Unclear Information – Food
Assistance
During the
certification period, information on household circumstances may be
received that requires verification in order to determine a household’s
continued eligibility for Food Assistance. Unclear information can be
either not verified or verified but still requiring additional information
to act on it.
How to act on a
change that is known to the agency that is unclear information. The only
time information is requested for unclear information is if the
information:
- Is
something the household was required to report based on simplified
reporting (KEESM 9122.1) AND is less than 60 days old based on the current
month of participation; or
- Significantly
conflicts with the information used to certify the household (meaning the
information used to determine eligibility was incorrect); or
- If
the information is from a deceased or prisoner data match KEESM 1436
If the
information does not meet this criteria it is to be held until the next IR
or Review.
Unclear
information will be processed as follows:
- If the unclear information is received outside of the
review process and is less than 60 days old from the current month of
participation and would have met the requirements for a reportable change,
as specified in Simplified Reporting (KEESM 9122.1), then a request for
verification shall be sent which informs the household about the required
verification needed to clarify household circumstances, with a 10-day time
frame in which to respond.
Failure to respond
will result in a notice of adverse action to close the case and advise the
household it may be required to submit a new application if it wants to
continue to participate in the Food Assistance Program.
- If the unclear information significantly conflicts with the
information used by DCF staff to determine eligibility at the time of
certification, then a request for verification shall be sent which informs
the household about the required verification needed to clarify household
circumstances, with a 10-day time frame in which to respond.
Failure to respond
will result in a notice of adverse action to close the case and advise the
household it may be required to submit a new application if it wants to
continue to participate in the Food Assistance Program.
- If the unclear
information is received as a result of a data match with the prisoner
verification system or the deceased matching system, then a request for
verification shall be sent which informs the household about the required
verification needed to clarify household circumstances, with a 10-day time
frame in which to respond.
If the household fails or refuses to respond, this will
result in the removal
of the subject individual and the individual's income from the household
and benefits will be adjusted accordingly. A notice of adverse action must
be sent to the household, the only exception is if it’s a one-person
household or all members of the household are deceased.
- If the unclear information does not meet the criteria for
numbers 1 - 3, above, staff may send a general correspondence notice to pursue additional information or verification by requesting such
information from the household.
A request for voluntary information through a general correspondence
notice may not terminate the case or decrease benefits.If information is
not returned by the household it is to be addressed at next Interim Report
or Review.
Most information that is received will not meet the
criteria of unclear information. Information verified by other programs is
not considered unclear.
Please
refer to the flowchart in Appendix P-2 for the process on Responding to Unclear Information During the
Certification Period.
If
information is received for another program (TANF, CC) AND verified, the
agency may take appropriate action. If information for another program is
requested and not verified or is unclear, negative action cannot be taken
on the Food Assistance case. The request for verification notice to the
household for other programs for a change that should not impact the Food
Assistance case must be noted after the Rights and Responsibilities section
on the NOA that “if you fail to submit this information TANF and/or CC
will close. The agency will not take negative action on your Food
Assistance case for failure to provide this information.” This language
can be found in the KEES User Manual.
Returned Mail – Food Assistance
For
Food Assistance the agency may ask for further information if mail is
returned, however if the household does not respond that is considered
unclear information and cannot be acted on until next IR or Review. The
household is not required to report shelter expenses or living
arrangement/household composition change unless it meets one of the
simplified reporting requirements. If mail is returned at Interim Report or
Review the case will discontinue for failure to complete/return Review or
IR, do not close the case due to returned mail. If the household does
contact the agency act on reported information appropriately.
Whereabouts Unknown
For
Food Assistance, the agency may not take negative action for whereabouts
unknown. This type of information needs to be noted in the case journal and
be addressed at next IR or Review.
Information considered Verified Upon Receipt
For
Food Assistance information that is considered verified upon receipt is
acceptable clear information and must be acted on.
- SDX, from SSA for income
- BENDEX, from SSA for income
- SAVE, from USCIS
- Unemployment Compensation, from
Department of Labor
- Child Support
- Worker’s Compensation
Information that
is unclear, not required to be reported per simplified reporting
requirements, not considered verified upon receipt and more than 60 days
old since certification is to be held until next Interim Report or Review
whichever comes first.
Unclear Information Question and
Answers:
- Food assistance case is approved 11/2018 thru 10/2019.
The eligibility worker receives an email from the EBT unit on 7/19/19
asking the eligibility worker to verify Kansas residency due to EBT
transaction history indicates EBT transactions have been occurring
exclusively out of state in Wyoming. A request for information for state
residency is not to be sent because this information is unclear, the
information is more than 60 days old from certification, it is not a
simplified reporting requirement and is to be addressed at the next IR or
Review.
- Philip receives Food Assistance and TANF. We receive
information that in March Philip was hired at Kwik Trip in December.
Although we aren’t certain if Philip would have to report this change, this
information is unclear, we do know the information is over 60 days old. The
worker will document in the journal to address the information at the next
IR or Review. If these new wages are verified by another program
appropriate action can be taken on the Food Assistance case. The agency
does request verification of wages for TANF. The information is not
received, Food Assistance cannot be discontinued for failure to provide or
for returned mail.
- Client is participating in Work
Programs. Client reports to their WP Case Manager new employment, wages $7.50
per hour working 20 hours per week. If wages are verified by another
program it is considered clear information and can be acted on for the FA
case. If requesting wages for another program the notice must clearly state “if you fail to submit this information TANF and/or CC will close. The
agency will not take negative action on your Food Assistance case for
failure to provide this information.” If there are no other programs
and this income does not put the household over the 130% threshold it is
considered unclear information and verification may not be requested and should
be noted in the journal and acted on at next IR or Review.
Processing Reported Changes That Are Required to be
Reported –9122.8 1. d.
Lottery
and Gambling Winnings – When a simplified
reporting household reports they received substantial lottery or gambling
winnings staff must take prompt action to verify the information and begin
case closure procedures due to substantial winnings. |