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SNAP CERTIFICATION MANUAL – SECTION 1000

1623.3 Disqualification for Non-Cooperation with OCSE (Office of Child Support Enforcement) SNAP Manual 03/27/23 Under state and federal law, cooperation with the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) is a condition of eligibility for SNAP benefits. Applicants for SNAP must cooperate with OCSE, unless it is determined that good cause for non-cooperation exists. Any parent (custodial, teen, or non-custodial) who states a refusal to cooperate with the OCSE requirement, will not be eligible to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Custodial and non-custodial parents will be disqualified according to SNAP 1623.3.4, if there are other eligible household members. A Certified Eligibility Specialist may disqualify a custodial parent or non-custodial parent, or both, of a child under eighteen (18) years of age, if the individual does not cooperate with the OCSE as described below: Custodial Parents may be disqualified from receiving SNAP benefits if they fail to cooperate with the OCSE in establishing paternity of the child (if the child is born out of wedlock) and obtaining support for the child. The Agency must determine if the individual has good cause for the individual’s refusal to cooperate, by taking into consideration circumstances in which cooperation may be against the best interest of the child. Non-Custodial Parents may be disqualified from receiving SNAP benefits if the determined putative or identified noncustodial parent refuses to cooperate in establishing paternity of a child (if the child is born out of wedlock) and is not providing support for the child. If OCSE determines that the non-custodial parent is not cooperating in good faith, the Agency will determine whether non-cooperation constitutes a refusal or unwillingness to cooperate as opposed to an inability to cooperate. Noncustodial parents determined to have refused to cooperate are ineligible, and the Agency does not have the ability to establish good cause. If the Agency determines that the non-custodial parent has refused to cooperate, then that individual shall be ineligible to participate.

1623.3.1 Child Support Cooperation Requirements SNAP Manual 03/27/23

Cooperation with the OCSE by a parent is required when: • The parent is applying for or receiving SNAP benefits, • Paternity has not been established and the alleged father is not in the home, • One (1) or both parents are absent from the home, or • Good cause for non-cooperation does not exist as determined by the Agency.

Custodial Parent cooperation includes the following: