Connecticut Department of Social Services Uniform Policy Manual: 1505.40P Application Process - Determining Eligibility

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF INCOME MAINTENANCEPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-15-90 Transmittal: UP-90-26 P-1505.40 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Determining Eligibility ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.40 1. Investigate all factors relating to eligibility or benefit level prior to granting or denying assistance.

2. Allow ten days for the applicant to provide verification or complete other required actions.

3. Follow these guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary processing delays and undue client hardship:

° at the time the interview is conducted, identify all the actions that the applicant must take to establish eligibility, including verification and procedural requirements;

° make certain that the applicant understands his or her responsibilities;

° assist the applicant as necessary, as long as he or she cooperates;

° follow procedures specified in P-1540 in verifying eligibility factors;

° prioritize the caseload and regularly review the priorities, considering such factors as processing deadlines, applicant hardship, and estimated time frames for obtaining all required documentation;

° utilize internal sources of information (such as DMV and labor access), and other resources as much as possible in order to avoid excessive requests for verification or processing delays.

4. Review documents as they are received. Take action within 7 calendar days from the date of receipt.

5. When some verification is received but it is not sufficient to completely determine eligibility, allow the applicant a 10 day extension to submit more verification.

6. Also allow a 10 day extension if the applicant has good cause for failing to submit required verification on time.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF INCOME MAINTENANCE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-15-90 Transmittal: UP-90-26 P-1505.40 page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Determining Eligibility ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.40 7. Except for Food Stamps, continue the above steps 4, 5, and 6 indefinitely, until:

a. eligibility is established; or

b. the applicant fails to submit any additional verification, by the deadline, without good cause.

8. For Food Stamps, continue steps 4, 5, and 6 unless granting an extension will cause the case to exceed the FS standard of promptness.

9. Consider making a follow-up contact to check on the applicant's progress and offer assistance if any of the following conditions exist:

° the applicant has expressed difficulty in obtaining verification and has indicated that the information may be provided late; or

° the applicant is having difficulty complying because of age or disability; or

° the missing information is reasonably available through some other means.

10. Take the following actions when contacting the applicant:

° inform the applicant of the verification which is outstanding and of the availability of assistance if the applicant is having difficultly obtaining the verification;

° discuss other forms of verification which might be easier for the applicant to obtain;

° allow the applicant an additional 10 days to provide the missing information;

° if no verification is received, determine if there is good cause to grant a ten day extension;

° document the case record, being sure to show the date of any action taken, and the deadlines for response from the applicant.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF INCOME MAINTENANCE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 8-1-90 Transmittal: UP-90-26 P-1505.40 page 3 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Determining Eligibility ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.40 11. Provide notification and document the case file if it is determined that the applicant is required to take additional actions that were not requested at the time of the interview in order to complete the application.

12. When there is enough information and verification to establish eligibility, process the application and grant assistance.

13. If application was made for more than one program, process each program application independently if this will ensure faster delivery of benefits. Do not wait to process the program applications simultaneously unless FS eligibility is dependent upon the status of the companion cash assistance application.

14. Process the application and deny assistance under the following circumstances:

° when enough information has been obtained to determine the assistance unit ineligible; or

° when the applicant has not submitted any of the required verification, within 30 days of the application date, and does not have good cause for the delay; or

° when the applicant has not provided any verification by the end of the 10 day period or of a 10 day extension to submit verification and another extension has not been granted, and the applicant does not have good cause for the delay; or

° when the applicant has failed to submit additional verification during a 10 day extension which was granted for that purpose, without good cause.

15. For FS applications held pending beyond thirty days because of administrative delays, wait until the sixtieth day following the date of application to deny assistance if the applicant becomes at fault for not completing the application in the second thirty day period. (Cross reference: 1505.40).

16. Issue the appropriate notice to the assistance unit.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-22-06 Transmittal: UP-07-14 P-1505.40 page 4 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process PROCEDURES ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: AFDC The Application Process AABD _______________________________________________________________ MA Subject: FS Determining Eligibility ______________________________________________________________________________

P-1505.40 17. Advise clients that benefits issued through EFT will be available by the third business day after the case is granted.

18. Advise clients who have benefits issued through EBT that:

° their benefits will be in the EBT account by the third business day after the case is granted

° their EBT cards will be mailed the day after they are issued in EMS and should be received within 2 mailing days after the card is issued

° clients must call the EBT customer service phone number to select a PIN

° benefits cannot be accessed until the client has his/her EBT card and selects his/her PIN

19. Document your actions in EMS or the paper file.