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FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES CERTIFICATION FNS 425 EXPEDITED SERVICE PROCESSING

4 SecƟon 425 Change #1-2024 March 01, 2024 Identity is the only eligibility factor that must be verified to approve expedited FNS benefits. The identity of the household must be verified prior to approving FNS with expedited service. A. If an authorized representative (AR) applies on behalf of the household, the identity of the AR and the head of household must be verified. B. A collateral contact or readily available documentary evidence may be used to verify identity. Do not require a specific document, use any information that reasonably verifies the individual’s identity. C. If the household’s identity cannot be verified within the expedited service time frame, the household is not entitled to expedited service. Note: The agency should continue to assist the household in obtaining the necessary verifications so the household’s application may be processed as soon as possible within the normal processing standards.

D. Before a household is approved for expedited service, the household must meet other eligibility factors that are known to the agency. EXAMPLE: A single household, previously disqualified for failure to comply with a drug felon assessment, reapplies and states he/she will cure the disqualification. The household is ineligible for expedited services because he/she is presenting self as ineligible for FNS benefits on the date of application. Benefits cannot be received until the disqualification is cured. Process using normal application timeframes. 1. All reasonable efforts must be made within the expedited service time frame to obtain all verification that is required under the normal processing procedures. 2. The household must provide sufficient information to determine eligibility prior to approval. 3. The agency must obtain as much verification as possible during the interview. 4. The eligibility requirements in this section may be verified using collateral contacts or readily available documentary evidence. Do not delay certification until the seventh day when it is unlikely that other verifications will be obtained by then. E. Verification is required for the following eligibility factors but may be postponed. See FNS 425.06 Postponed Verification.

1. Income - In the case of no income, accept the household’s statement that the household has no income;