2/01/99

The following applications are initial applications:

• An application, including any signed electronically transmitted application, from a household that has never before received food stamp benefits
• An application, including any signed electronically transmitted application, from a household whose certification period expired if the household does not reapply within 30 days of the last day of the last month of certification
• An application, including any signed electronically transmitted application, from a household whose food stamp case was closed if the household does not reapply within 30 days of the last day of the month of closure

The initial application process begins the day an application is submitted to the county office in person, by mail or electronically and ends when the application is approved or denied. Eligible households that complete the application process will be allowed to participate in the Program as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days from the date of application. Applications not approved or denied by the 30th day must be evaluated to determine if the household or the county was at fault for the delay in processing the application. If the county office is at fault, the application will continue to be processed. If the household is at fault, the application will be denied.

The application process consists of the following actions:

1. Registering the application using as the date of application the day the application form was received in the county office
2. Providing each adult household member with voter registration application assistance as explained in the Voter Registration Appendix.
3. Interviewing the applicant
4. Insuring declared household composition is correct and that all members are eligible
5. Work registering members not exempt from this requirement
6. Determining that all members have declared or applied for an SSN
7. Determining if the household is eligible based on income and resources
8. Obtaining all necessary verification
9. Completing all necessary forms, routing them as required by the local office and organizing the case record as specified
10. Issuing forms and notices to the household as specified

FSC 8000 explains the processes of filing an application, registering an application, interviewing a household and determining fault when an application is delayed. The time frames for completion of the application are also explained. The actual process used to determine eligibility is covered in [FSC 7100].

A household filing an application for food stamp benefits has the following rights:

1. The right to receive, upon request, an application form

2. The right to receive, upon request, the application form in an alternative format such as large print.
3. The right to file an incomplete application in person, by mail, electronically, or through an authorized representative

An incomplete food stamp application form must contain at least the applicant's name and address and the signature of a household member or the household's authorized representative. Application forms not containing at least this information will not be registered and will be returned to the household, if possible.  Electronically filed forms must contain the signature of the case head, another responsible household member, or the authorized representative.

4. The right to receive, upon request, assistance in completing the application form
5. The right to file an application form during regular office hours on the same day the household initially contacts the county office to request an application form
6. The right to complete a voter registration application as explained in the Voter Registration Appendix.

2/01/99

The county office has the following responsibilities:

1. To prominently display the following posters:

• "And Justice For All" (AD-475A)
• "Food Stamp Rights" (FNS-183)
• "USDA Food Assistance" (FNS-200)
• "SSI Joint Application Processing"
• The Client Assistance Hotline Number poster or, in Pulaski County, the local Client Assistance number – 682-8233 or 682-8275 (TDD)

These posters must be displayed in at least each waiting area designated for food stamp benefit applicants and recipients in both public assistance and nonpublic assistance categories.

2. To provide food stamp benefit applications

3. To encourage each household to file an application on the same day the household or its representative makes initial contact with the county office in person or by telephone and expresses interest in obtaining food stamp assistance.
4. To provide each household with voter registration assistance as described in the Voter Registration Appendix.
5. To advise each household of their rights as described in [FSC 8120]
6. To advise each household that the household may file an application form before the date of the scheduled interview
7. To screen applications to determine if the household is entitled to expedited services as instructed in [FSC 8170]
8. To record on the application form the date the application is received
9. To register any complete application received in the county office.

   A complete application is any application that contains at least a name, an address, and the signature of a responsible household member or an authorized representative. Applications that do not contain at least this information will be returned to the household for completion. All complete applications must be registered in the ANSWER  to allow monitoring. See FSC 8131. For registration purposes, the date of application will be the date that an application containing at least this minimum information is received in the DHS county office. All applications must be registered no later than the end of the first working day after the date application is received.

10. To assist the household in obtaining required verification if the household is cooperating in the application process as explained in FSC
11. To assist the household in obtaining required verification if the household is cooperating in the application process as explained in FSC 8300.
12. In county offices where the Cooperative Extension Office provides nutrition education, to advise applicant households that nutrition education is available free of charge.

Food stamp benefits must be available to eligible households no later than the 30th day of the application period.  In order to insure that eligible households have access to their benefits by the 30^th day of their application processing period, the county must key the application approval to ANSWER no later than the 27^th day of the processing period.  An “eligible household” is one that has completed the required interview and provided all required verification.

If a household has not provided all required verification by the 27^th day of the application processing period, the application must continue to be held in a “pending” status until the 30^th day of application processing period.  If the household provides the required verification on or before the 30^th day of the application processing period, the application will be approved if eligible. 

If a household provides adequate information for the county office worker to determine that the household is ineligible, the application will be denied.  Households found to be ineligible must be sent a notice of denial as soon as possible but no later than 30 days following the date the application was filed.  (NOTE:  Applications from households that miss scheduled interviews must be held for the full 30-day period.  See FSC 8230.)

Food stamp benefit application statistics must be monitored daily to insure that timeliness standards are met. Each county will devise a monitoring system that makes use of the FACTS Pending Applications Screen (WFPA).  A list of all food stamp benefits applications currently pending in the county may be viewed on WFPA in register number order, by category, by worker, by application type, or by application date. The following fields are available on WFPA for sorting records.

