ABLE-BODIED ADULT WITHOUT DEPENDENTS (ABAWD) – Able-bodied recipients age 18-49 with no dependents who are eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for only 3 months in a 36-month period unless they meet certain work requirements. Effective September 2023, ABAWD ages will increase to include age 50. Effective October 2023, ABAWD ages will increase to include age 52 and Effective October 2024, ABAWD ages will increase to age 54.

ACCESS DEVICE- The method by which the customers access their cash and SNAP benefits. Customers utilize a Point of Sale (POS) machine in designated commercial sites through Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) to access SNAP benefits and a POS machine or an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to access cash benefits.

ALLOTMENT – The total value of SNAP benefits a household is authorized to receive.

ANTICIPATED EXPENSES – Expenses that a household expects to incur within a certain time period.

APPEAL – An applicant or recipient's legal right to challenge any local department action that affects the household’s benefits.

APPELLANT – The applicant or recipient who has requested a hearing.

APPLICANT – An individual who has submitted a signed application form requesting SNAP benefits, but SNAP benefits have not been authorized.

APPLICANT HOUSEHOLD – An individual or group of persons who have submitted a signed application form requesting SNAP benefits, but SNAP benefits have not been authorized.

APPLICATION – A SNAP benefit application form containing:

The name and address of the applicant; and

The signature of a responsible member of the household or an authorized representative.

APPLICATION FILING DATE – The date on which an application is received in the local department.

APPLICATION INTERVIEW – A personal contact between an applicant or an authorized representative and a case manager for the purpose of establishing eligibility.

APPLICATION MONTH – The calendar month in which an application is received in the correct local department.

ASVI- (Alien Status Verification Index)- The database that is accessed through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement Program (SAVE) for verifying the validity of alien immigration documentation.

ATTENDANT – A person who provides medical, housekeeping, child care, or a similar service to a household. If the attendant resides with the household, he or she is a live-in attendant.

AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE (AR) –

A person designated in writing by a responsible member of the household to act on behalf of a household in applying for SNAP benefits and/or accessing SNAP benefits; or

An employee of and selected by a publicly operated community mental health center or a private, non-profit organization or institution operating a drug addiction or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation center. The person acts for a resident who wants to apply and participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The authorized representative is an adult who is sufficiently aware of relevant household circumstances.

BENEFICIARY AND EARNINGS DATA EXCHANGE (BENDEX) – A computer match which identifies TCA and SNAP benefit recipients who are receiving Social Security benefits, private pensions, wages from out-of-state employment, veterans and other government benefits, and those who are self-employed.

BOARDER – A person or group of people residing with the household and making a reasonable payment for meals and lodging.

CAPITAL ASSETS – Real property, equipment, machinery, and other items expected to last at least twelve months.

CAPITAL GAIN – The profit from the sale or transfer of capital assets.

CATEGORICALLY ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD - A household considered eligible for SNAP benefits because all members receive or are authorized to receive TCA, TDAP, PAA, or SSI or TANF benefits. This includes a SNAP benefit household with a mix of TCA, SSI, TDAP, or PAA members. (See also Expanded Categorical Eligibility.)

CENTRAL COLLECTION UNIT (CCU) – The unit within the Department of Budget and Management responsible for pursuing the payment of debts owed to the State of Maryland.

CERTIFICATION – The process by which the local department determines eligibility for SNAP benefits and authorizes SNAP benefits.

CERTIFICATION PERIOD – A specified period of time for which the household is determined eligible to receive SNAP benefits.

CHILD – As a mandatory household member:

a natural, adopted, or stepchild 21 years of age or younger; or

CHILD (continued)

any person age 17 or younger and under the parental control of an adult household member.

For exclusion of income – A person age 17 or younger, a student at least halftime, and under the parental control of another household member.

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) – A compilation of federal regulations for the administration of federal or federally-funded programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in CFR Title 7.

COLLATERAL CONTACT – An oral confirmation of household information by a person outside the household.

COLLECTION – The repayment of an overissuance by a lump sum payment, installment payments, or through recoupment.

COMMERCIAL BOARDING HOUSE – An establishment that is licensed as a commercial enterprise and which offers meals and lodging for compensation. In areas without a licensing requirement, a boarding house is a commercial establishment that offers meals and lodging for compensation with the intent of making a profit. The number of boarders does not affect commercial status.

