Page 266

ESA SNAP Policy Manual 250 23.2 Classification of Recipient Claims SNAP overpayments occur when an individual or household receives more benefits than it was eligible to receive. There are three types of overpayments:  Department error  Inadvertent household error  Fraud/IPV 23.2.1 Department Errors Department error overpayments result from ESA’s incorrect action or inaction. Examples of Department errors follow:  Failing to take prompt action on a change the household reported  Miscalculating the household’s income or deductions, resulting in an overpayment  Failing to reduce SNAP benefits when cash benefits increase  Issuing SNAP benefits after a household’s certification period has expired  Incorrectly classifying a household as categorically eligible for SNAP when the household is not categorically eligible 23.2.2 Inadvertent Household Errors Inadvertent household errors are caused by misunderstanding or unintentional errors by the household, including the following:  Failure to report a change between recertifications that appears to be a result of oversight or misunderstanding  Failure to report a change promptly  Failure to report the absence of a child who has unexpectedly not returned home within 90 days 23.2.3 Suspected Fraud or IPV Suspected fraud or IPV occurs when an individual or household provides false or incomplete information to receive benefits for which it is not eligible. ESA refers cases for suspected fraud or IPV investigation when there is a documented incident of false or misleading statements or misrepresentation, concealment or withholding of facts. ESA processes cases suspected of fraud or IPV as an inadvertent customer error overpayment until a determination of fraud or IPV is made. The following are examples of suspected IPV: Return