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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 185 14.9 Deceased Individuals ESA must ensure that benefits are not issued to any individual who is deceased. To provide this assurance, ESA has entered into a computer matching agreement with the SSA to obtain information from SSA about individuals who are deceased. The Deceased Matching System (DMS) via SVES will provide ESA staff access to information on deceased individuals furnished by SSA. A request for information on deceased individuals for all applicants and recipients must be made at the following times:  Application prior to approval  Interview for recertification  Before adding a new household member  As necessary to determine eligibility The certification process must not be delayed beyond the processing standards if the SVES data is not available. If ESA receives the information after certification, ESA must take immediate action to make any changes if appropriate. ESA should use the information the household provided if it is more current and/or accurate than available SVES information. Information on deceased individuals obtained from SVES is not considered verified upon receipt. When ESA receives Death Match information from SVES, ESA will follow up by notifying the household that a match was received. ESA must obtain independent verification through contact with family members of the deceased, a newspaper obituary or other appropriate means (see Section 15.6, Unclear Information). ESA must recover any remaining benefits from the EBT card upon verification that all household members are deceased. Legal Authority Denial of SNAP benefits for deceased individuals (federal): 7 USC § 2020(r), 7 USC § 2016(h)(12), 7 CFR § 272.14, 7 CFR § 273.12(c)(3)(iii) 14.10 Disqualification for Substantial Lottery and Gambling Winnings Any household certified to receive SNAP benefits will lose eligibility immediately upon receipt of substantial lottery or gambling winnings by any individual in the household. Substantial lottery or gambling winnings are defined as a cash prize equal to or greater than the maximum allowable financial resource limit for elderly or disabled households (Table 25.3.g, Asset Limits, adjusted every October) won in a single game before taxes or other withholdings. For the purposes of this provision, the resource limit applies to all households, including households without elderly or disabled members, with substantial lottery and gambling winnings. If multiple individuals Return