COMMUNAL DINING FACILITY – A public or non-profit private establishment approved by FNS that prepares and serves meals for elderly persons, or for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and their spouses. It also includes senior citizens centers, apartment buildings occupied primarily by elderly persons or SSI recipients and their spouses, public or private non-profit establishments (eating or otherwise) that feed elderly persons or SSI recipients and their spouses, and federally subsidized residents. It also includes private establishments that contract with the state to offer meals at concessional prices to elderly or SSI recipients, and their spouses.

COMMUNITY WORK EXPERIENCE PROGRAM (CWEP) – component of the Employment and Training Program sponsored by a unit of federal, state, or local government which provides recipients with work experience in the public sector.

CONTINUATION OF BENEFITS – The authorization of the allotment in an unchanged amount if the household appeals within 10 calendar days of the date of the adverse action notice.

CONVERSION – A method of calculating monthly amounts when weekly or biweekly amounts are known. The calculation is done by multiplying weekly income by 4 or biweekly amounts by 2.

COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) – An annual adjustment to a federal benefit to enable the beneficiary to keep pace with the changing economy. The amount is determined in relation to the cost of living index.

COUNTABLE INCOME – Income that is not exempt or excluded.

CUSTOMER NOTICE – A notification which provides the customer with information about case activity.

DATE OF ENTRY/ADMISSION – The date established by the Immigration and Naturalization Service as the date an immigrant was admitted into the U.S.

DEEMED INCOME/DEEMED RESOURCES – The income and resources of ineligible household members and sponsors of immigrants and the sponsor's spouse counted when determining the eligibility and SNAP benefit amount of eligible household members.

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) – The federal agency which, among other things, has responsibility for providing assistance in rent, mortgage, and utility payments.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES (DHS) – The State agency designated by FNS to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

DEPENDENT CARE DEDUCTION – An income deduction equal to the actual dollar cost of dependent care, up to a maximum limit.

DEPRECIATION – The lowering of the value of equipment, property, etc. for tax purposes.

DISABLED – See Section 109.4, Other Special Households, for disability as related to separate household status and inability to prepare meals.

DISQUALIFIED HOUSEHOLD MEMBER – A household member who is not permitted to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program because the person:

Has committed an intentional program violation;

Has failed to obtain or provide an SSN;

Has not complied with work registration requirements;

Has voluntarily quit employment;

Has refused to cooperate with Quality Control; or

DISQUALIFIED HOUSEHOLD MEMBER (continued)

Has knowingly transferred resources to qualify or attempt to qualify for SNAP benefits; or,

Has been convicted of a felony offense that occurred after 8/22/96 that has an element of possession, use or distribution of a controlled substance; or

Is a fleeing felon or parole violator.

DOCUMENTATION – The written proof from a third party used to verify the statements made by the household. However, in some instances, documentation may be collected verbally or as a result of collateral documentation.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE – The primary source of verification for all items except residence and household size.

DRUG OR ALCOHOL TREATMENT AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM – Any drug addiction or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation program conducted by a private, non-profit organization or institution, or a publicly operated community mental health center, under Part B of Title XIX of the Public Health Service Act. Under Part B of Title XIX of the Public Health Service Act is defined as meeting the criteria which would make it eligible to receive funds, even if it does not actually receive funding.

DRUG OR ALCOHOL TREATMENT CENTER – A residential facility that provides rehabilitative treatment to individuals participating in a drug or alcohol treatment program.

EARNED INCOME – Income received in exchange for services rendered, including wages, salaries, earnings from self-employment, training allowances, striker's earned income, and payments made under Title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.

EARNED INCOME DEDUCTION – A specific percentage subtracted from countable gross earned income to cover expenses associated with employment.

EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) – Money paid by the federal or State government to certain employed individuals whose earnings are less than federal standards.

EDUCATIONAL GRANTS – Monies received by students to help meet the costs of educational expenses, such as, but not limited to, scholarships, fellowships, deferred payment loans, and educational veterans benefits.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION – A kindergarten or preschool, grade school, high school, vocational school, college, technical school, or university.

ELDERLY – Age 60 or older.

ELDERLY SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROJECT (ESAP) – A waiver program that simplifies application and verification processes for elderly applicants who have no earned income and do not receive SSI, which began November 1, 2016.

ELECTRIC UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAM (EUSP) – the EUSP was established in 1999 to assist electric customers with annual incomes at or below 175% of the federal poverty level with bill payment or arrearages. EUSP and MEAP are operated by the FIA Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP).

ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER SYSTEM (EBTS) – The system used to issue cash and SNAP benefits electronically through automated teller machines and Point-of-Sale machines located in participating grocers and retail stores. Individuals access benefits using a plastic card called an Independence Card.

