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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION APPLICATIONS FNS 410 COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES

2 FNS 410 Change #21-2021 November 15, 2021 2. If a household submits a written request for FNS, the county DSS must mail an application on the same day the request is received in the FNS office. 3. If a county DSS has designated FNS offices to serve specific geographic areas, households may contact an office other than the one designated to serve the area where they reside. The household must be allowed to file an application on the same day. 4. If a household has mailed the application to the wrong office: a. The FNS office must mail or fax the application to the appropriate office on the same day. b. Processing time standards will not begin until the appropriate office receives the application. c. If the receiving FNS office fails to mail or fax the application to the appropriate office on the same day, the receiving county DSS must process the application and transfer upon approval. 5. If a household attempts to apply for FNS in a county other than their county of residence: a. If the worker has not started an application in NC FAST: i. Inform the applicant that he must apply in the county in which he lives or online. ii. Give the household the address and telephone number of the FNS office in their county of residence and information about the ePASS online portal. b. If the worker has already started an application in NC FAST: i. The worker must complete the application and transfer to the county of residence upon approval. 6. If the agency attempts to divert households from applying for Work First cash assistance, do the following: a. Encourage applicants to continue with their application for FNS. b. Explain that some of the restrictions and requirements of applying for Work First cash assistance, i.e., time limits, do not apply to FNS.