Page 9

Page | 7

H. Notification of Appeals

The CAA shall provide a written notice of the results of an eligibility determination to the household within 45 calendar days, excluding state designated holidays.

If a household does not agree with the CAA’s eligibility determination or receives notification of eligibility/ineligibility within the time specified above, the household has the right to request a desk review with the CAA. If the household is dissatisfied with the results of the desk review, the household has the right to request a Fair Hearing with the Department of Social Services. At the time of application, all households receive written notification of their rights and obligations, including the procedures for requesting a desk review or fair hearing. The decision made by DSS is final. I. Social Security Numbers

Social Security numbers provided by the applicant for all household members will be entered in the Social Security number fields. Apart from the exceptions noted below, Social Security numbers are required for all household members.

Exceptions are made for applicants and/or household members who have either: • Applied for, but not yet received, a Social Security number; or • Are not required to have a Social Security number (includes battered spouses and victims of human trafficking).

J. Non-Qualified Aliens

Non-qualified aliens are not eligible for CEAP benefits. However, other household members who are either qualified aliens or citizens may be eligible for CEAP benefits.

K. Households with Non-Qualified Aliens

Non-qualified aliens shall not be included as part of the household when determining eligibility for CEAP benefits; however, income from non-qualified aliens is required to be included when determining eligibility for CEAP benefits.

VI. PROGRAM INTEGRITY

Social Security numbers are collected by the CAAs for all CEAP applicants and household members, except those identified in Section V.J. The CAAs, through the automated Social Security number data transfer system implemented by DSS, will electronically transmit the Social Security numbers of all applicants and household members requesting benefits through CEAP. As part of the ongoing effort to ensure that CEAP benefits are only provided to eligible households, the CAAs administering CEAP will continue to have inquiry access to the Department’s ImpaCT system. This access enables participating CAAs to confirm the identity of those applicants and household members who are currently or have previously received assistance through various DSS administered programs including, but not limited to: Temporary Family Assistance, SNAP, Refugee Cash Assistance Program, and State Supplement to the Aged, Blind and Disabled. This access aids program administration when determining elements of program eligibility including household composition, address, and income.

To further support program integrity and facilitate the enrollment of qualifying individuals, DSS and the CAAs will continue to conduct periodic data matches of pending applications against DSS enrollment files as a means to qualify individuals. DSS programs that confer categorical eligibility for CEAP require adherence to income verification policies comparable to or more demanding than those required for CEAP.