ELIGIBILITY AND ENROLLMENT (E&E) SYSTEM – An automated database that

determines client eligibility, collects benefit history, and issues SNAP benefits and reports.

ELIGIBLE FOODS – Items that may be purchased with food coupons. Any food product intended for human consumption except alcoholic beverages, tobacco, hot foods, and hot foods prepared for immediate consumption.

Households may purchase the following foods in place of food from a store that they prepare themselves such as:

Seeds to plant food for personal consumption,

Meals prepared by delivery programs such as Meals on Wheels, or food consumed in an approved communal dining facility for the elderly or disabled,

C. Meals prepared by drug addiction or alcohol treatment facilities or food prepared in a rehabilitation center for drug addicts or alcoholics who have their children living with them,

Meals prepared and served in an approved group living arrangement for the blind or disabled,

Meals prepared and served by a shelter for battered women and children

Authorized public or private nonprofit soup kitchens that feed the homeless,

Meals prepared in specific restaurants that have contracted with the state to provide low or reduced-price meals to the homeless.

In specific remote areas of Alaska, some eligible households are permitted to purchase hunting and fishing equipment such as (hooks, fishing rods, lines, nets, harpoons, knives, and other equipment necessary for subsistence hunting or fishing. Households may not purchase clothing, transportation, firearms, or ammunition or other explosives.).

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING WORK REGISTRANT – An applicant or recipient who is required to register for work, and who the LDSS determines should not be exempted from registration for an Employment and Training program.

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING (FSET) – A program operated in the local departments with guidance from DHS central consisting of one or more direct work, work training, education, or job search components designed to help recipients move into unsubsidized employment.

ENCUMBRANCE – A claim or lien against property owned.

ENUMERATION – The process of verifying a person's Social Security number by requiring him to provide or apply for an SSN as a condition of eligibility.

EQUITY VALUE – The fair market value of a resource, less encumbrances (money owed). Note that resources are counted only for participants who are not categorically eligible.

EXCESS MEDICAL DEDUCTION – A deduction from a household's total gross income given when a disabled or elderly household member has medical expenses in excess of a specified monthly amount.

EXCESS SHELTER COST – A household's monthly shelter expenses in excess of 50 percent of the household's monthly income after all other allowable deductions. The household's shelter deduction is this excess up to an established maximum limit as described in Section 600 of this manual.

EXCLUDED INCOME – Income that does not have to be evaluated when determining eligibility and the allotment level for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

EXCLUDED RESOURCES – Resources that do not have to be evaluated when determining eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

EXEMPTED FOR PURPOSE OF WORK REQUIREMENTS

A person not required to register for employment; or

A person not required to participate in an employment and training program. Note: the participation in an employment and training program is voluntary in Maryland’s SNAP program.

EXPANDED CATEGORICAL ELIGIBILITY – Households in which members receive or are authorized to receive a service or benefit funded by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Disability Assistance Program (TDAP), or Public Assistance to Adults (PAA) are categorically eligible. Also known as Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility.

EXPEDITED SERVICE – The method by which a SNAP benefit application is processed to ensure receipt of SNAP benefits no later than the seventh calendar day following the date an identifiable application is received.

FAIR HEARING/ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING – An orderly but informal meeting conducted by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) from the Office of Administrative Hearings to provide the household an impartial, objective review and decision on LDSS decisions, actions, or delays. The hearing may be face-to-face or by telephone.

FAIR MARKET VALUE – The amount a resource would bring if sold on the current local market. NOTE: resources are not counted for categorically eligible households.

FAMILY INVESTMENT ADMINISTRATION (FIA) – The office within the Department of Human Services (DHS) that administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED HOUSING FOR THE ELDERLY – Commercially operated apartments built under either Section 202 of the Housing Act of 1959, or Section 236 of the National Housing Act, and built specifically for the elderly.

FILING DATE – See Application Filing Date.

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE (FNS) – The branch of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) that administers the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which in Maryland is called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

GROSS INCOME – A household's total countable income before deductions.

GROSS INCOME ELIGIBILITY STANDARD – The limit of gross income a household may have, based on 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The limit does not apply to households containing an elderly or disabled member, or to categorically eligible households.

GROUP LIVING ARRANGEMENT (GLA) – A public or private non-profit facility in a residential setting that serves no more than 16 residents. The residents of such a group living arrangement must be blind or disabled and receive benefits under Title 11 of Title XVI of the Social Security Act to be eligible for SNAP benefits.

