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ESA SNAP Policy Manual 238  The household has no earned income.  The household meets all other financial and nonfinancial eligibility criteria. 20.1.2.1 Initial Application Process To determine initial eligibility for ESAP:  An ESAP application or combined application for benefits must be submitted.  ESA must follow simplified ESAP verification procedures.  An interview must be completed.  Consistent with procedures for non-ESAP households, ESA must process the application within seven days if the household meets expedited service criteria. All other ESAP households must be processed within 30 days. ESAP households that meet expedited service criteria can have verification postponed and assigned one- or two-month certification periods. Once postponed verification requirements are satisfied, the ESAP certification period will be assigned. 20.1.3 Certification Period ESAP households are certified for 36 months. 20.1.4 Benefits ESAP benefits will be calculated the same as for any regular SNAP household. 20.1.5 Reporting Requirements All ESAP households will be on simplified reporting; however, the ESAP participants will not be required to submit mid-certifications. Households are required to report when the household’s monthly gross income exceeds 130 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and when a household member wins substantial lottery or gambling winnings, as defined in Chapter 10, Resource Eligibility. ESA will mail a notice to ESAP households every 12 months to remind them of the simplified reporting requirements and how to report changes. 20.1.6 Recertification Process To determine ongoing eligibility for ESAP households, a recertification application must be submitted, and ESA must follow simplified ESAP verification procedures. An interview is required in the following situations:  The case is closing, terminating or being denied. − Note: ESA may not close, terminate or deny an ESAP case without first attempting to schedule a recertification interview.  Information supplied by the household or authorized representative is questionable, incomplete or contradictory. Return