Page 29

SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTIONS 100 TO 900 800 Quality Assurance (Q.A.)

810 The Selection Process

If a household’s case is closed for refusal to cooperate in the Federal Quality Control process, the household may reapply but cannot be determined eligible until: 1. The household cooperates with the Federal Quality Control reviewer; or 2. Until seven months after the end of the completed annual review period (April 30th). The annual review period ends on September 30th. The household must provide verification of all eligibility requirements prior to certification. EXAMPLE: A household’s SNAP case is being reviewed by Federal Quality Control for the review month of March 1999. The household refuses to cooperate with the reviewer. The annual review period ends on September 30, 1999, and the seven-month period ends April 30, 2000. On May 5, 2000, the household reapplies and is found eligible after all eligibility factors are verified.

810 The Selection Process SNAP MANUAL 12/01/98 Cases are selected at random for Quality Assurance reviews. This is referred to as a “Q.A. Pull”. A Q.A. Pull is conducted each month for the previous month. This means that the September Pull contains only denials or closures completed in August or cases on households who participated during the month of August. August will be considered the “review month”. August 1st will normally be the “review date”. Q.A. may consider another day within the review month the review date. For example, if an initial application was received in the review month, the date the application was certified becomes the review date. Denials or closures are referred to as negative actions or negative cases. The cases of households who participated in the review month are called active cases. Certain cases are not subject to the review process. These are cases in which: 1. All household members died or moved out of the state before the review could be completed; 2. The household is receiving SNAP benefits under a disaster certification authorized by FNS; 3. The household is under investigation for an intentional program violation with a pending administrative disqualification hearing; 4. The household is appealing an adverse action when the review date falls within the time period covered by continuation of benefits pending a hearing decision; or