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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION APPLICATIONS FNS 420 NORMAL APPLICATION PROCESSING

3 Section 420 Change #01-2024 March 01, 2024 4. Process the application no later than the 60th calendar day from the date of application. B. If the FNS unit has good cause for not providing requested information by the processing due date: 1. Process the application no later than the 60th calendar day from the date of application. 2. See good cause in policy manual section FNS 440 Application Disposition. 3. Determine eligibility within five calendar days from receipt of the required information. 4. If eligible, authorize benefits from the date of application. If ineligible, deny benefits. 5. If information is not received by the 60th calendar day, deny the application. 420.04 REGULATORY DELAY FOR NORMAL APPLICATIONS Some normal applications may experience processing delays. NC FAST will offer the option to indicate a regulatory delay and the reason when appropriate. Delays with good cause are considered overdue by USDA. However, when appropriate, use regulatory delay to notate the reason for delay in NC FAST. A. The following are circumstances in which good cause is applicable, and regulatory delay is allowable. 1. The household reports a change, or a change becomes known late in the application-processing period. The change requires verification, and the household must be given ten calendar days to provide the needed verification. The ten-calendar day period extends beyond the 30th day. 2. The household files an application but fails to appear for a first or second interview until after the 20th calendar day of the application-processing period. Allow ten calendar days to provide necessary verification requested at the interview. The ten-calendar day period extends beyond the 30th day. 3. A household jointly applies for Work First/FNS or Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/FNS. The FNS portion of the application is denied prior to the processing of the Work First or SSI application. The Work First or SSI is later approved. At this point, the original FNS application must be evaluated for categorical eligibility and reopened if eligible. Upon determining eligibility, the application is reopened, and the effective date of the application is retroactive to the original date of application.