• Category (1-NA or 2-PA)

• Worker Number

• Expedited Indicator (Y - Retrieves applications coded Y or L.)

• Application Type (A, B, C, D or E)

• Prior (Y)

An entry in the prior field accompanied by an entry in the application date field will display all pending applications for that date and earlier.

No application can be considered filed, and the processing standards may not begin until the application is received in the correct office.  For this reason, the DHS county office will use facsimile transmission (fax) of applications to insure that all applications are forwarded to the correct location on the same day that the household initially attempts to submit the application. 

See FSC 1300 for an explanation of the residency requirements.  A household living outside Arkansas that contacts a county office in this State will be advised to apply for food stamp benefits in their state of residence. 

Any household that contacts an inappropriate DHS county office and inquires about applying for food stamp benefits will be provided with the address and telephone number of the appropriate office.

If a household submits a complete application in a county other than the county of residence and for any reason will not be receiving food stamp benefits through this DHS county office, the household will be advised of the correct location where the application must be submitted. If the household wishes to take the application to the correct location that same day, the DHS county office will return the application to the household and will furnish the household with the address and telephone number of the correct DHS county office.

If for any reason the household cannot or will not take their application to the correct location, the application will be faxed to the correct office that same day. If only page one of the application has been completed, only page 1 will be faxed. If the entire application has been completed, the entire application will be faxed. The original application will be mailed to the correct office no later than the first work day following the day the application was faxed. The words "FAXED COPY SENT ON (month, day, year)" will be written in red on the front of the application.

If a household mails an application to an inappropriate DHS county office, the application will be faxed to the correct office that same day. If only page one of the application has been completed, only page 1 will be faxed. If the entire application has been completed, the entire application will be faxed. The original application will be mailed to the correct office no later than the first work day following the day the application was faxed. The words "FAXED COPY SENT ON (month, day, year)" will be written in red on the front of the application.

In some counties there is more than one DHS county office. In those counties, households are assigned to go to a certain DHS county office because they live in the area serviced by that DHS county office. A household cannot choose to go to another location within the same county; however, the household may choose to use another county as its service county if E&T referral restriction in [FSC 1301] does not apply.

In counties with multiple locations, any household that contacts the wrong location about applying for food stamp benefits will be provided with the address and telephone number of the correct location. When an application must be transmitted from one location to another in the same county, the instructions in FSC 8140 will apply.

When a county office worker learns that an applicant has moved before the application has been processed, the application and the case record, if any, will be transferred to the new county of residence unless the household has elected to participate in the old county of residence or another county. (See [FSC 1302] for restrictions.) The application will be denied in the old county and registered in the new county using the original date of application. The household must be interviewed in the new county of residence. Delays in processing the application that result from moving from one county to another will be treated in the same manner as delays that are the fault of the agency. See [FSC 8520] for instructions.

When a household reports a move to another state, any application for food stamp benefits will be denied; and the household will be advised to reapply in the new state of residence. A Notice of Action (DCO-1) may be manually issued to the household stating the date and reason for the denial. NOTE: Case records are not transferred out of this state.

2/01/99

A household may voluntarily withdraw an application for food stamp benefits at any time during the application process. The request may be made in either written or oral form, although a written request is preferred. The household's request to withdraw an application will be documented in the case file. If the household gives a reason for the withdrawal, this will be included in the documentation.

An automated client notice will be issued to the household to confirm that the application has been withdrawn per the household's request.

Completed food stamp application forms are not returned to any household that withdraws an application.

NOTE: If the withdrawal request was made by telephone and the household later states no such request was made, the same application will be reinstated using the original date of application. The household will not be considered to have caused any delays in application processing.

All food stamp applications are to be screened by county office staff at the time of submission to determine if the household is entitled to expedited services.

See [FSC 9300] - 9400 for screening procedures and processing standards for households found to be eligible for expedited services.

A qualified certification worker (county office worker) must conduct an interview with each food stamp benefit applicant. The applicant may be the case head ([FSC 1500]), his or her spouse, another responsible household member, or the household's authorized representative ([FSC 900]).

The applicant may bring anyone to the interview. If the applicant (or any accompanying person) becomes physically or verbally abusive to the worker during the interview process, the worker may terminate the interview and reschedule another time for completion of the interview process. When applicants are under the influence of intoxicants or are mentally impaired to the extent that an interview cannot be conducted, the worker may request the interview be held with another household member or an authorized representative.

Any time the worker finds it necessary to terminate an interview and/or request that someone else complete the interview, all circumstances surrounding the incident will be fully documented in the case record and reported to supervisory personnel in the county office.

Same day interviews are those interviews conducted with the household the same day the application is filed. Same day interviews relieve the county office of routinely assigning an appointment time for the interviews. The county office worker must document the date of the interview on the application form.

When it is not possible for a county office worker to complete an interview with an applicant on the same day the application is submitted, the DHS county office must schedule an interview for the applicant.  It is not acceptable to schedule interviews on a first-come, first-serve basis where once the number of applicants in line reaches a quota, the local office will accept no more individuals for an interview.  Each applicant must be assigned a date and time to return for the interview. 