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD – A member of the household selected by the household to file an application on behalf of the household.

HEARING REQUEST – Any oral or written request by the household, or a person acting for the household, exercising its right to have a fair hearing on any action that the household is in disagreement with the local department's handling.

HEATING COSTS – A verifiable cost for heating, which is billed separately from the household's rent or mortgage payment. Residents of rental housing who are billed on a monthly basis by their landlords for actual usage as determined through individual metering are considered to have heating costs.

HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL – A person who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or a person whose primary nighttime residence is a:

Supervised shelter that provides temporary accommodations such as a welfare hotel or congregate shelter;

HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL (continued)

Halfway house or similar institution that provides temporary accommodations for people intended to be institutionalized;

Temporary accommodation in the residence of another person for no more than 90 days; or

Place not designed for, or ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations such as a hallway, a bus station, a lobby, a car, an abandoned building, or any similar place.

HOMELESS MEAL PROVIDER – A public or private non-profit establishment, such as a soup kitchen or temporary shelter, which feeds homeless people. DHS must approve the provider.

HOUSEHOLD – A person or group of people applying for or receiving SNAP benefits.

HOUSEHOLD DISASTER – A natural event such as a flood or a tornado; or a devastating event, such as a fire, causing food loss. A mechanical breakdown such as a power outage or a refrigerator breakdown is not considered a disaster.

IMMIGRANT – An alien who has been granted permanent residency status by Immigration and Naturalization (INS).

IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE (INS) – The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the US immigration laws.

INADVERTENT HOUSEHOLD ERROR (IHE) – A household's misunderstanding or unintentional error which includes:

Failure to provide correct or complete information;

Failure to report changes; or

Receipt of SNAP benefits or more SNAP benefits than the household was entitled to receive (if the household requests a hearing, the determination by the local department of an overissuance of SNAP benefits caused by an IHE would be pending a hearing decision in favor of the LDSS.)

INCOME – The money a household receives from any source.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION SYSTEM (IEVS) – A system from which the local department may obtain information from various sources (Social Security, Unemployment, Internal Revenue) for purposes of income eligibility verification.

INCOME EXCLUSIONS – Income from certain sources which is not counted when determining a household's eligibility.

INCOME, IN-KIND – Any gain or benefit payable to the household which is not in the form of money, such as, but not limited to, meals, clothing, public housing, or produce from a garden.

INELIGIBLE IMMIGRANT – A person who does not meet or cannot document the citizenship or lawful permanent residence status requirements of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

INELIGIBLE FOODS – Items that customers may not purchase with SNAP benefits. (See Eligible Foods in this glossary). Ineligible items include:

Alcoholic beverages

Tobacco or cigarettes

Household supplies, soap, and paper products

Medicine or vitamins

Any other nonfood items

Food that will be eaten in the store

Hot foods that are ready to eat unless bought from an authorized meal provider

Pet food (however, the costs of obtaining and maintaining a service animal are allowable medical deductions)

INELIGIBLE MEMBER – A household member who is ineligible to receive SNAP benefits under specific provisions of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Act, and others who become ineligible for failure or refusal to comply with a program requirement. Examples of ineligible household members are persons who are ineligible immigrants, those disqualified for intentional program violation (IPV), or failure to obtain a Social Security number.

INFREQUENT INCOME – See Irregular Income.

INITIAL CERTIFICATION PERIOD – The first period of time for which SNAP benefits are authorized.

INITIAL MONTH – The first month of certification for participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program following any period during which the household was not certified for participation.

INQUIRY – A face-to-face, written, or telephone request for information only, not assistance.

INSTALLMENT – A scheduled amount paid monthly by a household to repay an overissuance. The household may use SNAP benefits as full or partial payment.

INSTITUTION – A facility that prepares and serves at least half (of 3 meals daily) of residents' meals as part of its service and has not been authorized to accept SNAP benefits.

INSTITUTION OF POST SECONDARY EDUCATION – Any public or private institution which normally requires a high school diploma or equivalency certificate for enrollment, or admits persons beyond the age of compulsory school attendance. This includes, but is not limited to colleges, universities, and vocational or technical schools at the post high school level. The institution must be legally authorized or recognized by the State to provide education beyond the secondary level or provide a training program to prepare students for gainful employment.

