UPM 1515.10 - Processing Requirements

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICESPRIVATE UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 11-1-97 Transmittal: UP-98-12 1515.10 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: FS Expedited Service _______________________________________________________________ Subject: Processing Requirements ______________________________________________________________________________

1515.10 A. Standard of Promptness

1. For assistance units that qualify for expedited service, eligibility is determined no later than the seventh calendar day following the expedited service filing date.

2. The expedited service filing date is the day the signed application is received by the Regional Office having administrative responsibility for the applicant's geographic region of residence, except with prerelease applicants.

3. The expedited service filing date for prerelease applicants is the date of release from the institution.

4. If the assistance unit is eligible, benefits must be deposited into their EBT account by the seventh calendar day following the expedited service filing date.

5. Assistance units that file an application at an office of the SSA or at a Regional Office which does not serve their geographic region must be informed of the potential delay caused by submitting the request to the wrong office.

6. If the Department fails or is unable to identify entitlement to expedited service on the filing date, but subsequently discovers such entitlement, the seven day processing requirement is applied beginning with the day after the discovery date.

7. The standard of promptness has been met if by the seventh calendar day following the expedited service filing date one of the following actions has occurred:

a. A notice has been issued if the assistance unit is found ineligible, or because of proration requirements, is not entitled to receive benefits for the month of application; (cross reference: 6020)

b. The assistance unit's benefits have been deposited into the unit's EBT account.

CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES UNIFORM POLICY MANUAL ______________________________________________________________________________ Date: 02-13-01 Transmittal: UP-01-04 1515.10 page 2 ______________________________________________________________________________ Section: Type: Eligibility Process POLICY ______________________________________________________________________________ Chapter: Program: FS Expedited Service _______________________________________________________________ Subject: Processing Requirements ______________________________________________________________________________

1515.10 B. Allowances for Mailing Time in Expedited Service Cases

1. Allowances are made for delays in the expedited service processing standards if:

a. application is made by mail rather than in person; and

b. the Department must schedule the application interview or obtain signature on the eligibility screening document through mail correspondence; and

c. all reasonable efforts are made to contact the applicant by telephone and to determine eligibility within the special processing standard.

2. If a telephone interview is conducted with an applicant who is entitled to a waiver of the office interview, the mailing time required to obtain signature on the application form is discounted in the calculation of the processing time.

3. If the Department must mail a notice to the applicant in order to schedule an in-office interview or a home visit, the time period between the mailing date of the notice and the scheduled appointment or home visit is counted in the calculation of the processing time. However, the Department is not held responsible for any resulting delay, provided that a reasonable effort is made to complete the application process with the promptness standard.

4. The Department has made reasonable effort to contact the applicant and process the application within the expedited service processing standards if:

a. the applicant is contacted by phone or mailed an interview or home visit notice within one business day of the date that entitlement to expedited service is discovered; and

b. the home visit or interview is conducted at the earliest possible date.

5. The Department is not responsible if the processing standard is exceeded due to the applicant's failure to respond to correspondence in a prompt manner.