No system of assigning appointments is mandated; however, each county office must have a system in which appointments are assigned in a specified manner without favoritism toward any applicant or group of applicants. The county may assign each household a specific date and time or may assign appointments in blocks of time so long as each applicant is advised of the date and time on which he or she must return for an interview.

See [FSC 9420] for special instructions on scheduling interviews for expedited households.

04/01/01

NOTE: Each county office must have a plan for scheduling out-of-the office interviews. See [FSC 8260.]

Counties may select one of two options for assigning interview times to food stamp benefit applicants.

Option 1 - The county office may assign an interview time to anyone upon that person's request. The assignment of an appointment prior to the submission of a food stamp application form must not affect a household's entitlement to expedited service.

Option 2 - The county office may assign an interview time only to households that have submitted an application for food stamp benefits containing at least a name, address and signature.

No matter which option is chosen, county offices must insure the policy is applied fairly and consistently to all food stamp applicants.  To the extent practicable, the DHS county office must schedule interviews to accommodate the needs of groups with special needs, including households with members who work.

An interview must be scheduled upon receipt of an application form. All interviews must be scheduled as quickly as possible. Eligible households must be given an opportunity to participate in the Food Stamp Program within 30 days; therefore, interviews should be scheduled no later than 20 days from the date of application. When this is not possible, the interview should be scheduled at the first available appointment time. If a household fails to appear for a scheduled interview, no additional interviews will be scheduled unless requested by the household.

The DHS county office may not deny a household's interview prior to the 30th day after the date of application if the household fails to appear for the first scheduled interview.  If the household requests a second interview during the 30-day application processing period and is determined eligible, the household's benefits must be prorated from the date of application.  See [FSC 8520] for additional information.

2/01/99

At a minimum, an interview of an applicant must cover the topics and complete the actions listed below:

1. Applicants must be advised of their right to a confidential interview.
2. The applicants must be advised of her or her rights and responsibilities.

   This includes their rights under the Privacy Act that restrict the release of information in the case record to the conditions specified in FSC 530, their right to review the contents of their case record (FSC 540), their right to an administrative hearing (FSC 16300), and their responsibility to cooperate during the interview and certification process. A copy of the pamphlet, Your Rights and Your Responsibilities, PUB 279 will be given to the household.
   

3. The applicant must be advised that all food stamp cases are subject to review by the Quality Assurance Unit and that failure to cooperate with the Quality Assurance Unit will result in case closure.
4. The applicant must be advised that social security numbers (SSN's) must be declared and verified for all household members.

   The use of the SSN will also be explained. (See FSC 2100.)
   

5. The worker must assist applicants in completing the application form, if necessary.
6. The worker must review the information on the application with the applicant and resolve any unclear or inconsistent information.
7. The worker must request needed verification and tell the applicant how to return this information to the county office.

The worker will assist the household in obtaining the needed verification when the worker becomes aware that assistance is needed. A business reply mail (BRM) envelope will be provided to the applicant to return the verification or the applicant may return the information in person.

8. The worker will advise the applicant of the time frames under which his or her application will be processed.
9. The worker will advise the applicant of the consequences of a voluntary quit as explained in FSC 3413.
10. The worker will issue to any applicant not subject to limited reporting a Change Report Form (DCO-234) and will advise the applicant to use the form to report changes as explained in [FSC 11200].
11. The worker will advise the applicant that the Cooperative Extension Service provides nutrition education, free of charge, in each county.

Normally, a face to face interview with the applicant is conducted in the county office. However, the office interview will be waived upon request for any household where all the members are aged or disabled and there is no earned income. Out of office interviews will be granted on a case-by-case basis under a hardship provision. Hardship provisions include situations such as but not limited to:

• Transportation difficulties
• Illness
• Hardships due to residency in a rural area
• Situations where the applicant is required to remain in the home to care for an ill or disabled household member
• Prolonged severe weather
• Work hours or training hours that preclude an office interview - e.g., the only member available to come in for the interview works from 8:00 to 4:30 and cannot leave the job

The household may choose to appoint an authorized representative to appear at the interview.

The case record will be documented to reflect why the household requested an out of office interview and why the request was either approved or denied.

The county office has the option of conducting an out-of-office interview either by telephone or through a home visit. (A face-to-face interview must be granted to any household that requests one.) If a home visit is selected, the date and time of the visit must be scheduled in advance with the household.

All normal verification requirements apply to households that have an out-of-office interview. However, special procedures such as the use of collateral contacts may be necessary in order for the household to comply with verification requirements within the 30-day processing period.

The use of a telephone interview or an interview by home visit will not affect the length of the certification period assigned to the household. See FSC 8710 for information about assigning certification periods.

Interviews with authorized representatives (AR's) will be conducted when requested by the household. An authorized representative is an individual designated on the application form or in writing by the casehead, his or her spouse, or another responsible household member.

Interviews with AR's are conducted in the same manner as interviews with a member of the food stamp household. For this reason, the AR must be an individual familiar with the household's circumstances.

The household is liable for any overissuance of food stamp benefits resulting from erroneous information given by the AR. Therefore, if possible, the casehead, his or her spouse, or another responsible household member should prepare the application or should review the application before its submission to the county office.

