1106 Shelter for Battered Individuals and Children

Residents of shelters for battered individuals and children may apply for food assistance. Prior to Certification Prior to certifying residents of shelters for battered individuals and children, under the provisions of this section, the county department must determine if either of the conditions below have been met: 1. Determine if the shelter is a public or private nonprofit residential facility for abused or battered individuals. 2. Determine that the shelter has FNS authorization to redeem food assistance at wholesalers. This determination must be documented, and no further action is required to make any further determination. Special Certification Provisions 1. Special Issuance Many shelter residents have recently left a household containing the person who abused them. Their former household may be certified for participation in the Food Assistance Program, and its certification may be based on a household size that includes the individual and children who have just left. Shelter residents who are included in such certified households may apply for and if otherwise eligible participate in the Food Assistance Program as separate households if such certified household which includes them is the household containing the person who subjected them to abuse. Shelter residents who are included in such certified households may receive their own allotment as a separate household even though they have not yet been removed from their previous household due to adverse action procedures. 2. Eligibility Determination Shelter residents who apply as a separate household shall be certified solely on the basis of their income, resources and the expenses for which they are responsible. For handling of jointly owned resources, see the section below. Residents shall be certified without regard to the income, resources, and expenses of their former household. Jointly Owned Resources A resident’s interest or share in any non-liquid resource which is jointly owned with a non-household member is to be excluded from the resident’s countable resources in determining food assistance eligibility if: 1. The resources are jointly owned by such persons and by members of their former household, and 2. The shelter resident’s access to the value of the resource is dependent upon the agreement of a joint owner who still resides in the former household. Liquid resources which the resident jointly owns (bank accounts, etc.) which the resident has access to, shall continue to be counted in the resource determination. Other County Department Action County departments shall take prompt action to ensure that the former household’s eligibility and allotment reflects the change in the household’s composition due to the departure of the battered individuals and children. The county department may either process the change and, when necessary, issue a Notice of Adverse Action, or shorten the former household’s certification period by issuing a Notice of Expiration with the certification to end the month following the month the notice is sent.