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3. Regional staff must determine eligibility, certify, and authorize assistance when the county director is not allowed to do so. The authorization certifies that the TANF budget group has been determined to meet the conditions of eligibility and the extent of need, and that until the individual's circumstances change or the eligibility requirements change, regular TANF payments will continue. NOTIFICATION Requirements When the county department has reached a decision concerning the eligibility or ineligibility of an applicant or concerning the amount or termination of the assistance payment, the county office under federal regulations is required to notify the individual in writing of the decision and the reason for its having been reached. The decisions reached include: ∙ Approval or rejection of the application ∙ Termination of assistance (closure of case) ∙ Increase or reduction of the benefit All households will be given the option to receive and view their notices online by registering and activating a MyMDHS Account. If the household selects the online option they will be able to subscribe to online notices, paper notices, or both after the account is activated and registered. Households who successfully activate and register their accounts will receive an email notification when a new notice is added to their account. The households will be responsible for viewing all notices to ensure that they are aware of all case changes, interviews, appointments etc. At the same time the county office makes a case decision, the individual must be offered an opportunity for a local hearing or to request a state hearing. Refer to Chapter 13, Hearing Process, for a detailed discussion of hearings. Forms and Explanations The county offices will use the notices that have been developed in MAVERICS for the following types of action. Explanations for rejections, closures, and reductions should be included.