See [FSC 900 through 986] for full information on authorized representatives.

Before eligibility can be determined, the household must cooperate by:

• Completing and signing the application (with the assistance of the county office worker if such assistance is requested)
• Cooperating in the interview process
• Verifying certain information on the form.

Refusal to cooperate with any of these processes will result in denial of the application at the time of the refusal.

Refusal to declare and/or verify a social security number (SSN) for any household member as specified in [FSC 2200] will result in the disqualification of that member at the time of the refusal.

A household that is able to cooperate but clearly will not take the actions required to complete the processing of the application for food stamp benefits is considered to have refused to cooperate.

Example: A household that refuses to sign the food stamp application would be denied immediately for refusal to cooperate.

If there is any question about whether a household has refused or failed to cooperate, the application will not be denied, and the DCO county office will provide to the household assistance is obtaining needed information.

Example: A household that fails to appear for an interview is not refusing to cooperate. Therefore, the application will not be denied until the end of the normal processing period.

No household will be denied food stamp benefits solely because someone outside the household failed to cooperate with a request for verification. The term "outside the household" will not apply to ineligible students, ineligible aliens, or to individuals disqualified for one of the following reasons:

• Intentional program violation
• Failure to provide a social security number
• Noncompliance with the work registration requirements
• Noncompliance with the workfare requirements
• Noncompliance with the requirement to work

Households denied for refusal to cooperate may reapply but eligibility cannot be determined until the needed cooperation is provided.

See [FSC 11110] for information about refusal to cooperate following certification.

10/01/03

This section was deleted effective 10/01/03.

The normal processing standard for an initial application and an untimely subsequent application for food stamp benefits is 30 days. Eligible households that complete the initial application process must be given an opportunity to participate in the Food Stamp Program as soon as possible, but not later than 30 calendar days following the date the application was filed. (Day one of the application processing period is the day after the application was filed.)

An application is filed the day the appropriate county office receives an application form containing at least the applicant's name, address and the signature of the applicant, a responsible household member, or the household's authorized representative. See [FSC 8100 through 8141]  for a full explanation of the filing process.

The normal processing standard for an initial application and an untimely subsequent application for food stamp benefits is 30 days.  Eligible households that complete the initial application process must be given an opportunity to participate in the Food Stamp Program as soon as possible, but not later than 30 calendar days following the date the application was filed.  (Day one of the application processing period is the day after the application was filed.)

An application is filed the day the appropriate county office receives an application form containing at least the applicant's name, address and the signature of the applicant, a responsible household member, or the household's authorized representative.  See FSC 8100 through 8141 for a full explanation of the filing process.   

Food stamp benefits must be available to eligible households no later than the 30th day of the application period.  In order to insure that eligible households have access to their benefits by the 30^th day of their application processing period, the county must key the application approval to ANSWER no later than the 27^th day of the processing period.  An “eligible household” is one that has completed the required interview and provided all required verification.

If a household has not provided all required verification by the 27^th day of the application processing period, the application must continue to be held in a “pending” status until the 30^th day of application processing period.  If the household provides the required verification on or before the 30^th day of the application processing period, the application will be approved if eligible. 

If a household provides adequate information for the county office worker to determine that the household is ineligible, the application will be denied.  Households found to be ineligible must be sent a notice of denial as soon as possible but no later than 30 days following the date the application was filed.  (NOTE:  Applications from households that miss scheduled interviews must be held for the full 30-day period.  See FSC 8230.)  If the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the notice of denial must be sent on the first work day after the 30th day.

When an application remains pending on the 30th day because the worker lacks sufficient information to determine eligibility, the county office must review that application and any information found in the case record to determine whether the county office or the applicant is at fault for the delay in processing the application.  (If the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the review of the application must be conducted on the first workday after the 30th day of the application processing period.)

Full instructions for determining fault and taking corrective actions are located at FSC 8506 – 8540.  If the county is at fault for the delay in processing, the application will not be denied.  Instead, the application will be held for up to 30 additional days from the date of application while the county office and/or the household takes any actions necessary to complete the application process. 

A delay will be considered the fault of the household if the household has failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions. If the household is at fault for the delay in processing the application, the application will be denied on the 30th day or if the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the first work day after the 30th day.

For a full 60 calendar days after the date of application the applicant retains his or her right to complete the application by supplying all needed information.

If an applicant whose application has been denied on the 30th day supplies all needed information before the 60th calendar day following the date of application, the county must take the following actions:

1. Locate the denied application;
2. Reregister the denied application using the day on which all needed information was supplied as the date of application.
3. Dispose of the application.

The household will not be required to either submit a new application form or have a second interview. If the household reports any changed information, the change must be acted upon before approval of the application.

Each county must develop a system to insure each applicant who was denied on the 30th day retains the right to complete the original application when all needed information is submitted before the 60th day. No system is mandated, but each county must be able to demonstrate compliance with these provisions.

Households should be assigned an appointment for an interview within 20 days of the date of application. If a household misses this appointment, another appointment will be assigned only upon request. If a household misses an appointment for an interview assigned within 20 days of the date of application and does not request another by the 30th day, the application will be denied effective the 30th day. Day one is the day following the date the application is received by the county office.  See [FSC 8210] for additional information.

