Page 184

ESA SNAP Policy Manual 168 13.6 Certification Periods SNAP households are assigned the following certification periods based on circumstances:  A six-month certification period is assigned to households experiencing homelessness or those that lack a fixed and regular nighttime residence.  A 12-month certification period is assigned to households that do not meet the criteria for a six- or 36-month certification period. Households assigned a 12-month certification period are required to complete a mid-certification at six months. See Section 15.4, Mid-Certification Requirements.  A 36-month certification period is assigned to Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) households—households in which all adults are aged 60 or older and/or have a disability and have no earned income. Note: Children can be present in these households. ESAP households are not required to complete a mid-certification. See Section 20.1, Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP), for further information regarding ESAP eligibility, requirements and processing of these types of household cases. 13.6.1 Shortening Certification Periods ESA may not shorten a household’s certification period unless one of the following criteria is met:  ESA receives information that the household has become ineligible.  The household has not complied with requests to clarify unclear information or data matches.  ESA must shorten the household’s certification period to comply with the requirements of Section 15.1, Simplified Reporting. ESA must use the Notice of Adverse Action to shorten a certification period, not the Notice of Expiration.  Note: Loss of public assistance or a change in employment status is insufficient by itself to meet the criteria necessary for shortening the certification period. 13.6.2 Extending Certification Periods ESA may extend a household’s current certification period once it is established, as long as the total months of the certification period do not exceed 36 months for households eligible for ESAP or 12 months for other households. If ESA extends a household’s certification period, it must advise the household of the new certification ending date with a notice containing the same information as the Notice of Eligibility. Legal Authority Certification periods (federal): SNAP: 7 CFR § 273.10(f)(1)-(5)

Return