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Title 7: SNAP Page 23 Iowa Department of Health and Human Services Employees’ Manual Chapter G: Case Maintenance Common Changes in Household Circumstances Revised September 27, 2024 Adding a Member Adding a Member Legal reference: 7 CFR 273.12(c) Policy: Households are not required to report if a new member joins the household, unless that person’s income causes them to exceed the reporting threshold for their original household size. Do not ask for an application to add a new member to a household. If a baby is born and the father is in the home, but was not previously included in SNAP, he becomes a mandatory member upon the birth of the child. If he has income, you must look at total household income to determine if verification must be requested. When the household, in the month of the child’s birth, reports both the birth of the baby and that the child’s father in the home, look at the total household income from the 1st day of the month through the date of the report to determine if the household exceeded their original reporting threshold. If the household had not exceeded their reporting threshold up to the date of report, do not send an RFI. If they had exceeded the original reporting threshold with the income received up to the date of the report, an RFI must be sent. See example 5 below. If the household does not report the changes in the month that the new member joins the household, you must determine if the household’s total income exceeded their original reporting threshold in the month of report and in any previous month when the new member was in the home. See example 6 below. Procedure: Remember that you can’t add a new member without also adding any corresponding income. If no further verification is needed, add the new member effective the first day of the month after the month in which the household reported the change unless:  Timely notice is required. For example, timely notice is required if the new member’s income will decrease or end benefits. For timely notice requirements, see 1-E, Dispensing with Timely Notice. See When a Change Will Increase Benefits.  The person is still active on another case. EXCEPTION: include individuals while active on another case as allowed under 7-C, Duplicate Assistance. If verification is needed to add the member, and this doesn’t meet the requirements for immediate action during the certification period, document the case file and hold the reported change until recertification. For system entries, see 14-B(5), Adding a Person to an Active SNAP Case.