Eligible households that complete the application process will be provided an opportunity to participate as soon as possible, but no later than 30 days following the date of application.  If an applicant is interviewed and provides all required information on or before the 27^th day of the application processing period, the county office worker must determine if the household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits.  If the household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits, the worker must key the application approval no later than the 27^th day of the application processing period.  This will insure that the applicant has “an opportunity to participate” in the Food Stamp Program no later than 30 days following the date of application.  If the 27^th day of the application processing period falls on a weekend or holiday, the application approval must be keyed no later than the last work day prior to the weekend or holiday.

Applications submitted by ineligible households will be denied as soon as possible. Applications submitted by households that fail to appear for an interview scheduled by the 20th day and do not request another appointment will be denied effective the 30th day. (These applications may not be denied before the 30^th day of the application-processing period. The application may be denied on the first work day following the 30^th day if the 30^th day falls on a weekend or holiday. If that is the case, the 30^th day will be entered as the effective date of the denial.)

Households that fail to provide needed verification at the time of the application interview must be allowed until the end of the thirty day application-processing period to provide the needed verification unless the first interview is scheduled after the 20^th day of this processing period. When the first interview is scheduled after the 20th day and additional verification is requested, the application must be held pending for up to 10 additional days to await the submission of the requested information. (Households must be allowed at least 10 days to provide required verification even if an application goes over 30 days and is classified as overdue.)

EXCEPTION - Households that miss an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period must complete the application process before the 30th day of the application period. If the household requests a second interview that is scheduled after the 20th day, the household must complete all requirements and supply all information by the 30th day.

If a household has not provided all required verification by the 27^th day of the application processing period, the application must continue to be held in a “pending” status until the 30^th day of the application processing period.  If the household provides the required verification on or before the 30^th day of the application processing period, the application will be approved if the household is found to be eligible. 

When an application remains pending on the 30th day because the worker lacks sufficient information to determine eligibility, the county office must review the application to determine whether the county office or the applicant is at fault for the delay in processing the application.  Full instructions for determining fault are located at FSC 8506 – 8540. 

When an application is to be denied on the 30th day of the application-processing period, the worker must allow the household the entire day to complete the application.  "Allow the household the entire day" means the household may provide the requested verification at any time on the 30th day.

The notice of denial must be sent no later than the 30th day following the date of the application.  On the denial notice, the effective day of denial (denial date) will be the 30th day.  Even if the 30th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the effective date remains the date of the 30th day.  Denials should be entered to the system no later than the first work day following the 30th day and no earlier than 30th day. 

When a household's application is denied, a notice explaining the action will be sent to the household. The Notice of Action (DCO-1) must advise the household of the following information:

•  That the application has been denied and the reason for the denial

• What action the household must take to reactivate the application, if any

• That  if the application was denied for failure to provide requested information withing 30 days, the household may continue the application process without submitting another application until the 60th day of the application period by providing the required information.

• That the household must submit a new application, if, at the end of the 60 day period, the household has not taken the needed action but still wishes to participate in the Program

In most instances an automated notice may be sent to the household. If the denial is based upon the household's failure to submit requested information within 30 days of the date of application, the household retains the right to have the application reinstated by submitting all requested information within 60 days from the date of application. (See [FSC 8506], last paragraph.) For initial applications or recertifications that may be reinstated, the county office worker will use either denial reason "Failed to verify income" or "Failed to verify information."

An application for food stamp benefits may be completed as soon as all requirements for an interview, verification, work registration and providing an SSN are met. (See [FSC 9440] - 9448 for special procedures on households entitled to expedited application processing.)

When a household is found eligible to participate in the Program, the worker will complete the following actions:

1. If the applicant is still present, he or she will be verbally advised of the determination of eligibility, the length of the period of certification, and the food stamp benefit amount.
2. For households not subject to the limited reporting requirement, a Change Report Form (DCO-234) and a business reply mail (BRM) envelope will be given or mailed to the household unless the applicant still has a DCO-234 that was issued at the time of the interview.
3. If the household is subject to the limited reporting requirement, a Change Report Form (DCO-234) and a CHANGE REPORT ADDENDUM: The Limited Reporting Requirements  will be issued to the household. If the household will also be subject to semi-annual reporting, the pamphlet, Food Stamp Semi-Annual Reporting (PUB-260) must be issued to the household. The limited reporting and, if applicable, the semi-annual reporting process must be verbally explained to the household.
4. The case will be authorized for issuance of benefits.
5. An approval notice must be issued to the household.

If the household is ineligible, the worker will complete the following actions:

1. If the applicant is still present, he or she will be verbally advised of the reason for ineligibility and the household's rights to an administrative hearing. A Notice of Action (DCO-1) will be issued to the household. Either an automated or a manual notice may be issued. The application form will not be returned to the household
2. The denial will be keyed via the automated system.

