1704 Required Actions on Six-Month Reports

A. Processing of Six-Month Reports Received in the Processing Month Six-month report forms which are received by the 10th of the processing month and are complete, must be processed within 10 days of receipt in the county office. If the form is received by the 10th of the processing month and is incomplete, the county office must return the incomplete form within 10 days. A manual Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report will be sent to the household when an incomplete six-month report is received by the county office. The eligibility worker should not return the six-month report form if it is complete except for required verification. If the household returns the completed form and/or required documentation and verification by the end of the processing month, the county office must process the complete form within 10 days. If the household fails to respond to the Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report by the end of the processing month, the case will close for failure to provide a complete six-month report. If the household provides the completed six-month report along with required documentation and verification in the month (seventh month) after the processing month, the household's benefits must be reinstated. See Section 1704-C, Special Procedures for Processing Six-Month Reports Received in the Month After Processing Month. If the household submits the completed six-month report after the 10th of the processing month but before the end of the processing month, the county office has 10 days to process the completed form to completion. Benefits must not be prorated. If the household submits an incomplete six-month report after the 10th of the month but before the end of the processing month, the form must be returned to the household within 10 days. A manual Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report will be sent to the household for required verification. If the household returns the completed form and/or required documentation and verification by the end of the processing month, the county office must process the complete form within 10 days. Benefits must not be prorated. If the household fails to respond to the Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report by the end of the processing month, the case will close for failure to six-month report. If the household provides the completed six-month report along with required documentation and verification in the month (seventh month) after the processing month, the household's benefits must be reinstated. See Section 1704-C, Special Procedures for Processing Six-Month Reports Received in the Month after Processing Month. When the last day of the month falls on a weekend or a holiday, those reports received in person, by mail, fax, or internet (MyAlabama.gov) on the first workday after the final deadline must be considered as received before the deadline. If the form is complete, the caseworker must reopen the case within 10 days. Benefits must not be prorated. If the form is incomplete, follow the policy and instructions in Section 1704-C, Special Procedures for Processing Six-Month Reports Received in the Month after Processing Month. If in the month following the month of termination (7th Month), it is discovered/determined that the complete six-month report was received in the county office before the final deadline, but due to agency error the form was not processed, the report must be processed and the case reopened without a new application. The original certification period must be retained in this situation. Benefits must not be prorated. If such a discovery is made after the seventh month, the household must be sent an application and informed to reapply. Eligibility and benefit level for the new certification period will be determined following usual policy. The certification period assigned will be based on the new application date. The policy found in Chapter 16 should be followed to determine the amount of any restoration of lost benefits the household is entitled due to the agency error in processing the six-month report. Benefits shall be denied or terminated at any time it is determined that the household is prospectively ineligible except as provided in Chapter 10, Section 1000 C. B. Reports Made by the Household Outside of the Six-Month Report If additional information is reported by the household in the processing month before the six-month report form is processed to completion, this information must be reviewed to determine if this information should be processed in conjunction with the six-month report. Review this information to determine if the reported change occurred in the report month. If not, this information should be processed outside of the six-month report form. Send the household a request for verification (DHR-FSD 958). If verification is not provided when this additional information is reported, if verification is provided, the caseworker must send a Notice of Adverse Action (10-day notice) to decrease benefits if the reported change causes a reduction in benefits. If the household fails to provide verification, the household must be sent a Notice of Adverse Action (10-day notice) to close the case due to failure to provide verification. If the household provides the requested verification in the month following case closure, the household's benefits may be reinstated. See Section 1706-C, Special Procedures for Reopening Cases After Household Fails to Provide Verification. If additional information is reported by the household in the processing month after the six-month report form has been processed to completion, this information must be reviewed to determine if this reported change causes a decrease or increase in the household's benefits. If the reported change causes an increase in benefits, this change must be processed to completion within 10 days. However, a change to increase benefits must not be processed without verification. If the reported change causes a decrease in benefits, action must not be taken to process this change until recertification. In some cases, the caseworker must complete a trial budget to determine what effect the reported change may have on the monthly allotment. If the allotment decreases due to the reported change, a letter (no effect) must be sent to the household notifying the household that the change was received; however, it will not affect the allotment until recertification. C. Special Procedures for Processing Six-Month Reports Received in the Month after Processing The following reinstatement/reopen policy and procedures apply to those households who submitted the six-month report in the processing month but failed to provide the required documentation and verification for processing by the end of the processing month (Section 1704-A). Example: Household's certification period is October through September. The February six-month report is due March 10th. The incomplete report is received on March 10th and is returned to the household on March 20th. The household submits the February six-month report again on March 25th and the form is still incomplete. The form is sent back to the household on March 29th. The household returns the February six-month report with the missing documentation/verification on April 11th. This household's eligibility must be reinstated. The new application date becomes April 11th and the certification period is April through September. Benefits are prorated for the month of April. This policy must also be applied to those households who submit the six-month report for the first time in the month (seventh month) after the processing month and the case has been terminated for failure to six-month report (REJ/CLO 