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Title 7: SNAP Page 15 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter G: Case Maintenance Action on Changes Reported During the Certification… Revised September 5, 2025 Verifying Changes Procedure: Reasonable efforts must be made to obtain third-party verification. Client-provided information can only be used when you have exhausted all efforts and a third-party fails to give you verification. Do this only if you asked the third-party for the verification. Do not use this policy if the household failed to get verification. Comment: Reasonable effort means you must allow a third-party ample time to respond to a request. Before using client-provided information, be sure to follow all steps on the approved verification process guidance. When a Change Will Increase Benefits Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.12(c)(1) and 273.2(f)(8)(ii) Policy: A change must be verified before you take action that will increase benefits. Document the reported change and follow policies for action on changes during the certification period to determine if you will take immediate action or hold it until recertification. Most changes which will result in increased benefits will be changes that are held until recertification, unless verified upon receipt or voluntarily verified by the household. Procedure: If verification is needed, see Verifying Changes for instructions. If you ask the household to give verification of anything other than deductible expenses, take action as follows:  If you get the verification, increase benefits for the month after the month in which the change was reported.  If you do not get the verification, cancel benefits because we cannot determine the impact on the case If verification of a deductible expense is requested, take action as follows:  If you get the verification by the due date, increase benefits for the month after the month in which the change was reported.  If you do not get the verification by the due date, remove the deduction for the next month but do not cancel the case. If later provided, increase benefits for the month after the month you receive verification. See Third-Party Fails to Provide Verification if:  You ask a third party to give you verification, and  The third party does not provide it.