At the time of the application interview, the county office worker may find that a food stamp applicant must provide additional information/verification in order to establish eligibility. Households that fail to provide needed verification at the time of the application interview must provide all required information by the 30^th day of the application processing period unless the first interview is scheduled after the 20th day. If the first interview is scheduled after the 20^th day of the application processing period, the thirty day application processing period must be extended to allow the household 10 days to provide the requested information. This rule applies even if the application will be classified as overdue.

EXCEPTION: Households will not have 10 days to provide all needed information if the household missed their first interview that was scheduled before the 20th day and requested another appointment that was scheduled between the 20th and the 30th day. Even if the second appointment is scheduled after the 20^th day of the application-processing period the household must complete all requirements before the 30th day.

At the time of the interview, a household will be notified via the Notice of Delayed Application (DCO-206) or Request for Verification (DCO-191) of the information that must be supplied and of the date by which the information must be provided. The worker must advise the household that the application will be denied if the information is not returned by the date indicated on the DCO-206 or DCO-191. If the missing verification is not received in the county office before the end of the application-processing period (including extensions) the household's application will be denied.

EXCEPTION - When the missing verification is for medical costs, actual utility costs, dependent care costs or child support payments, these costs will be disallowed, and the application will be processed. The application will be denied only if disallowing these costs causes the household to be ineligible. See [FSC 6524] for information on verification of medical costs. See [FSC 6627] for information on verification of actual utility expenses. If the missing verification is later supplied, the budget will be recalculated to allow the expense. The change will be handled according to the standards for processing changes as stated in [FSC 11400].

If a household contacts the county office to report a problem with obtaining verification, the worker may assist the household.

If a household provides requested verification and the worker determines that additional information is needed, either a Request for Verification (DCO-191) or Notice of Delayed Application (DCO-206) will be issued to advise the household of the missing information and the date by which the information must be provided. However, the application will not be held longer than the 30th day to obtain missing verification. When an application is denied on the 30th day but missing verification is supplied on or before the 60th day, the application will be reinstated. If the household is found eligible, benefits will be prorated from the date the information is supplied.

Applications that have been neither approved nor denied by the 30th day of the application-processing period are delayed applications. These applications do not become "overdue" until the 31st day of the processing period.

On the 30th day, all delayed applications must be assessed, and the appropriate actions must be taken.

The county office is at fault for delays in application processing when the household has completed all required actions but the county office worker has failed to follow processing guidelines or has not:

• Scheduled the first appointment for an interview by the 20th day after the date of application;
• Provided the household with a statement of required verification; or
• Allowed the household sufficient time to provide the missing verification.

The county office is also at fault for the delay if the worker failed in some other way to complete the application process. The county office must take the actions necessary to complete the application process. For example, if all the information required to complete the application has been provided by the household, but the application has not yet been processed, the county must process the application immediately. If not, a notice (DCO-1) must be sent to the household explaining the delay. In cases where verification is incomplete, the county office must have taken one of the following actions:

• Provided the household with a properly completed Notice of Delayed Application (DCO-206) or Request for Verification (DCO-191)

• Allowed the household sufficient time to provide the missing verification

• Assisted the household to get required verification if such assistance was requested

If the information needed to process the application was not requested via DCO-206 or DCO-191, either a DCO-206 or a DCO-191 will be prepared and mailed to the household. The form must specify the information that must be provided by the 60th day after the date of application. (If the 60th day falls on a weekend or holiday, this will be the first workday after the 60th day.)

A delay is the fault of the household if the household has failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions.

A household that fails to complete the application form is at fault if the county office attempted to assist with the form on or before the 30th day of the application period. (This applies when a household is interviewed on or before the 30th day of the application period and refuses to provide the information needed to complete the application form.)

If a household attended an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period and was properly notified of any missing information via the DCO-206, the delay is considered to be the fault of the household. The household's application may be reinstated up to the 60th day.  If a household failed to appear for an interview scheduled on or before the 20th day of the application period and makes no request to reschedule the interview, the application will be denied on the 30th day. A household that wishes to reapply must submit another application.

If a county office schedules at least two interviews during the first 30 days of the application processing period but the household appears for neither interview, the application will be denied on the 30th day. A household that wishes to reapply must submit another application. Additional requests for rescheduling of interviews will be granted. However, this does not alter the fact that the application will be denied on the 30th day or the fact that the household must submit another application.

If a household failed to appear for the first interview and requested a second interview that could not be rescheduled until some time between the 20th day and the 30th day of the application period, the household must appear for the interview and provide verification by the 30th day. If not, the delay will be the fault of the household and the application will be denied on the 30th day.

If a household failed to appear for the first interview and requested the second interview be rescheduled after the 30th day, the application will be denied on the 30th day. If the household appeared for the interview, the same application form will be reregistered with the date of the interview as the date of application.

See the charts in [FSC 8530] for additional information.

FSC 8530 - Chart - Determining Fault As Per FSC 8520-8521

2/01/99

All applications that have been neither approved nor denied before the 60th day of the application processing period must be evaluated on the 60th day. The resulting action depends upon whether the second delay in application was the fault of the county office or the household.

A delay is the fault of the household if the household failed to complete the application process even though the county office has taken all required actions. If the household is at fault for not completing the application process by the end of the second 30-day period, the application will be denied. If the household wishes to participate in the Program, another application must be submitted.

