new PIN.
37. [FSC 14350] - Added a reference FSC 15810 where instructions are provided for canceling benefits to avoid an overpayment.
38. [FSC 14400] - Added instructions for handling situations where a household may incur a loss due to the county office's failure to correctly handle the household's report of a lost or stolen EBT card.
39. [FSC 14800] - Revised information to state that all EBT conversions to food stamp coupons will be handled in the Central Office EBT Unit.

Inquiries to: Betty Helmbeck, Food Stamp Section, 501-682-8284

Betty.Helmbeck@mail.state.ar.us