INTENTIONAL PROGRAM VIOLATION (IPV) – Household fraud as determined by a court or Administrative Disqualification Hearing (ADH) or the household signing an Administrative Disqualification Hearing Waiver. The fraudulent action allowed the household to obtain or attempt to obtain SNAP benefits to which the household was not entitled. The action includes:

Making a false or misleading statement;

Misrepresenting, concealing, or withholding facts; or

Violating the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Act, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program regulations, or any state/federal law relating to the use, presentation, transfer, acquisition, receipt, possession of SNAP benefits.

IRREGULAR INCOME – Monies received by the household that cannot be readily predicted and are not in excess of $30 total in a quarter, including, but not limited to:

monies received from odd jobs when the household can not predict the frequency of work or receipt of payment,

prizes;

gifts; and

awards.

ISSUANCE DATE – The day of the month the SNAP allotment is received by a participating household. Regular issuance dates are based on the first three letters of the head of household's last name and extend from the 4th through the 23rd of the month.

ISSUANCE MONTH – The calendar month in which an allotment is issued.

JOINT PROCESSING – A provision allowing households in which all members are applying for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to file an application for SNAP at the Social Security Administration (SSA) office at the same time. The provision also allows

filing one application for cash assistance (TCA or TDAP) and SNAP benefits in the local department.

LICENSED VEHICLE – A passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle that can be used to transport persons or goods, and is of a type currently licensed and permitted on highways. All vehicles are excluded from consideration when determining SNAP eligibility.

LIMITED UTILITY ALLOWANCE (LUA) – A utility allowance for households that are billed for electricity but not heat or cooling separately from their rent or mortgage payment.

LIQUID RESOURCES – Cash-on-hand or other resources that the customer can readily convert to cash, such as checking and savings accounts, savings certificates, and US Savings Bonds.

LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (LDSS) – The offices in Baltimore City and each county in the State that administer the SNAP and other DHS benefits and services programs.

LOCKOUT – A work stoppage created by an employer who closes his workplace in order to resist the demands of his employees.

LOW-INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP) – A federally funded program which helps low-income households meet their home heating needs. In Maryland, the funds are administered through the Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP).

LUMP SUM PAYMENT (OVERISSUANCE) – The full or partial repayment of an overissuance in one payment. A household may use coupons as full or partial payment.

LUMP SUM PAYMENT – A single non-recurring amount of money received by the household. Money received from but not limited to: income tax refunds, rebates or credits; retroactive single occurring Social Security, SSI, Public Assistance, Railroad Retirement Pension, or other payments; or retroactive single occurring settlements or refunds or security deposits on rented property or utilities.

MAILING ADDRESS – The address of a household, a friend or relative, a post office box, a social service agency, or any address where the household may expect to receive mail without threat of its being lost or stolen.

MANDATORY HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS – People who live together and who must be included in the same household regardless of how they actually purchase food and prepare meals.

MARYLAND ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MEAP) – A State program funded through LIHEAP that helps low-income households meet their home heating needs. EUSP and MEAP are operated by the FIA Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP).

MARYLAND SENIOR NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MSNAP) – a Combined Application Project in effect since July 1, 2010, MSNAP simplifies the application process for elderly and disabled people approved for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

MASS CHANGE – A State or federal program or SNAP benefit change affecting the entire caseload or part of the caseload.

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE RESOURCES – The limit of total non-excluded resources, both liquid and non-liquid, that a household may have. The value of non-excluded resources of all members of the household, and resources deemed from persons disqualified for intentional program violation or failure to provide an SSN and from ineligible aliens, may not exceed $2,000. If the household contains at least one member who is age 60 or over or disabled, the resources may not exceed $3,000. Resources are also called assets. Categorically eligible households are not subject to resource limits.

MEDICAID – Medical assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act, as amended.

MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE – A political subdivision, private non-profit organization, or private establishment which has contracted with DHS to prepare and deliver meals at concessional prices to elderly persons and their spouses, and to physically or mentally handicapped or disabled persons and their spouses.

MEANS TESTED PROGRAM – A program with eligibility conditions which limit SNAP benefits to persons who meet income and/or resource limits.

MIGRANT OR SEASONAL FARMWORKER – An individual who travels away from home on a regular basis with a group of laborers to seek employment in an agriculturally related activity. A migrant household is a household that travels for this purpose.

MINOR – A child under the age of 18.

MULTIPLE SNAP HOUSEHOLD – Two or more related or unrelated groups of people who live in the same dwelling but purchase and prepare meals separately, and who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits as separate households.

NON-HOUSEHOLD MEMBER – A person who lives with the SNAP benefit household but is not included in that household when determining eligibility for benefits such as students.