A delay is the fault of the county office when the household has completed all required actions but the worker failed to schedule an appointment for an interview or scheduled the first appointment for an interview after the 50th day of the application processing period. The county office is also at fault if the worker failed to provide the household with a statement of required verification (DCO-206) or failed to complete all the necessary paperwork. If the delay is the fault of the county office, corrective action must be taken. See the chart below.

For applications approved on or after the 60th day, benefits will be provided back to the date of application.

NOTE: When an action date falls on a weekend or holiday, the action will actually be taken on the next workday; however, approval and denial dates will be the date on which the action should have occurred.

Initial case actions are budgeted prospectively. See [FSC 7100], Prospective Eligibility, for instructions on budgeting and determining eligibility.

When a household files an initial application for food stamp benefits as defined in [FSC 8100], food stamp benefits for the first month of certification will be prorated.  When a household files an untimely subsequent application after the end of the household's current certification period, poration of benefits will apply.  Proration of food stamp benefits usually begins on the day the household filed an application. However, if the application is reinstated in the second 30-day period as instructed in [FSC 8500], proration will begin on the day the household takes the action necessary to complete the application.

Prorated initial benefit amounts will be determined by using the chart found in [FSC 8612] or the following formula.

Monthly benefit amount x (31 - date of application) = prorated allotment 
                                                          30

Rounding - Prorated benefit amounts ending in 1 through 99 cents will be rounded down to the nearest dollar. - Prorated benefit amounts ending in 1 through 99 cents will be rounded down to the nearest dollar.

Example 1 - A household applies for benefits on the 17th day of the month and is certified for a food stamp benefit amount of $55.00 per month.

$55 x ((31 - 17)) = $25.66 rounded down to $25.00
                30

$25.00 is the prorated benefit amount.

An application submitted on the 31st day of the month will be handled the same as an application submitted on the 30th day of the month when calculating prorated food stamp benefits.

Example 2 - A household applies for food stamp benefits on the 31st of the month and is certified for a food stamp benefit amount of $355 per month.

$355 x ((31 - 30)) = $11.83 rounded down to $11.00
                   30

$11.00 is the prorated benefit amount.

If a prorated initial food stamp benefit amount is less than $10.00, no benefits will be issued.

Example 3 - A household applies for food stamp benefits on the 17th of the month and is certified for a food stamp benefit amount of $21.00 per month.

$21 x ((31 - 17)) = $9.80 rounded down to $9.00
                 30

The household will not receive any food stamp benefits for the month of application because the prorated initial benefits are less than $10.00.

NOTE: The state of residence has no bearing on proration of initial benefits. If a household lived in a state other than Arkansas but made application in Arkansas before the food stamp case closed in the other state, the first benefits issued to the household in Arkansas will not be prorated.

Migrant and seasonal farmworker households must receive full benefits for the month of application when the household has participated in the Food Stamp Program within 30 days prior to the date of application. If a migrant or seasonal farmworker household makes application for food stamp benefits, the worker must determine if the household has received food stamp benefits in any state within the 30-day period prior to the date of application. If so, the household's benefits for the month of application will not be prorated. Changing the date of application to the last day of the previous month prevents proration.  For example, if such an application is submitted on September 26th, the date of application will be changed to August 31st.

When a migrant or a seasonal farmworker household declares receipt of food stamp benefits during the 30 day period prior to the date of application in Arkansas, the household will be asked to submit proof of participation such as an ID card, an EBT card or an approval notice. Households with no such proof will be asked to provide a statement about the location and the date of last participation. Both the date and location of the household's last participation must be documented.

NOTE: This provision does not entitle households to participate twice in the same month. Migrant or seasonal farmworker households may only participate in the Food Stamp Program in one state during any given month.

To determine benefits for the initial month, locate the date of application in column I, then multiply the corresponding factor in Column II by the total monthly food stamp benefit amount calculated.

A minimum food stamp benefit amount is the smallest monthly food stamp benefit amount that may be issued to an eligible household. The minimum benefit amount for each household size is listed on the [Exhibit A - Food Stamp Basis of Issuance Charts].  To determine the minimum benefit amount for one and two person households, see [FSC 8630] below.

To determine the minimum benefit amount for households with three or more members, see [FSC 8640] below.

NOTE: Minimum benefit requirements do not apply in an initial month of eligibility. In an initial month of eligibility, prorated benefits of less than $10.00 are not issued. Therefore, a one or two person household could have a calculated monthly food stamp benefit amount of $8.00 and a date of application on the 1st of the month. This household would not receive food stamp benefits for the month of application. In the following month, minimum benefits of $10.00 would be issued.

The minimum food stamp benefit amount for eligible one and two person households is $10.00.

This provision applies to aged/disabled, categorically eligible and regular households. See the [Glossary], for definitions of both aged/disabled and categorically eligible households.

A categorically eligible household with one or two persons will receive a minimum benefit of $10 regardless of the household's net income.

2/01/99

Categorically eligible households with three or more members will be entitled to a minimum benefit of at least $2.00 if the Thrifty Food plan reduced by 30% of the household's net income is at least $1.00. Minimum benefits for households with three or more members vary with the household size and depend on the point at which the household's net income exceeds the limit on the issuance charts. Minimum benefit amounts may be found on the [Exhibit A] - Basis of Issuance Charts.

