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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 12000 12400 Unclear Information 12450 Reports by Individuals / Generally KnownInformation
request for contact, a ten-day advance notice of adverse action must be sent to the household’s last known address before the case can be closed.
12450 Reports by Individuals / Generally Known Information SNAP MANUAL 04/01/05 When an individual makes a report, the worker must attempt to obtain the individual’s name and address. However, this is not required information. When an individual gives his/her name but requests anonymity, his/her name will not be released to the household. The name will be removed from the case record if the household wants to review the record. When an individual contacts the county office or other agency personnel to report unsolicited information about a household receiving SNAP benefits, the report must be substantiated through a field investigation or collateral contact. For example, an individual reports that a SNAP recipient is employed at a local factory. First, the worker will check to see if the income has been reported by the household. If yes, no additional action is required. If no, the worker will follow the procedures in SNAP 12440 to substantiate the information. When information becomes known about a limited reporting household including those households subject to semi-annual reporting, the information must be analyzed to determine if the case will be affected right away. For example, if all household members have died or moved from the State, the case must be closed. If there are surviving household members, the deceased member will be removed from the SNAP budget. If the household’s current situation cannot be verified, a request for contact must be issued as explained in SNAP 12400 prior to the action. If the notice returns Addressee Unknown/No Forwarding Address/Deceased, the case will be closed without further notice. See SNAP 11450. If a household member has been observed working, all circumstances regarding the unreported income will be documented in the case record. The employment will be verified when the next semi-annual report or application is submitted. Changes in SNAP households may become known to the agency through common knowledge. Examples of common knowledge are: 1. The marriage of a member of a currently certified household is announced in the newspaper. 2. The obituary of a member of a currently certified household appears in the newspaper.