1105 Blind or Disabled Residents of Group Living Arrangements

Residents of a group living arrangement (a public or private nonprofit residential setting that serves no more than 16 residents) may voluntarily apply for the food assistance program if blind or disabled as defined in the Glossary. Applying for Food Assistance A resident of a group living arrangement may apply for food assistance in one of the following ways. If the residents apply through the use of the facility’s authorized representative, eligibility must be determined as one-person households or if the residents apply on their own behalf, the household size must be in accordance with the definition of a food assistance household in Chapter 1. Special Certification Provisions The county department must certify these residents by using the same provisions that apply to all other households except, prior to certifying any resident the county department must verify that the group living arrangement meets one of the following: 1. Authorized by FNS as a retailer if the group living arrangement wishes to redeem food assistance through a wholesaler. 2. Certified by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, including the Department of Mental Health’s determination of the group living arrangement is a nonprofit organization. Requirements for Group Living Arrangement 1. Provide monthly listing of residents By the 10th of each month each group living arrangement must provide the county department’s food assistance office a list of their currently participating residents as of the first day of that month. a) This list must include a statement signed by a responsible center official attesting to the validity of the list. If the report is received without this statement and signature, it must be returned immediately to the center as it is considered an incomplete report. b) If by the 20th day of the month a complete report has not been received, participation of all group living arrangement residents must be terminated by individual Notices of Action for adverse action purposes. The reason cited for termination is the refusal to cooperate by the group living arrangement to furnish monthly information as to the household’s residence in the group living arrangement as required by federal regulations. 2. Maintain Accurate EBT Records Each group living arrangement must maintain accurate EBT records on-site and make them available for review by County DHR employees and State and Federal Auditors. If the group home authorized by FNS as an authorized retail store does not provide accurate EBT records, the county must promptly notify the FNS Retailer Service Center. The telephone number is (877) 823-4369. The county must take no action prior to FNS action against the group home. If FNS disqualifies the group home as a retail store, the county must suspend its authorized representative status. The individuals can reapply in their own behalf. A group home, not authorized by FNS as a retail store, must have its authorized representative status removed. The individuals can apply in their own name. Requirement to County Departments to Conduct On-Site Visits The county department must conduct periodic random on-site visits to the group living arrangement. The purpose of these visits is to compare what the group living arrangement has reported concerning residents to the Food Assistance office with the group living arrangement’s actual records for a particular month or for as many months as determined necessary based on chronic problems of failure to report changes by the group living arrangement. The minimum requirement for on-site visits is semiannually. The Food Assistance office may visit much more frequently when problems or conflicts in reports or information provided by the group living arrangement arise. The EBT records must be reviewed during the on-site visit. Residents and Normal Certification Provisions The following provisions apply to residents of group living arrangements: 1. When a resident is entitled to expedited services, eligibility for his initial application shall be processed on an expedited basis, and the county department shall complete verification and documentation requirements prior to issuance of a second food assistance allotment. 2. When normal processing standards apply, the county department shall complete the verification and documentation requirements prior to making an eligibility determination for the initial application. 3. Separate and identifiable room and/or medical costs are given as shelter and medical deductions, respectively. If the amount paid for medical and shelter costs cannot be separately identified, no deduction is allowed for the costs. 4. In some instances, group home residents make a single payment for room, meals, and medical. If so, these items should be identified separately to the extent possible and any allowable shelter and medical expenses deducted. 5. Some group homes charge a basic rate for room and board and higher rates if medical care is needed. In such instances, if a person is charged a higher rate, the basic rate minus the food assistance maximum allotment for a one-person household may be used to determine the shelter costs for that person, and the difference between the basis rate and the higher rate may be determined to be medical costs. 6. If a group home resident makes a single payment for room and meals and the payment cannot be broken down, the amount of the payment which exceeds the maximum food assistance allotment for a one-person household can be allowed as an identified shelter expense. 7. If one or two residents apply as part of the same food assistance household, the food assistance maximum allotment for a one-person household would be deducted from the room and board payment for each person. Any remaining amount for each individual shall be added together and this amount shall be allowed as a shelter deduction for the food assistance household. These procedures apply to residents making their own payments or those instances where a protective payee is handling the payments, but is using the residents own funds. If the group living arrangement is acting in the capacity of an authorized representative, the group living arrangement shall notify the county department of changes in the household’s income or other changes required to be reported, and when the resident leaves the group living arrangement. The group living arrangement shall return to the food assistance office any food assistance benefits received for the resident after he has left the center, When the Resident Leaves the Group Living Arrangement When the resident leaves the group living arrangement, the group living arrangement, either acting as an authorized representative or retaining use of the benefits on behalf of the residents (regardless of the method of application), must provide the resident with his EBT card, PIN number and: 1. His full assistance allotment if already issued and none of the benefits have been spent on behalf of that individual household. This procedure is applicable any time during the month. 2. If the benefits have already been issued and any portion spent on behalf of the individual, and the resident leaves the center prior to the 16th day of the month, the group living arrangement must provide the resident with one-half of his monthly food assistance allotment. 3. If the benefits have already been issued and used, and the resident leaves on or after the 16th of the month, the resident does not receive any refund of benefits. 4. If a group of residents has been certified as one household and have returned the benefits to the facility to use, the departing residents shall be given a shall be given a prorated share of one- half the allotment if leaving prior to the 16th day of the month and shall be instructed to obtain ID cards from the Food Assistance office. 5. EBT cards inadvertently retained and all AR cards must be destroyed immediately by the group home (See Appendix B to the EBT Manual). Once the resident leaves a group living arrangement, the facility is no longer allowed to act as that resident’s authorized representative. 6. The group living arrangement shall, if possible, provide the resident with a Change Report Form to report to the Food Assistance office the individual’s new address and other circumstances after leaving the group living arrangement, and shall advise the household to return the form to the local Food Assistance office within ten (10) days. The Food Assistance office may provide the center with the Exhibit B and inform the center to mail or bring this to the Food Assistance office immediately upon the departure of the resident. 7. As the residents may leave without informing the center of their departure, it is still the center’s responsibility not to obtain benefits for any resident that was not residing in the center on the day benefits were obtained. While recognizing that the abrupt departure of residents is a valid problem, it is not the food assistance office’s responsibility to verify at the time of issuance that a resident still resides at a center (although it will be done later); it is the center’s responsibility. Use of Food Assistance at the Group Living Arrangement The group living arrangement may purchase and prepare food to be consumed by eligible residents on a group basis if residents normally obtain their meals at a central location as part of the group living arrangement services or if meals are prepared at a central location for delivery to the individual residents. If residents purchase and/or prepare food for home consumption, as opposed to communal dining, the group living arrangement shall ensure that each resident’s food assistance are used for meals intended for that resident. If the resident retains use of his own food assistance allotment, he may either use the stamp to purchase meals prepared for them by the facility or to purchase food to prepare meals for their own consumption. Over-issuances The same provisions applicable to drug and alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation centers as noted in the Claims Against Households Manual shall apply to group living arrangements when acting as an authorized representative. These provisions, however, are not applicable if a resident has applied on his own behalf. The resident applying on his own behalf shall be responsible for over-issuances as would any other household.