Division of County Operations

I.  PURPOSE

Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, the State is allowed to operate a Simplified Food Stamp Program (SFSP) for households participating in the Transitional Employment Assistance (TEA) Program. Effective August 1, 1998, the State of Arkansas will operate a SFSP under a plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.

The SFSP will be a basic element of the TEA Program in Arkansas. It will provide TEA Program recipients with their basic food needs while the parent or other adult relative works toward increasing his or her earning potential. It is expected that once TEA recipients become more self-sufficient and the household’s earnings increase, the household’s food stamp benefits will be significantly reduced. Some TEA households will no longer require assistance with their food needs after completing the TEA Program.

This transmittal contains a basic explanation of how the SFSP works. A full explanation is provided in the new 10000 section of the TEA Manual. The county should receive this policy on or before the first work day of August 1998. The SFSP contains several points at which each individual county office must make a decision about SFSP administration. These decision points are highlighted both in the directive and in the policy.

II.  WHO WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE SIMPLIFIED FOOD STAMP PROGRAM

The following households will participate in the SFSP:

• Households where all members receive TEA Cash Assistance
• Households where all members receive a combination of TEA Cash Assistance and SSI
• Households where all members receive TEA Cash Assistance except for children not added to the TEA Cash Assistance solely due to the Family Cap

III.  APPLYING FOR THE PROGRAM

The TEA Application (DCO-180) has been revised. The questions on page 1 of the revised DCO-180 (along with the remainder of the form) will provide the information needed to determine eligibility for either the regular Food Stamp Program or the Simplified Food Stamp Program.

If the TEA application can be completed within 30 days and the household is entitled to participate in the SFSP, the household’s food stamp benefits will be authorized under the SFSP rules. However, under the following conditions, food stamp benefits for TEA applicants will be authorized under the regular Food Stamp Program rules:

• The household is entitled to expedited service, but the TEA application cannot be certified within seven calendar days;
• The household is not entitled to expedited service, but the TEA application cannot be completed within 30 calendar days;
• The TEA application is approved and the household is eligible for food stamp benefits but is not entitled to participate in the SFSP; or
• The TEA application is denied, but the household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits.

DECISION POINT

The county office must decide how to handle TEA applications when the household’s food stamp benefits must be approved under the regular Food Stamp Program rules. It is not required that the same county office worker determine the TEA eligibility and the food stamp eligibility.

TEA applicants certified under regular Food Stamp Program rules will be assigned a three month certification period. If the TEA Cash Assistance application is approved before the end of the three month certification, the household will be converted to the SFSP as described in item IV below and assigned a twelve month certification period.

DECISION POINT

The county office must decide how to monitor SFSP cases to ensure that the household’s food stamp certification does not expire. The county may choose when to extend the household’s certification as long as there is some contact with the household at the time the certification is extended. Page 2 of the revised TEA application contains a tool for tracking the certification periods on SFSP participants. County offices may not develop forms or questionnaires to be completed signed and returned by the household.

If the TEA application is denied or the household is not entitled to participate in the SFSP, the food stamp household will undergo the regular recertification process at the end of the three month certification period.

IV.  CONVERSION OF CASES TO THE SFSP

Cases will be converted from the regular Food Stamp Program to the SFSP when the food stamp household is composed entirely of TEA Cash Assistance recipients and SSI recipients. If a TEA applicant is currently participating in the regular Food Stamp Program, conversion will occur at the time of TEA Cash Assistance approval.

For households currently receiving TEA Cash Assistance, conversion may occur at the first case action in either the TEA or the food stamp case after the implementation of the SFSP. Conversion will consist of recalculating the budget and extending the household’s certification period. The household’s extended certification period may be no longer than 12 months.

V.  DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE SFSP

Household Composition - Husbands and wives, parents and their children under age 22, and siblings under age 18 who live in the same dwelling will continue to be restricted from participating as separate households in the SFSP.

Resources - Households participating in the SFSP will only be required to meet TEA resource limits unless there is a child in the home affected by the family cap provisions. In that case, the household must meet the Food Stamp Program resource limits. Countable resources will be determined using TEA guidelines.

Income - Households participating in the SFSP will only be required to meet TEA income limits. Countable income will be determined using TEA guidelines.

Budgeting - The household’s food stamp benefit amount will be determined using normal food stamp budgeting procedures.

Shelter Costs - Except for SFSP households with an aged or disabled member, the shelter cost for each SFSP household will always be a standard amount. The shelter standard, which differs from county to county, includes the rent or mortgage payment, taxes and insurance and utility costs. Households which contain either an aged (age 60 or older) or disabled (SSI recipient) member will be allowed to choose between the shelter standard and the household’s actual shelter costs.

Certification Periods - Households participating in the SFSP will be assigned a 12 month certification period. However, there is no recertification process. Instead, the certification period is extended for up to 12 additional months whenever the agency has contact with the household.

Authorizing Benefits - There will be no change in the method or schedule for authorizing food stamp benefits.

VI.  MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY

Changes - Households participating in the SFSP will have no reporting requirements in addition to the TEA Program reporting requirements.

Notices - Notices will be issued at initial approval, when there is an increase or decrease in the food stamp benefit amount, when the SFSP case is closed or to notify a household when a restored benefit or supplemental benefit has been authorized. Whenever possible, the SFSP notice will be combined with the TEA notice.

VII.  MISCELLANEOUS

Hearings - Households aggrieved by an action in the SFSP will be entitled to an administrative hearing in accordance with the TEA policy.

Quality Assurance Reviews - Quality Assurance (QA) reviews will be conducted on SFSP cases.

VIII.  PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION

Procedural Issues - Each county must provide general guidelines for the local county office procedures on keying SFSP approvals and denials. Each county must determine how to maintain records of SFSP records in the TEA case record.

Training - Training will be conducted by the Area Trainers.

DECISION POINT

The county office must decide which county office workers will receive SFSP training.

Technical Assistance - Technical assistance will be provided through the normal chain of command. Program Support Specialists should seek clarification of TEA-related policy issues (e.g. - how to determine countable income and resources) from the TEA Unit. However, questions related to the SFSP procedures will be directed to the Food Stamp Policy Unit. When necessary, these two Units will consult on clarifications before the information is released to the field.

FACTS Codes - Effective 8/1/98, one of the following codes must will be keyed in field 12 of the WFSM screen to indicate SFSP status: REG for a food stamp household which is not eligible to participate in the SFSP; SSI for a SFSP household with at least one member who receives SSI; SFC for a SFSP household with at least one member affected by the family cap provisions; or SO for a SFSP household when all members are included in the TEA Cash Assistance. If there are both SSI and household members affected by the family cap provisions, SFC should be keyed in field 12 of WFSM.

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