M E M O R A N D U M

TO: EES Program Administrators

FROM: Sandra Kimmons

DATE: 4/9/18

SUBJECT: Implementation Considerations for the March Release of KEES

This memo provides implementation considerations for the following:

• All Programs:
  
  
  • The timing of the batch related to Review/IR Auto Closure effective March 30, 2018.
    
    
• Food Assistance:
  
  
  • eDRS processes effective March 19, 2018.
    
    
  • ES-3116: IR Reminder Form.
    
    
• Child Care
  
  
  • Increases in the federal poverty level standards which take effect May 1, 2018.

1. All Programs
   
   
   1. The Auto Closure when IR/12 Month or Review is Not Received Batch will run on March 30, 2018 rather than March 16, 2018. This batch auto closes and sends a closure notices on all programs that have Review/IR/12 Month Report due with a document status of ‘Sent’ on the Review/IR and 12 Month Report record.
      

2. Food Assistance
   
   This memo provides implementation instructions and information for eDRS (Electronic Disqualified Recipient System). eDRS is a system run by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It tracks clients who have been disqualified from SNAP across the nation for violating SNAP program rules. This memo also includes the implementation dates for the IR Reminder Notice.
   

1. Special Provisions for Matches Obtained Via the eDRS (Food Assistance Only) – KEESM 1434.1
   
   Effective March 19, 2018 workers must request information via the eDRS interface in KEES to receive information about people disqualified from receiving Food Assistance due to fraud disqualification in another state. This request must be made for all Food Assistance members age 18 and older at Application, Review, and when a member is added to the Food Assistance Case. If the household applying for Food Assistance is entitled to expedited services, the information from the eDRS interface and secondary verification shall NOT delay benefits.
   
   If there is an Active disqualified person contact the eDRS Out of State representative to conduct Secondary Verification. If secondary verification cannot be verified immediately, allow 20 days for the eDRS Out of State Representative to return the disqualification information Staff should set a future task with a due date of 20 days (from the date of discovery) to follow up. If the information is not received within 20 days, proceed with processing the application without an applied disqualification and contact the Food Assistance Program Manager. See the KEES User Manual for eDRS process information.
   
   
2. eDRS (Electronic Disqualified Recipient System) – KEESM 11270
   
   If another state finds a match for a person who is disqualified in Kansas and needs secondary verification that state will contact the Locality Contact for Kansas which is EES Administration EBT Unit. EES Administration will contact the local office staff to access the case file and copy items to substantiate the disqualification. It is important that staff respond timely on these requests as State agencies have 20 days to respond to other states requests for Secondary Verification. EES Administration will provide the secondary verification to the requesting state. The list of possible verification items is listed in 1434.
   
   
3. IR Reminder Form – KEESM 9122.6
   
   The ES-3116 IR Reminder Form was sent from KEES beginning March 22, 2018.
   
   
3. Child Care
   
   The monthly gross income amounts will be updated on the Child Care Family Income and Share Schedule to reflect changes in the federal poverty guidelines and the state median income levels. The tables will be updated with the March release on March 18, 2018, and the changes are effective May 1, 2018. Historically this poverty level change has been dependent on staff taking action within our legacy systems. KEES will look at all active Child Care programs and recalculate their Family Plans with a Type of ‘FP’ and Change Reason of ‘Other Change Reason’, and run EDBC for the Come-Up Month. These actions mimic that of a caseworker--NOAs and Family Plans will go out based on EDBC results.
   
   There are two populations that will not be processed by the batch process; programs that have an overridden EDBC and Family Plans that are still in a Converted status.
   
   In an effort to reduce the number of programs in a Converted status, a centralized effort is taking place to work all of the remaining converted family plans prior to running the federal poverty guideline batch process. All cases will need to be updated prior to April 16, 2018 when the Regular Child Care EDBC batch runs. Otherwise, these cases will create a ‘Child Care Batch EDBC Does not match the Family Plan’ task.
   
   Timeline of Events:
   
   
   • 3/18: KEES will be updated with the table changes effective 5/1/2018. o Note: The changes will not affect Family Shares already attached to existing Family Plans. This will occur with the federal poverty guideline batch process.
     
     
   • 3/22: Come-up Month becomes available. Any cases processed for May benefits will have the table changes applied.
     
     
   • 4/13: Federal poverty guideline batch process for all Active Child Care plans with the exception of Overridden EDBCs and cases with a “Converted” Family Plan status.