Connecticut Department of Social Services Uniform Policy Manual: 1505.10P Application Process - Initiating the Application

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 12-5-08 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 A. Initial Contacts

1. Determine if the individual has any previous record with the Department.

2. Consult records which are readily available. Consider circumstances such as:

° is there an active case or one that may be converted from a suspended to an issuance status;

° has the applicant's eligibility been terminated less than 6 calendar months;

° has a previous application been denied within the past fifteen days;

° has an applicant for Food Stamps only been denied within the past thirty days?

3. Do not require a new interview or completion of a new EDD under the following circumstances:

° a previous application for any program was denied within the past 15 days due to missing verification, and that verification has now been submitted; or

° a previous application for Food Stamps only was denied within the past 30 days due to missing verification, and that verification has now been submitted, and the new application is for Food Stamps only; or

° the applicant requests cash or medical assistance no later than thirty days after being released from a correctional or mental disease facility, was a recipient of cash or medical assistance and lost eligibility directly or indirectly because of his or her institutionalization within the twenty-four month period preceding the date of his or her release.

Loss of eligibility indirectly related to institutionalization includes situations where the applicant lost eligibility due to whereabouts unknown, failure to complete a redetermination or failure to cooperate with any procedural requirement if it can be reasonably established that the failure was due to his or her institutionalization. Please see P-1505.10 D below for special processing instructions.

4. Complete the ARF portion of the application form and the initial screening.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 4-1-04 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 A. Initial Contacts (continued)

5. Obtain the applicant's signature on the ARF in order to establish a formal application. If the interview is conducted on the same day and the EDD is signed, it will not be necessary to obtain the applicant's signature on the ARF portion of the application.

6. Review the application for expedited service entitlement. Try to complete the application interview at this time if the applicant is entitled to expedited processing.

7. Consider actions taken prior to the signing of the ARF as actions related to an inquiry. If, for example, the applicant withdraws the assistance request prior to signing the ARF, do not complete a denial notice.

8. Provide the applicant with any materials necessary to complete the application, including the following when appropriate:

° EDD;

° verification check list;

° work registration material;

° verification forms;

° informational materials;

° return envelope.

9. Provide form (W-1660) "Application Processing Time Limit" to the client and explain the system.

10. Explain to applicant either in person, by mail, or over the phone, the next step in the application process. Include instructions on filling out an application form, verification requirements, time frame for taking action, and the time and place of any necessary interviews.

11. When a unit reapplies after having been discontinued for no more than six calendar months as the result of situations involving such things as the receipt of a lump sum or the reduction of excess assets:

° have the applicant sign a completed ARF:

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 9-1-06 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 page 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 A. Initial Contacts (continued)

° obtain the closed record;

° interview the applicant and update the information on EMS or the existing EDD if that information is reasonably current;

° for programs not requiring an interview, update the information on EMS if that information is reasonably current;

° require that a new EDD be completed, or have the applicant sign an EMS generated EDD, if information received seems questionable or appears to have changed significantly;

° request all necessary verification;

° make all appropriate referrals;

° refer all cash and Medicaid applicants under the age of twenty-one and pregnant woman applicants, to the HealthTrack unit.

12. Establish the case file after the initial screening is completed.

B. Special Instructions for Mail-In or Hand Delivered Applications

1. If an ARF is submitted through the mail, review it along with anything else that was submitted.

2. Follow all procedures for Initial Contacts, as listed above.

Consider the application date the date the application is received. The application must be date stamped the day it is received and screened in EMS by the end of the next business day.

4. Attempt to contact the applicant by telephone.

5. If the applicant is contacted:

° review the information on the ARF, or conduct a screening if the ARF was not complete;

° review the verification requirements with the applicant;

° arrange for completion of the interview if one is required. CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 12-5-08 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 page 4 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 B. Special Instructions for Mail-In or Hand Delivered Applications (continued)

6. Return any other forms or materials that require signature or further completion, if necessary.

C. Special Instructions for Faxed Applications

1. Follow the procedures for mail-in and hand delivered applications.

2. Consider the application date the date the fax is received.

Notify the applicant or the representative that the original, signed application form must be submitted before the case can be granted.

D. Special Processing Instructions for Individuals Recently Released from a Correctional or Mental Disease Facility

When an applicant requests cash or medical assistance within thirty days of being released from an institution and was previously a recipient of cash or medical assistance and lost eligibility, either directly or indirectly, because of his or her institutionalization within the twenty-four month period preceding the date of his or her release:

1. reinstate previous cash or medical case; and

2. initiate and complete an expedited redetermination in EMS if the previous redetermination period has expired or will expire no later than three months from the current benefit month by using the information already in EMS and rekeying all appropriate verification codes; and

before confirming completed redetermination, shorten the redetermination period to three months by adding three months to the current benefit month.

E. Self-Generated State Supplement and Medicaid Applications for SAGA Clients

1. When a SAGA client is awarded Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits:

Determine whether the client requested “Money Assistance” on his or her original application;

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 12-5-08 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 page 5 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 E. Self-Generated State Supplement and Medicaid Applications for SAGA Clients (continued)

b. If the client requested “Money Assistance”, determine State Supplement eligibility for any month in which he or she is eligible for Social Security or SSI benefits as follows:

1. Budget Social Security retro benefits as income for the months that they were intended, even if the benefits were SSI benefits paid to DSS as a reimbursement for SAGA cash benefits;

2. Budget any unreimbursed SAGA cash benefits as unearned income;

3. Calculate the client’s applied income and compare it to his or her needs;

4. Screen and grant a State Supplement AU for any month in which the client’s applied income is less than his or her needs. Remember to budget Social Security disability and SSI benefits as unearned income types “SD” and “SI” respectively on the UINC screen. Unreimbursed SAGA cash income should be coded as unearned income type “OA”.

5. If the client is ineligible for State Supplement, screen and grant an S03 Medicaid AU. Treat retroactive Social Security benefits as a lump sum in the month of receipt and determine ongoing Medicaid eligibility accordingly.

c. If the client did not request “Money Assistance” on his or her original application, evaluate for both retrospective and prospective Medicaid eligibility.

When a SAGA client is determined disabled by Colonial Cooperative Care:

a. Screen an S03 Medicaid AU using the original application date or the onset of disability date (whichever is later) as the application date. CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 12-5-08 Transmittal: UP-09-06 P-1505.10 page 6 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Initiating the Application ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.10 E. Self-Generated State Supplement and Medicaid Applications for SAGA Clients (continued)

b. Process all application months, completing the disability fields on the DEM2 screen. Enter an AU Status Reason Code of “586” on the STAT screen of the SAGA medical AU for any month that will be closed due to the Medicaid grant.

c. Finalize the application, awarding Medicaid and closing SAGA medical. It is important to grant S03 for all months in which the client has been found disabled in order to collect Federal matching funds on his or her medical expenditures.