This section provides the general policy on recertification of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit eligibility.

440.2 General Policy

No household can participate in the SNAP beyond the expiration of the assigned certification period without a determination of eligibility for a new period.

The LDSS is responsible for:

Notifying the household of the expiration date,

Providing the Client Information Form (CIF), an application form or access to myDHR, the online application,

Scheduling an interview, and

Recertifying the household before the expiration of the certification period.

The household must:

Apply for recertification, and

Comply with interview and verification requirements, if any.

Note: The Eligibility and Enrollment ( E&E) system will close the case automatically for failure to complete the recertification process.

440.3 Notice of Expiration

E&E will provide each household with a notice of the expiration of its certification just prior to the last month of its certification period.

The LDSS will provide households certified for one month or certified in the second month of a two- or three-month certification period a notice of expiration at certification.

440.4 Interview

As part of the recertification process the case manager must conduct an interview with a member of the household or its authorized representative every 12 months for households certified for 12 months or less.

Local Department Option:

The local department may choose to interview households at interim recertifications within the 12-month period.

This option cannot be on a case-by-case basis. The local department must establish categories and procedures that will be applied consistently to all cases to ensure non-discriminatory treatment.

Example: The case manager assigns a 4-month certification period to a household that is in an unstable situation. The local department can send the household a mail-in application for the next two recertifications and schedule a face-to-face or telephone interview at the 12-month interval.

The policy about waiving a face-to-face interview for hardship reasons applies to the required interview at 12-month intervals.

The local department may waive the face-to-face interview at recertification and conduct a telephone interview. Telephone interviews are preferred and must be offered if requiring persons with disabilities to come into the office would inhibit meaningful access. Telephone interviews are always preferable for participants who have a job.

The local department must schedule the interview so that the household has at least 10 days after the interview to provide verification before the certification period expires.

Note: E&E will schedule recertification interviews for most cases well before the end of the certification period.

If a household missed its scheduled interview, E&E sends a notice of missed interview along with the notice of closing.

If the household missed its scheduled interview and requested another interview, the local department must schedule a second appointment.

440.5 Verification

The local department must:

Verify information provided by the household as required in section 408,

440.5 Verification (continued)

Provide the household with a notice of required verification, and

Notify the household of the date by which it must provide the verification information.

The household must be allowed at least 10 days to provide required verification.

If the local department cannot determine a household’s eligibility by the end of its certification period because of the time period allowed for submitting any missing verification, it must give the household the opportunity to participate without interruption of benefits, if eligible, within 5 working days after the household submits the missing verification within the 10 days.

440.6 Timely Application for Recertification

The household completes the application process when it does all the following:

Files a timely application for recertification.

Has an interview, if required.

Submits requested verification within 10 days of the date of the request.

The local department will process a timely application for recertification and provide uninterrupted benefits to any household determined eligible.