SUMMARY OF CHANGES 

1.      FSC 311 – This section has been updated to reflect the use of the ANSWER Online Policy.

 

2.      FSC 314 – This section has been updated to include the use of the ANSWER narrative tab.

 

3.      FSC 316 – Federal and state audits have been included as a type of review conducted in the county office.

 

4.      FSC 317 – Quarterly report was updated to semi-annual report.  A statement was added to clarify that only current, approved forms may be provided to clients during the certification process and all subsequent case actions.

 

5.      FSC 400 – The retention schedule for food stamp records has been changed from three years to five years to comply with State law.

 

6.      FSC 410 - The retention schedule for food stamp records has been changed from three years to five years.

 

7.      FSC 420 – This section has been updated to reflect the case record organization for the six-part folder.

 

8.      FSC 430 – This section was outdated.  It has been deleted.

 

9.      FSC 510 – This section was updated to reflect the requirement that each DHS county office must maintain at least one “paper” food stamp certification manual for public review during normal working hours.

 

10.  FSC 520 – This section was updated.

 

11.  FSC 1621 – A statement has been added to clarify that citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) which includes the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau are not eligible to receive food stamp benefits.

 

12.  FSC 1621.1 – This section has been changed to reflect the expansion of qualified alien status to the minor children, spouses, and (in some cases) the parents and siblings of victims of severe forms of trafficking.

 

13.  FSC 1621.3.4 – This is a new section.  It contains information about the provisions under which a victim of severe forms of trafficking may participate in the Food Stamp Program if he or she is otherwise eligible.

 

14.  FSC 1621.4 – This section has been updated to explain the documentation required for non-citizens who claim to be victims of severe forms of trafficking.

 

15.  FSC 1621.8 – The information about victims of severe forms of trafficking has been updated. 

 

16.  FSC 1920.2 – A statement was added to clarify that a household is categorically eligible for the month or months during which the TEA benefits are received.  Diversion assistance was added as a type of TEA assistance that confers categorical eligibility for the month of receipt.

 

17.  FSC 5405 – Item 5 has been revised to include information about Disaster Relief Employment funded through national emergency grants.  A reference to item 5 was added to item 15.

 

18.  FSC 5413.1 – A reference to FSC 5707 was added to this section.

 

19.  FSC 5501 – Two items have been added to the list of earned income – attendant care payments from an outside source and paid to one household member who is caring for another household member, and dependent care payments from an outside source and paid to a one household member who is providing dependent care for another household member.

 

20.  FSC 5503 – The special instructions for assigning certification periods no longer apply.  These instructions have been deleted.

 

21.  FSC 5512 – New instructions have been included for counting attendent care and dependent care funds as wages if they are paid from a source outside the household to a household member who is caring for another household member.

 

22.  FSC 5701.3 – The specific State reimbursement rate has been removed from the policy. 

 

23.  FSC 5704.1 – Additional information about when child support refunds are sent to TEA recipients has been added to this section.

 

24.  FSC 5704.5 – A note has been added to this section to clarify that information is no longer provided on OCSE screens that might identify interceptions of IRS refunds.

 

25.  FSC 6510 – The standard costs attributed to the medical expenses of household members who use a Medicare-Approved drug discount card have been added to the list of allowable medical costs.

 

26.  FSC 6511 – Dental services was listed as an allowable medical expense in the list of allowable expenses.

 

27.  FSC 6524 – An explanation about the use of an ANSWER spreadsheet has been added to this section.

 

28.  FSC 6524.1 – This is a new section.  It provides information about Medicare-approved drug discount cards and how to offset the savings produced by these cards so that the household’s food stamp benefit amount will not be reduced. 

 

29.  FSC 6524.2 – This is a new section.  It provides instructions for restoring benefits to households that lost benefits as a result of policy instructions initially provided by FNS.

 

30.  FSC 6524.3 – This is a new section.  It provides a chart that summarizes the provisions about Medicare-approved drug discount card users.

 

31.  FSC 6525 – This section has been updated to reflect the standard deductions allowed for Medicare-approved drug discount card users.

 

32.  FSC 6528 - An exp4lanation about the use of an ANSWER spreadsheet has been added to this section.

 

33.  FSC 6627 – In the first sentence of the first paragraph, the word “changes” has been corrected to read “charges.”

 

34.  FSC 7610 – Corrections have been made.

 

35.  FSC 8131 – Information has been added to clarify the procedures for holding certain applications until the 30^th day of the application process.

 

36.  FSC 8140 – Information about selecting a service county has been added to this section.

 

37.  FSC 8141 – Information has been added about the restrictions that apply to individuals who must be referred to the E&T Program.

 

38.  FSC 8500 - Information has been added to clarify the procedures for holding certain applications until the 30^th day of the application process.

 

39.  FSC 8502 – The section has been rewritten.

 

40.  FSC 8503 - Information has been added to clarify the procedures for holding certain applications until the 30^th day of the application process.

 

41.  FSC 8504 – Information has been added to clarify that only applications denied for failure to provide information may be reinstated.

 

42.  FSC 9200 – The section has been rewritten.  A paragraph has been added to this section to clarify that a household must provide postponed verification or be certified under the regular processing procedures before the household is once again entitled to expedited processing.

 

43.  FSC 9300 – A paragraph has been added to this section to instruct workers to determine if verification was postponed if an expedited applicant most recent food stamp application was approved under the expedited procedures.