9123 Failure to Report - If the agency discovers that the household has failed to report a change, as required in 9121 or 9122, and as a result, received benefits to which it was not entitled, a claim shall be filed against the household. The household is entitled to a timely and adequate notice of adverse action if the household's benefits are reduced.

A household shall not be held liable for a claim because of a change in household circumstances which it is not required to report in accordance with 9121 or 9122. Individuals shall not be disqualified for failing to report a change unless disqualified in accordance with fraud disqualification procedures.

NOTE: A claim shall not be established for food assistance for failure to report a change for cash or medical assistance purposes, unless the change was also required to be reported for food assistance purposes per 9121 or 9122.

9124 Whereabouts of Recipient Unknown - In instances when the agency does not know the whereabouts of a recipient (except for a person continuously eligible for medical coverage), the agency shall send an Informational Notice to the last known address which will advise the recipient to inform the agency as to his whereabouts by a given date (allow 10 days per 1321(3)) or his case will be closed. If there is no contact by the required date, the case is to be closed and a final Notice of Action is to be sent to the last known address. (See 1432 (5).)

NOTE: The above does not apply if the application for review, or the interim report form for food assistance, returns with no forwarding address. That is because assistance will terminate automatically for failure to return those forms.

NOTE: All returned mail should be compared with information in the case file to determine if the mail was sent to the correct address. If mail is returned with a forwarding address, mail is to be forwarded and the system updated with the new address. For food assistance, request necessary shelter expense information regarding the address change. For cash, child care and food assistance, request information regarding living arrangements/household composition. If mail was delivered to the address identified by the recipient and no forwarding information is available, follow the above instructions.

9125 Mass Changes in Social Security or SSI Benefits - Households are not responsible for reporting mass changes to Social Security or SSI benefits. The agency through use of BENDEX and SDX information, shall ascertain the amount of the increase in these benefits and shall reflect the changes no later than the second benefit issued after the month in which the change becomes effective. These changes are processed as a mass change each year in the preceding November and December effective for January. Any cases not updated in the mass process must be updated no later than the March benefit month.