213 Providing Benefits to Participants

A. General Each county department is responsible for the timely and accurate issuance of benefits to certified eligible households. Those households comprised of elderly or disabled members who have difficulty reaching issuance offices, and households which do not reside in a permanent dwelling or of a fixed mailing address shall be given assistance in obtaining their regular monthly benefits. County departments shall assist these households by arranging for mail issuance of coupons to them, by assisting them in finding authorized representatives who can act on their behalf, or by using other appropriate means. B. Newly Certified Households All newly certified households, except those that are given expedited service, shall be given an opportunity to participate no later than 30 calendar days following the date the application was filed. An opportunity to participate consists of having an issuance facility open and available for the household to obtain its allotment. If food assistance is mailed, two days shall be allowed for delivery before determining if the household has been provided an opportunity to participate. A unique provision for the delivery of benefits is made to households who meet all of the following conditions: 1. Apply for food assistance after the fifteenth of a month. 2. Fulfill all eligibility requirements and 3. Are determined to be eligible for both the month of application and the next subsequent month. This provision is these households shall receive both allotments at the same time within the appropriate timeliness standards. 4. The period of intended use for an aggregate allotment is two months regardless of the date of issuance. Therefore, a household would be entitled to both the initial and second month’s allotment in either the first month or the second month. C. Ongoing Households All households shall be placed on an issuance schedule so that they receive their benefits on or about the same date each month. 1. The date upon which a household receives its initial allotment after certification need not be the date that the household must receive its subsequent allotments. County departments may stagger the issuance of benefits to households throughout the entire month. 2. No more than 40 days shall be allowed to elapse between any two issuances provided to a household. However, this policy does not apply to households who receive their combined allotment during the first month of the certification period. In these cases more than 40 days may elapse between the combined allotment received during the month of application and the issuance of the third month’s benefits.