NON-LIQUID RESOURCES/ASSETS – Resources which are not readily convertible into cash such as non-resident property or vehicles.

NON-PUBLIC ASSISTANCE (NPA) SNAP HOUSEHOLD – A household which contains at least one member who does NOT receive Public Assistance or SSI benefits.

NON-RECURRING PAYMENT – See Lump Sum Payment.

NON-RESIDENT REAL PROPERTY – Land or buildings that are not the residence of the SNAP benefit household.

NOTICE OF ADVERSE ACTION – The written notification sent to a household prior to any action to reduce or terminate benefits.

NOTICE OF EXPIRATION – The notification used to alert the household of the end of its certification period and to schedule an appointment for the recertification interview.

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS (OAH) – The agency responsible for scheduling and conducting hearings, and for providing a fair and impartial decision based on the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) or Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

OFFICIAL DOCUMENT – The original or copy of a government document, correspondence, or the like from a public or private agency or business. The document must show the letterhead of the agency or business.

OFFSETTING – Reducing the amount of an overissuance by the amount of restored (under issued) SNAP benefits owed to a household.

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING (OJT) – A program in which the training necessary to perform a job is provided by the employer after the employee is hired, and designed for individuals who do not have the training or specific work experience required for the job. OJT allows the participant to gain the knowledge and skills necessary in the performance of a job. The employer is usually in the private sector. The participant receives training while working, and after training may continue on with the same employer or be placed with another in unsubsidized employment.

OVERISSUANCE – The receipt by a household of more SNAP benefits than it was entitled to receive.

PAYMENT MONTH – The calendar month for which the household receives an allotment.

PAYMENT NAME – The person in whose name the SNAP benefits are issued.

PENALTY – The punishment following prosecution of an individual, partnership, corporation, or other legal entity for any unauthorized issuance, use, transfer, acquisition, alteration, possession, or presentation of SNAP benefits.

PENALTY PERIOD – A certain period of ineligibility for participation in the SNAP based on non-cooperation with state or federal Quality Control review.

PERMANENT RESIDENT ALIEN – A person who has or who intends to establish residency in the United States, with the purpose of remaining and becoming a US citizen.

PRORATION – The determination of the benefit due to the household from the date of application to the end of the month of application (unless the applicant household is a resident of a public institution. Institutionalized applicants will receive benefits from the date they are released.)

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE TO ADULTS (PAA) – A monthly payment of State funds to a person who has been certified for Assisted Living, a CARE Home, or Rehabilitative Residence.

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE/SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HOUSEHOLD – A SNAP benefit household in which all members receive Public Assistance and/or SSI benefits.

QUALIFIED IMMIGRANT

An immigrant lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

An immigrant granted asylum under §208 of the INA.

A refugee admitted under §207 of the INA.

An immigrant who is paroled under §212(d)(5) of the INA for a period of at least 1 year.

An immigrant whose deportation is being withheld under §§243(h) or 241(b)(3) after April 1, 1997, of the INA.

An immigrant who is granted conditional entry pursuant to §203(a)(7) of the INA.

Cuban and Haitian entrants.

Certain battered alien spouses and children.

QUALITY CONTROL (QC) – The branch of FIA or FNS which provides data on the accuracy with which the department is applying eligibility and payment requirements. QC gathers data through continuous review of a statistically reliable statewide sample of active cases.

RAILROAD RETIREMENT – Retirement benefits for former railroad employees.

REAPPLICATION – See Recertification.

REASON CODE – A numerical code that identifies the basis for a case action.

REASONABLE PAYMENT – The amount of a payment a boarder must make to be considered a non-household member. A payment is reasonable if it is:

the amount of the maximum allotment for the number of persons making a payment if the payment is for at least three meals per day; or

two-thirds of the maximum allotment if the payment is for less than three meals per day.

RECENT WORK HISTORY – Employment in the current month or either of the two preceding months.

RECERTIFICATION – The process of filing and completing a new application form, being interviewed, and having certain information verified in order for benefits to continue for a new certification period.

RECIPIENT – An individual who has been determined eligible for and is receiving benefits.

RECOUPMENT – The automatic reduction of a monthly allotment to repay a prior overissuance.

