MANUAL TRANSMITTAL
Arkansas Department of
Health and Human Services
Division of
Policy
Directive
Issuance Number: FSC 06-11
Food Stamp Certification Manual
Issuance
Date: 07/01/06
From:
Subj: Food Stamp Program –
Recertification Changes
Introduction
New procedures for
recertification of Food Stamp Program participants will be implemented in
August 2006. The new procedures will
include:
A new Application for Recertification
(DCO-268) has been designed. This form
will be used to re-determine food stamp eligibility at the time of
recertification. It may also be used
to re-determine Medicaid eligibility if a household member receives Medicaid.
A
recertification packet including an Application
for Recertification (DCO-268), a notice of expiration, an explanation of
the household’s rights & responsibilities, and a list of required
verification will be sent directly to the food stamp household.
When the
household returns the DCO-268, a DCO county office worker will schedule an
appointment for an interview using the Notice
of Food Stamp Recertification Appointment (DCO-286).
Telephone
interviews will be conducted at recertification unless a face-to-face interview
is requested.
If the household
misses their scheduled interview, a Notice
of Missed Appointment (DCO-269) will be issued.
Policy Changes
Revisions have been made to FSC
10000 and were issued via Manual Transmittal FSC 06-05 dated July 1, 2006. The entire section was reissued to
accommodate these changes. Major changes
include:
The revised
policy explains the use of a recertification packet containing an Application for Recertification, a
notice of expiration, and other information.
The policy has
been revised to state that no appointment for an interview will be scheduled
until the household returns their Application
for Recertification and to provide guidelines for scheduling interviews
when a household returns an Application
for Recertification.
The policy has
been revised to provide instructions for conducting telephone interviews at
recertification.
The policy has
been revised to provide a definition of a failure to participate in a telephone
interview and instructions for issuing a Notice
of Missed Interview.
Instructions
have been added for accepting Applications
for Recertification as a valid application whenever it is submitted.
A new section
listing the forms & notices that may be required at recertification has
been added.
NEW FORMS
|
Title of
Form |
Form
Number |
Purpose
of Form |
|
Application for Recertification |
DCO-268 |
Used to submit an
application for food stamp recertification.
NOTE: This form may also be used to re-determine
Medicaid eligibility for households receiving Medicaid. However,
failure to return the application or failure to complete the application
process will not result in closure of the Medicaid case unless the regular
Medicaid re-evaluation is due. |
|
Notice of Recertification Appointment |
DCO-286 |
Used to schedule a
telephone or face-to-face interview for households that submit an Application for Recertification. The form also allows the county to request required
verification not submitted with the Application
for Recertification. |
|
Notice of Missed Appointment |
DCO-269 |
Sent to households that
miss their appointment for an interview at recertification. |
Changes in
|
Current Method |
New
Method |
|
A DHHS county office
worker mails the Notice of Expiration
(DCO-239) to the household with a Request for Assistance (DCO-215). |
A recertification packet
that includes an Application for
Recertification (DCO-268), a notice of expiration, an explanation of the
household’s rights and responsibilities and a list of required verification
will be sent to the household from the Central Office. |
|
In most counties, a DHHS county
office worker schedules the appointment for an interview before the DCO-239
is mailed to the household. |
An appointment for an
interview will not be scheduled until the household returns the DCO-268. The Notice
of Food Stamp Recertification Appointment (DCO-286) has been designed to
use to schedule the appointment and also to request any required information
that was not submitted with the DCO-268.
If the household needs to return required information, a BRM envelope
will be furnished. |
|
Face-to-face interviews
are conducted in the DHHS county office unless the household qualifies for a
telephone interview and requests one. |
Telephone interviews will
be conducted at recertification unless the household requests a face-to-face
interview. |
|
If the household misses
their appointment for an interview at recertification, they are not notified. |
A Notice of Missed Appointment (DCO-269) will be issued to the household on the day that they miss their
appointment for a recertification interview. |
Implementation Instructions
New Tasks for DHHS county
offices
s
Reviewing
returned Application for Recertification
(DCO-268) and using a Notice of Food
Stamp Recertification Appointment (DCO-286) scheduling either
a face-to-face or telephone interview and requesting required
verification not returned with the DCO-268.
s
For households
that request a telephone interview, contacting households at the appointed time
and conducting the telephone interview.
s
Issuing a Notice of Missed Appointment (DCO-269)
if the household misses the scheduled appointment.
Implementation Timeline
|
Month |
Implementation
Task |
|
June 2006 |
PSSs and Trainers provided with policy, form, and
training material. |
|
July 2006 |
County offices are trained
and make implementation plans. |
|
August 2006 |
s
Recertification
Packet is system generated and mailed to food stamp households with
certification periods that expire in September 2006. s
Food stamp
households begin returning Application for Recertification / Medical
Evaluation (DCO-268). s
Counties begin
scheduling interviews – telephone or face-to-face – as indicated by the
households. |
|
September 2006 |
s
Counties begin
telephone interviews. s
Counties
process applications for recertification. s
Counties begin
issuing notices of missed interview. |
Training
Training material has been
provided to all the Areas.
Interview Guide
An interview guide has been
developed to assist workers as they begin to conduct telephone interviews. It is attached to this directive. The interview guide is not a required
form. Counties may modify this guide or
develop their own guides so long as the contents of the guide are compliant
with the existing FSC policy manual.
Inquiries to: