Page 131

ESA SNAP Policy Manual 115 9.3 SNAP Recipient Work Requirements Individuals who are not exempt must be registered for work by ESA and meet the following SNAP work requirements:  Be registered for work by ESA at application and every 12 months after initial registration.  Provide ESA with sufficient employment status or availability for work when requested.  Accept a genuine offer of suitable employment.  Report to an employer to whom ESA has made a referral as suitable employment.  Not voluntarily reduce work hours to less than 30 hours a week without good cause.  Not voluntarily quit, without good cause, a job that provided more than 30 hours of work a week or provided weekly earnings of at least the federal minimum wage multiplied by 30 hours. If an individual claims to be exempt from work requirements due to employment or self-employment of at least 30 hours per week, verification of the amount of income received from employment is sufficient to establish the exemption if the income appears consistent with employment for at least 30 hours a week at the federal minimum wage. ESA will also not request additional verification if regular earned income verification procedures show the number of hours worked or show both the gross pay and the hourly rate, which can be used to determine the number of hours. If earned income verification does not provide a way to determine the number of hours worked, ESA will request additional verification, such as a signed employer statement or SNAP Verification of Employment or Qualifying Work Activity Form. If a self-employed individual does not meet this exemption, they must cooperate with ESA in establishing that the income received from the self-employment enterprise is at least sufficient to be considered suitable employment (see Section 9.3.5, Suitable Employment). It must be determined whether the employed or self-employed individual is working at least 30 hours per week or earning at least 30 times the District’s minimum wage per week. When determining whether an individual meets the criteria for exemption from work requirements, ESA may request additional documentation when it is unavailable through regular verification procedures performed as part of the certification or recertification process. For example, if questionable, ESA may request verification of the following:  School enrollment, participation in an employment and training program or participation in a refugee training program: In this instance, the household can provide proof by completing the SNAP Verification of Employment or Qualifying Work Activity Form or by providing other documentary evidence. Verification of compliance with TANF work requirements is provided through TANF case management procedures.  When the SSR can visually see that a person is incapacitated, the SSR can determine the individual is exempt from work registration and not required to be referred to work registration. If this is not evident or the disability is not able to be verified though data match information, ESA will request proof with the use of the SNAP Work Requirement Medical Form. Return