REFUGEE – The status granted by INS to a person residing in the US because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution in his home country because of his race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

RESIDENT OF INSTITUTION – An individual who lives in a facility which provides him with the majority of his meals (over 50% of three meals daily). Residents of institutions are not eligible to participate in the SNAP except for:

a resident of federally subsidized housing for the elderly;

a drug addict or alcoholic who is undergoing treatment at a drug or alcohol treatment center;

a resident of a group living arrangement who is disabled or blind and receives benefits under Title 11 or Title XVI of the Social Security Act;

a woman, or a woman with her children, who resides temporarily in a shelter for battered women and children; or

a resident of a public or private non-profit shelter for the homeless.

RESOURCES – The assets available to the household including bank accounts, trust funds, real property, stocks or bonds, or personal goods.

RESTORED BENEFITS – The SNAP benefits returned to a household that was eligible for but did not receive due to an agency error or a reversal of disqualification for intentional program violation (IPV), or for specifically stated circumstances that a household is entitled to restoration of lost SNAP benefits.

RETAIL FOOD STORE – Any of the following who sell food or provide meals:

an establishment recognized department of an establishment, or a house-to-house trade route, whose eligible food sales are more than 50% staple food items for home preparation and consumption;

any private non-profit cooperative food purchasing venture, including those whose members pay for food prior to receipt of the food;

a farmers' market.

RETIREMENT, SURVIVORS, AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (RSDI) – The monthly money received because of retirement, disability, or being the survivor of an eligible individual, commonly known as Social Security benefits.

ROOMER – A person who pays the household for lodging but not meals.

SELF-EMPLOYMENT – The earning of income directly from one's own business, trade, or profession, rather than from an employer. The self-employed person is responsible for withholding taxes and making tax payments.

SHELTER DEDUCTION – The deduction given for a household's shelter expenses in excess of 50% of its monthly income after all other deductions, subject to maximum limits.

SHELTER FOR BATTERED WOMEN AND CHILDREN – A public or private non-profit residential facility that provides shelter and related services for women who have been physically abused by their spouses. The facility also provides shelter and services to the children of abused women residing in the facility.

SHELTER FOR HOMELESS PERSONS – A facility that provides temporary nighttime accommodation to individuals who do not have a fixed and regular nighttime residence.

SHELTERED WORKSHOP – A supervised place of employment for individuals with disabilities.

SIBLING – A natural, adopted, half, or step brother or sister.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN) – A number established for a person by the Social Security Administration.

SPONSOR – A person or organization which has entered into an agreement with INS to support an immigrant as a condition of the alien's admission for permanent residence.

SPONSORED IMMIGRANT – An immigrant under sponsorship, lawfully admitted for permanent residence into the United States as an immigrant as defined by Sections 101(a)(15) and 101(a)(20) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

SPOUSE – Either of two individuals who:

Would be defined as married to each other under applicable state law, or

Are living together, and are holding themselves out to the community as married by representing themselves as such to relatives, friends, neighbors, or trades people.

SSI HOUSEHOLD – A household in which all members are SSI recipients.

STANDARD DEDUCTION – The deduction of an established monthly amount from all types of income.

STANDARD UTILITY ALLOWANCE (SUA) – A single utility allowance used in place of individually identifiable utility costs when computing the excess shelter costs for a household that is billed for heating or cooling apart from the rent or mortgage.

STATE DATA EXCHANGE (SDX) – A system which provides information on SSI recipients as a result of a state computer match with the Social Security Administration.

STATE VERIFICATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM (SVES) – An automated data exchange system with the Social Security Administration for verifying social security numbers, SSA benefits, and SSI benefits.

STRIKE – A concerted stoppage of work by employees, including a stoppage due to the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement, or any concerted slowdown or other interruption of operations by employees.

STRIKER – A person involved in a concerted work stoppage, slowdown or interruption of work by employees, including work stoppages at the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement.

STUDENT – Any person attending school.

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) – The federal name for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME (SSI) – Monthly cash payments made to the Aged, Blind and Disabled under the authority of Title XVI of the Social Security Act, as amended, Section 1616(A) of the Social Security Act, or Section 212(A) of Pub. L.93-66.

SYSTEMATIC ALIEN VERIFICATION FOR ENTITLEMENT SYSTEM (SAVE) – An automated system for verification of selected data for comparison with an immigrant’s documentation.

TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) – A federal program that provides cash assistance to families with children. This program replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program and is called Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) in Maryland.

TEMPORARY CASH ASSISTANCE (TCA) – A cash program in the Family Investment Program for needy families with children funded by TANF.

TEMPORARY DISABILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TDAP) – A State-funded cash program for low-income disabled adults without children

THIRD-PARTY PAYMENTS – Any income which is payable to the household but which is paid directly to a service provider (third party) for household expenses.