For example, as of October 1999, the minimum food stamp benefit amount for an eligible regular household of five was $17.00, and the minimum benefit amount for an eligible regular household of six was $48.00. (See the current Exhibit A for the minimum food stamp benefit amounts in effect at this time.)

2/01/99

Categorically eligible households with 1or 2 members will receive a minimum benefit of $10, regardless of the benefit calculation.  A categorically eligible household with three or more members receive benefits only if the household’s benefit calculation is $1 or more. If the household's benefit amount is less than $1, the case is treated as an otherwise eligible case. The case must be keyed onto the food stamp system in the same manner as cases for households that receive benefits. The benefit amount will be "0".

Exception: Categorically eligible households with 1 or 2 members will receive a minimum benefit of $10, regardless of the benefit calculation.

2/01/99

Retroactive benefits are food stamp benefits due a household at application approval for months in the application period prior to the month of approval. For example, an application is submitted in June and approved in August. June and July food stamps will be authorized as retroactive benefits.

Retroactive benefits will be issued only if the county was at fault for the delay in processing the application and the household is eligible for those months.  Retroactive benefits are subject to proration.

Example: An application is approved on April 10 for a household that applied on March 15. Retroactive benefits for March are prorated to the date of application, March 15.

When a household is entitled to retroactive benefits, the amount of retroactive benefits will be calculated, proration will be applied as necessary, and the retroactive benefits will be authorized.

If a household is not eligible for the current month but is eligible for a prior month or months in the application period, the household will be issued any retroactive benefits.

Example: A household applies for food stamp benefits on March 15th. On May 2nd, the worker determines that the household is currently ineligible and the county was at fault for the delay in processing. The household was eligible for food stamp benefits in March and April, so the worker calculates the household's March and April food stamp benefits. March benefits are prorated to the date of application, March 15. These benefits are authorized as retroactive benefits.

2/01/99

A household that files an initial application after the 15th of the month and is approved by the end of the month of application will be issued aggregate benefits. Aggregate benefits are combined benefits for the month of application and the following month. (If the initial month's benefits are less than $10, only the benefits for the following month will be issued. Prorated initial benefits amounting to less than $10 are not issued. See [FSC 8610].)

Example: A household submits an initial application on November 21st, and the application is approved on November 29th. On November 30th the household will be issued aggregate benefits for the months of November and December.

Households that apply after the 15th of the month and are certified under expedited service provisions will be issued prorated benefits for the first and second months within the expedited timeframe.

A certification period is a designated period of time during which a household is eligible to receive food stamp benefits. Certification periods are based upon calendar months. The month a household applies for food stamp benefits is usually the first month in the certification period even if the application is not approved until a later month.

A household may be determined eligible for the month the application was submitted but not receive any food stamp benefits due to proration. In these cases, the certification period will begin with the month of application even though the household will not receive any food stamp benefits for that month.

Example: A household applies on May 20 and is approved on May 22. Prorated benefits for May are $8.00; therefore, no food stamp benefits will be issued to the household in May. Regardless of this, a certification period beginning in May and ending in July is assigned.

When a household is ineligible for a month (or months) in the period of application, the certification period begins with the first month of eligibility.

Example: A household applies for food stamp benefits on July 7 and is ineligible for July benefits but eligible for August. The period of certification will begin in August.

Eligibility for food stamp benefits ceases at the end of each certification period. All households participating in the regular Food Stamp Program must reapply, be interviewed, verify certain information, and be found eligible to participate in the Food Stamp Program before additional benefits will be issued.

Certification periods range in length from 1 month to 24 months and are assigned according to the current household situation.

6/01/04

Households will be assigned certification periods as specified below:

Households consisting totally of aged/disabled members with no earnings or child support deduction will be assigned a 24-month certification period. A household composed entirely of aged and/or disabled members and minor dependent children age 15 or younger will also be assigned a 24-month certification if no household member has earnings or a child support deduction.

NOTE: If there is a household member age 16 or older, the household will be assigned a 12-month certification period and will be subject to semi-annual reporting.

1. A household composed entirely of SSI recipients will be assigned a 12-month certification period if one or more members have earned income from a sheltered workshop. (These households are classified as occasional reporting households and are not subject to semi-annual reporting.)
2. Households subject to limited reporting ([FSC 11340]) but not subject to semi-annual reporting will be assigned a 4-month certification period ([FSC 11341]). This includes:

• Homeless households as defined in the [Glossary]. (See both the definition of "Homeless Household" and "Homeless Individual.")
• Migrant and seasonal farmworker households as defined in the Glossary. (See both the definition of "Migrant" and "Seasonal Farmworker.")
• Striker households certified under the provisions in [FSC 1700] - 1740
• Certain households with self-employment income as explained in [FSC 5662] - 5691

4. Households subject to both limited reporting ([FSC 11340]) and semi-annual reporting ([FSC 11342]) will be assigned a 12-month certification period.
5. Households certified under the expedited provisions will be assigned a one or two month certification period when verification is postponed as