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Volume III | Chapter 7

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MISSISSIPPI [ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION PROCESS: THE REDETERMINATION PROCESS] Revised 12-01-11 DEFINITION A redetermination is a review, or reevaluation, of a recipient's situation to determine whether or not eligibility continues for TANF and whether the TANF benefit, if any, is correct. A review of all variable eligibility factors is called a regular redetermination. A review of one or more but not all of these factors is called a special redetermination. The terms “review” and “redetermination” are interchangeable and refer to TANF. “Recertification” is a SNAP term and is not appropriate for TANF. The term “reevaluation” is often used when referring to the simultaneous handling of multi-program cases. FREQUENCY OF REDETERMINATIONS Generally, TANF cases must be redetermined every 12 months. In some instances, the TANF review period may be adjusted when added to an existing SNAP case. Example: A SNAP case is certified for 12 months, June 2010-May 2011. The household applies for TANF and is approved effective October 2010. MAVERICS will set the TANF review date for June 2011 (8 months) to coincide with SNAP certification through date of May 2011. For caseload management purposes, when a new SNAP case is certified for 12 months and is being added to an existing TANF case, the TANF review period may be lengthened. Example: a TANF case with a 12 month review period June 2010 through May 2011 (June 2011 review date) applies for SNAP in August 2010 and is given a 12 month certification period August 2010 through July 2011. At authorization of the SNAP benefits, the TANF review period will be lengthened to August 2011 (September 2011 review date). MAVERICS will issue Interim Reports to households for return by the sixth month of the review period. The reports will require households to provide information on changes in household circumstances. Failure of households to return completed interim reports will cause case closure. County staff should use the worker alerts in MAVERICS, system reports, and county caseload management controls to ensure that redeterminations are processed timely. VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS All variable eligibility factors must be discussed and verified for each regular redetermination and when changes occur within regular redetermination periods. Factors which do not change, such as relationship degrees, need not be reviewed unless information is received that raises a question about the validity of previous information. When a case is closed or an individual removed from a case due to death of a member of the TANF