Out Stationing Eligibility Technicians in SSA Offices

If the local office, with the approval of the State Department, chooses to outstation eligibility technicians at SSA offices, with SSA's concurrence, the following actions shall be completed: A. SSA will provide adequate space for SNAP eligibility technician in SSA offices; B. The local office shall have at least one out stationed technician on duty at all time periods during which households will be referred for SNAP application processing. In most cases, this would require the availability of an out stationed technician throughout normal SSA business hours; C. The following households shall be entitled to file SNAP applications with, and be interviewed by, an out stationed eligibility technician: 1. Households containing an SSI client. 2. Households which do not have an SSI client but which contain an applicant for or recipient of benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, if the county and the SSA have an agreement to allow the processing of such households at SSA offices. D. Households shall be interviewed for SNAP on the day of application unless there is insufficient time to conduct an interview. The county shall arrange for the out stationed technician to interview clients as soon as possible; E. The out stationed eligibility technician(s) shall not refuse to provide service to a client because they do not reside in the county or project area in which the SSA office is located, if they reside within the jurisdiction served by the SSA office and the State. The county is not required to process the applications of persons who are not residing within the SSA office’s jurisdiction but who do reside within the county's jurisdiction, other than to forward the forms to the correct local offices; F. The county may permit the eligibility technician out stationed at the SSA office to determine the eligibility of households, or may require that completed applications be forwarded elsewhere for the eligibility determination; G. Applications from households entitled to joint processing through an out stationed eligibility technician shall be considered filed on the date they are submitted to that technician. Both the normal and expedited service time standards shall begin on that date; and, H. Households not entitled to joint processing shall be entitled to obtain and submit applications at the SSA office. The out stationed eligibility technician need not process these applications except to forward them to correct local office where they shall be considered filed upon receipt. Both the normal and expedited service time standards shall begin on that date.