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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 8000 8700 Certification Period 8000 Initial Application Process

8700 Certification Period

SNAP Manual 09/01/2022 A certification period is a designated period during which a household is eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Certification periods are based upon calendar months. The month a household applies for SNAP benefits is usually the first month in the certification period even if the application is not approved until a later month. A household may be determined eligible for the month the application was submitted, but not receive any SNAP benefits due to proration. In these cases, the certification period will begin with the month of application even though the household will not receive any SNAP benefits for that month. When a household is ineligible for one (1) month or more in the period of application, the certification period begins with the first month of eligibility. Eligibility for SNAP benefits cease at the end of each certification period. All households participating in regular SNAP must be re-certified before additional benefits can be issued. Certification periods range in length from one (1) month to thirty-six months and are assigned according to the current household situation.

8710 Assigning Certification Periods SNAP Manual 09/01/2022 All households are subject to limited reporting and will be assigned certification periods as specified below: 1. Households consisting totally of adults aged sixty (60) or older or adults living with a disability with no earnings, or a child support deduction will be assigned a thirty-six-month certification period. o A household composed entirely of persons aged sixty (60) or older or living with a disability, and minor dependent children aged fifteen (15) or younger will be assigned a six (6) month certification. These households will be subject to Limited Reporting. 2. A household composed entirely of Supplemental Security