1700 Simplified Reporting

Simplified reporting is a term used to describe the limited reporting requirements for all households receiving food assistance benefits. Six-month reporting is a term used to describe those simplified reporting households who are required to submit a report form during the sixth month of the certification period. All households are assigned a 12-month certification period (unless ineligibility can be predicted with reasonable certainty based on information provided at the certification interview). Reporting Requirements 1. All households are required to report when their income exceeds 130% of the poverty level for their household size. Do not consider ineligible or disqualified persons in determining the household size for reporting purposes. 2. Households containing an ABAWD, exempt from the time-limits only because he or she meets the 20 hour/week work requirement (80 hours a month) must report when that person’s work hours fall below 20 hours per week. 3. All households must report the receipt of substantial lottery or gambling winnings of $4500 or more. Substantial lottery and gambling winnings are defined as a cash prize won in a single game, before taxes or other amounts are withheld, which is equal to or greater than the SNAP resource limit for elderly or disabled households. Households must report required changes by the 10th day of the month after the month during which the change occurred. Households with no earned income and all adult household members are elderly or disabled have no additional required reporting requirements during their assigned certification period. Eligibility and benefit level for the entire certification period are determined prospectively based on the best information available at the time of certification to anticipate for the entire certification period. All other households are subject to six-month reporting. They are sent a computer-generated six- month report form, which must be completed and returned by the specified filing date in order to continue receiving benefits, if eligible. Eligibility and benefit levels for the first six months of the certification period are determined prospectively, based on the best information available at the time of certification to anticipate for the first six months of the certification period. Eligibility and benefit level for the last six months of the certification period are determined prospectively based on information reported on the six-month report form to anticipate for the remaining six months of the certification period. All households must be provided with information at certification to advise them of their gross income limits for reporting purposes. No other changes must be reported by households during their certification period, except for those changes required on the six-month report form. If a household voluntarily reports a change, the change will only be acted on if the change will result in an increase in the household’s benefits.