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Income Types 2.5.4

Unless otherwise indicated all income types countable toward SR Medicaid that are listed in Part VI: Chapter 4, Financial Eligibility Requirements, Determining Countable Income, should be used to determine IDA benefits also. In addition, SSI presumptive payments must be counted. In-kind benefits are excluded when determining IDA eligibility.

Form of Payment 2.5.5

IDA benefits will be issued through electronic benefit transfer (EBT) accounts. Rental vendor payments cannot be deducted from IDA benefits.

Asset Limits 2.5.6

The household must meet the asset limits of an SR Medicaid unit of the same size.

Group Size Limit 1 $2,000 2 $3,000

PROCESSING APPLICATIONS 2.6

Applications for Interim Disability Assistance must be submitted in person at designated service centers, using the Combined Application that is used to apply for multiple programs. Every applicant has the right to file an application on the same day that s/he contacts ESA. An application is considered to be filed when it is received at the designated IMA service center and a face-to-face interview is completed. If a customer reports that s/he is unable to complete an in-person interview because of his/her disability and there is no one who can act as his/her authorized representative, ESA must complete a home visit to allow the customer an opportunity to participate. Unless otherwise stated, applications for IDA are processed in accordance with policies established for SR Medicaid in Part III: Chapter 1, Application Processing: Filing an Application.

Who May File the Application 2.6.1

Any individual or either spouse of a married couple may file the application for IDA. The applicant may designate an authorized representative to act on his/her behalf. See Part III: Chapter 1, Application Processing: Filing an Application, for additional information on designating an authorized representative.

Applications Filed in Person 2.6.2

Applications filed in person will be processed by designated staff at selected ESA locations. If an individual who wishes to apply for IDA benefits is currently receiving or applying for other benefits at an ESA location that does not provide IDA services, the individual will be directed to apply for IDA at the appropriate IDA location.

Except as indicated below, if the individual is currently receiving or applying for other program benefits, his/her case record should be forwarded to the appropriate IDA unit within one day of notification that the customer has applied for IDA. If the originating center has all information to approve benefits for a non-IDA program, such as Food Stamps or Medicaid, non-IDA benefits must be approved prior to