THRIFTY FOOD PLAN (TFP) – The diet required to feed a family of four persons consisting of a man and a woman aged 20 through 50, a child 6 through 8, and a child 9 through 11 years of age, determined by the Department of Agriculture. The cost of such a diet is the basis for uniform maximum SNAP allotments for all households.

TIMELY NOTICE – A notification of action mailed or given to the customer which conforms with the time frames established for the needed actions.

TIMELY REPORTING – The household's responsibility to report certain changes in circumstances within 10 days of the date the change becomes known to the household. (See section 420.21 of this manual on simplified reporting, for exceptions to10-day reporting.)

TRAFFICKING – The buying or selling of SNAP benefits for cash or for other than eligible food or for the exchange of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substances.

TRAINING ALLOWANCE – Money received from a vocational or rehabilitative program recognized by the federal, state, or local government, provided it is not a reimbursement. Examples of training programs are:

Title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973; payments from programs such as Vista, University Year for Action, or Urban Crime Prevention Program;

Title 11 of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973; payments from programs such as RSVP, Foster Grandparents, etc.

UNDERISSUANCE – The receipt of fewer SNAP benefits than a household is entitled to.

UNEARNED INCOME – Income that is not received in return for work done or services rendered. Unearned income includes, but is not limited to:

Assistance payments based on need, including payments, provided as a vendor payment;

UNEARNED INCOME (continued)

annuities, pensions, retirement, veteran's or disability benefits;

worker's or unemployment compensation;

old-age, survivor's or Social Security Benefits;

strike benefits;

foster care payments for children or adults when the individual is included in the SNAP benefit household;

gross income minus business costs from rental property if a household member is not actively engaged in management of the property at least 20 hours a week.

support or alimony payments; support refunds;

educational grants or loans, scholarships or fellowships less allowable expenses;

interest;

royalties;

withdrawn monies or dividends;

deemed income from disqualified or ineligible household members and from sponsors of aliens.

UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION – A benefit paid to persons who were laid off from employment or fired without a good reason.

UNITED STATES (US) CITIZEN – A person who:

was born in the US, including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Swain's Island, Panama, and other US territories during certain historical periods;

was naturalized by INS;

derived citizenship from parents when the parents became naturalized citizens;

acquired US citizenship at birth abroad through a US citizen parent or parents; or acquired citizenship through applications by US citizen adoptive parents.

UNSUITABLE EMPLOYMENT – Any employment which meets one of the following criteria:

The wage offered is less than the highest of the applicable federal minimum wage, the applicable state minimum wage, or eighty percent (80%) of the federal minimum wage, if neither the federal nor state minimum wage is applicable.

The employment offered is on a piece-rate basis, and the average hourly yield the employee can reasonably be expected to earn is less than the applicable state or federal minimum wage, or 80% of the federal minimum wage if neither the federal nor state minimum wage is applicable.

UNSUITABLE EMPLOYMENT (continued)

The participant, as a condition of employment or continuing employment, is required to join, resign from, or refrain from joining any legitimate labor organization.

The work offered is at a site subject to a strike or a lockout at the time of the offer, unless the strike has been enjoined under Section 208 of the Labor-Management Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 78), commonly known as the Taft-Hartley Act; or unless an injunction has been issued under section 10 of the Railway Labor Act (45 U.S.C. 160).

VEHICLE – A passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle that can be used to transport persons or goods.

VENDOR PAYMENT – A money payment NOT payable to the household, but which is paid to a third party for household expenses.

VERIFICATION – The use of written, visual, or oral information from someone other than the client to prove the accuracy of statements made by the household.

VETERANS (VA) BENEFITS – Payments, usually monthly, made to military veterans.

VOLUNTARY JOB QUIT – The termination of employment due to a personal choice. For SNAP purposes, frequently considered to be without good cause.

VOLUNTARY SUPPORT – Non-court ordered money received for the support of a household member by a non-household member.

WAGES & SALARIES – The total gross money paid for services performed as an employee.

WITHDRAWN MONEY – Money taken out of bank accounts or interest payments which are or could be received by a household member from excludable resources such as a trust fund.

WOMEN, INFANTS, AND CHILDREN (WIC) – A supplemental food program which provides vouchers for specific types of food for pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children who meet certain conditions. It is a federal program administered locally by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

WORKERS' COMPENSATION (WC) – An insurance benefit paid to an employee who is injured on the job.

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA)– A federally funded employment and training program that replaced the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) which replaced the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA).