2543 Shelters for Battered Persons and Children - Residents of shelters for battered persons and children which provide meals to their residents may voluntarily apply for the Food Assistance Program. Prior to certifying its residents under the special provisions listed in this section, it shall be determined that the shelter for battered persons and children is a public or private nonprofit residential facility. If such a facility serves other individuals, a portion of the facility must be set aside on a long term basis to serve only battered persons and children.

Persons residing in these shelters which serve meals to the residents shall be certified by using the same provisions that apply to all other households, with the exception of the special provisions set forth in this section.

Persons residing in shelters for battered persons and children which do not provide residents with meals may already participate (if otherwise eligible) because under program regulations, they are not considered as residing in institutions. While these shelter residents who are eligible under existing regulations will continue to be eligible to participate, the facility will need to meet the definition of a shelter for battered persons and children, as listed above in the first paragraph, in order for its residents to be eligible for the special provisions of this section.

2543.1 Certification Procedures

Women and children temporarily residing in shelters shall be considered individual household units for the purposes of applying for and participating in the Food Assistance Program.

Residents of shelters for battered persons shall apply and be certified on their own behalf or may name an authorized representative of their own choosing as would any other household.

Households residing in shelters for battered persons and children shall be certified for a six-month period because there is a substantial likelihood of frequent and significant changes in income or household status for households in these situations. Refer to 9372.

Shelter residents who are included in a certified food assistance household which contains the person who has abused them may, nevertheless, apply for and (if otherwise eligible) participate in the Food Assistance Program as separate households. Shelter residents, who are included in such certified households, may receive an additional allotment as a separate household; however, this additional allotment may be received only one time in a month. The following provisions apply in these situations:

1. The worker shall open a new food assistance case with a new case number for persons who are to be issued a second allotment in a month under this provision.
    
2. The worker shall take prompt action to insure that the former household's eligibility or allotment reflects the change in the household's composition. This should be done by acting on the reported change in accordance with 9121 or 9122.
    
3. Residents who have been certified as the case head and who continue to have access to their share of the food assistance for the current month shall not be issued a duplicate issuance but shall have their case changed to reflect the current circumstances.
    

2543.2 Processing Standards - Residents of shelters for battered persons and children shall have their applications processed in accordance with the expedited or normal processing standards afforded all other food assistance applicants. See 1413 and 1415.1.

2543.3 Income and Resources

1. Shelter residents who apply as separate households shall be certified solely on the basis of their income and resources and the expenses for which they are responsible. They shall be certified without regard to the income, resources, and expenses of their former household.
    
2. Resources jointly owned by residents of shelters for battered persons and by members of their former household are to be considered inaccessible to the shelter resident if access to the value of the resources is dependent on a joint owner who still resides in the former household.
    
3. To determine the shelter deduction for residents of a shelter for battered persons, any payment to the shelter that the resident makes that can be identified specifically as a shelter expense shall be considered.
    

Since there is no exclusion or deduction allowed for actual board payments, any single payment for room and board must be reduced by the current maximum monthly food assistance allotment for the number of persons in the household in order to determine the resident's shelter expense. The payment shall be further reduced by any amounts specifically set aside for purposes other than shelter, such as an income allowance for personal needs. The remainder shall be considered as a shelter expense.

2543.4 Issuance and Use of Benefits - Residents of shelters for battered persons and children covered by this section may use their benefits to purchase meals prepared especially for them at a shelter which is authorized by Food and Consumer Services as a retailer or which redeems at retailers as the authorized representative (for food purchases) of the participating household.

2544 Pre-release Applicants - A household which consists of a resident or residents of a public institution(s) which applies for SSI under SSA's Prerelease Program for the Institutionalized shall be allowed to apply for food assistance benefits jointly with their application for SSI prior to their release from the institution. Such households shall be certified in accordance with the provisions of 1413 (4), 1415.1, and 1417, as appropriate.