1.4 Household Rights and Responsibilities.

A. Federal and state regulations provide certain rights to households applying for or receiving SNAP benefits, including the right to: 1. File an application during working hours on the same day one contacts the office with, at a minimum, a name, address and signature of a responsible adult household member or authorized representative. 2. A telephone interview if one is unable to come to the office for the interview with the MDHS caseworker due to age, transportation difficulties, illness, or other hardship as determined by MDHS. 3. A certain amount of privacy concerning one’s circumstances and need for assistance. For more information, see Rule 1.11 Confidentiality. 4. Designate in writing an authorized representative. 5. Adequate notice of reduction in benefits or closure of a case based on the household’s change in circumstances. 6. Non-discriminatory treatment. 7. A fair hearing on an application, amount of benefits, closure of case, or any action of the agency about which the household wishes to express dissatisfaction. 8. Free language assistance for persons with Limited English Proficiency and/or auxiliary aids/services or other reasonable modifications for persons with disabilities. B. All households applying for or receiving SNAP benefits are responsible for: 1. Giving correct and complete information about household circumstances as they relate to eligibility, both at the time of application and at each recertification. 2. Providing Social Security numbers (SSN) for each person for whom assistance is requested. 3. Cooperating in the application process by participating in an interview and providing required verification. 4. Informing the county office of changes. Change Reporting households are required to report all changes within ten (10) days of the date the change becomes known to the household. 5. Cooperating with Quality Control personnel, if selected for review in the quality control sample. 6. Using SNAP benefits properly. 7. Complying with Child Support requirements, if applicable. 8. Complying with SNAP work registration requirements, if applicable. 9. Completing a timely reapplication to receive, if eligible, uninterrupted benefits. Source: The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. §552a); 7 CFR §272.1(c); 7 CFR §272.4(b); 7 CFR §273.2 (c-d); MS Code §43-1-19 Revised: March 2022