7/41). Example: Household's certification period is from December through November. The April six-month report is due May 10th. The household does not submit the completed April six-month report until June 3rd. This household's eligibility must be reinstated. The new application date becomes June 3rd and the certification period is June through November. Benefits are prorated for the month of June. The case worker must determine if the six-month report is complete or incomplete. If complete, the form must be processed, the case reopened, and the household notified of continued eligibility. The household must be eligible for benefits for the month of reinstatement (seventh month) and the remaining months of the current certification period; otherwise, the case must remain closed. If eligible, benefits for the month of reinstatement must be prorated. The new application date becomes the date the county office received the six-month report with all required documentation and verification. The household must not be assigned a new certification period of 12 months but assigned a certification period for the last six months of the current certification period. The county must reset the certification period. The certification period and start issuance month must begin with the month the case is reopened (seventh month) in order to accomplish proration of benefits. Households with a new application date after the 15th of the month are not entitled to a combined allotment under this policy. Example: Household is originally assigned a certification period of November through October. The six- month report for March is due April 10th. The incomplete report is received on April 10th and is returned to the household on April 20th. The household returns the completed March six-month report on May 3rd. The county must reinstate the household's eligibility. The new application date becomes May 3rd and the certification period May through October. Benefits must be prorated for the month of May. If the six-month report form is incomplete, the caseworker must return the form with a Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report form. The Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report form must include the date by which the completed form with the required documentation and verification must be returned to the county office. If the household fails to return a complete form with the required documentation and verification by the end of the seventh month, the case must remain closed and the household must reapply. Example: Household is originally assigned a certification period of November through October. The six- month report for March is due April 10th. The incomplete report Is received on April 10th and is returned to the household on April 20th. The household returns the March six-month report on May 3rd and the form continues to be incomplete. The county office must return the form again along with a Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report form. The household returns the completed six-month report on May 30th. Within 10 days, the county must reinstate the household's eligibility. The new application date becomes May 30th and the certification period May through October. Benefits must be prorated for the month of May. If in the seventh month the household submits an application but only needs to submit a completed six- month report to be reinstated, the caseworker must send the household the appropriate six-month report form. Advise the household to send the completed six-month report with documentation and verification and the case can be reopened without having to schedule another interview. The household needs to know that the completed form with documentation and verification must be submitted to the county office by the end of the seventh month. If the household fails to take the required action, the case must remain closed. Do not register the application in these cases. If the application is registered in error and the household returns the completed six-month report, the application date must be changed to the date the completed six-month report was received in the county office. If the application is registered in error and a completed six-month report form is never returned by the household, the application must be denied on the last work day of the 7th month using REJ/CLO Code 26. The county office must send a manual Notice of Denial/Form 660 to the household explaining why the application was denied. Thoroughly document the county's actions in the case file. If in the seventh month the household has submitted a six-month report and later submits an application, do not register the application. If the report is complete, the county office must process the completed six-month report, reopen the case, and notify the household of continued eligibility following the reinstatement policy stated above. If the report is incomplete when received in the seventh month, the caseworker must return the form with a Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report form. The Notice of Incomplete Six-Month Report form must include the date by which the completed form with the required documentation and verification must be returned to the county office. If the household fails to return a completed form with the required documentation and verification by the end of the seventh month, the case must remain closed, and the household must reapply. If the application is registered in error and a complete six-month report is not returned by the end of the seventh month, the application must be denied on the last workday of the seventh month using REJ/CLO Code 26. The county office must send a manual Notice of Denial/Form DHR-FAO 660 to the household explaining why the application was denied. Thoroughly document the county actions in the case file. D. Notices The following automated notices will be sent to six-month reporting households as appropriate. 1. Reminder/Termination Notice This notice will be generated on the 15th of the processing month and sent to all households who do not send in a six-month report by the 10th of the processing month. The notice states as follows: This is the only notice the household will receive informing the household that the six-month report has not been submitted and failure to do so by the last day of the processing month will result in termination. The six-month reporting universe must be updated daily to reflect the receipt of these forms. 2. Notice of Action Notice This notice will be generated daily as six-month reports are processed to notify households of allotment changes or termination based on the information reported on the six-month report. This notice will be generated when the household voluntarily reports a change outside of the six-month report which when processed will increase benefits. This notice will be generated for other changes such as when a notice of adverse action expires to terminate benefits; process a required change according to policy; and inform households that their cases have been denied/terminated due to the household's failure to provide verification. The notice sent to households to deny/terminate benefits because the household failed to provide verification states that if the missing verification is provided before the end of the month after the case is closed, the case can be reopened without a new application. This notice will be generated at the end of the month for those households whose cases are terminated for failure to provide a six-month report. The notice sent to households to terminate benefits for failure to provide a six-month report states that the case can be reopened without an application if the completed report is submitted by the last day of the seventh month.