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State of New Hampshire

TANF State Plan

22 New Hampshire State Plan Effective October 2023 • the first day of the month following the month of application, or • the first day of the semimonthly payroll period in which eligibility is determined, as long as no assistance is granted for any days prior to the application date and the assistance group is eligible in all respects on the day the first payment is issued.

Financial assistance benefits are issued via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). The FANF casehead must choose which benefit issuance method they prefer. Paper checks are never used to issue financial assistance benefits, except for recipients in nursing facilities who may choose to receive supplemental payments for a personal needs allowance in the form of a check.

With regards to application processing time frames, an application must be acted upon promptly and without undue delay. For all categories of financial assistance, a Notice of Decision (NOD) is generated and sent to the individual as soon as eligibility has been determined, but no later than 45 calendar days from the application date.

Individuals are notified in advance of termination of their assistance, when there is a decrease in the level of eligibility, or there is a decrease in their benefit amount. The time frame between the date the NOD is generated and the date the action takes effect is called the advance notice period (ANP).

Financial assistance is determined for a specific period called the eligibility period. At the end of the eligibility period, benefits will continue to be issued automatically until action is taken to terminate assistance. A Redetermination for eligibility will occur for all households on regularly scheduled intervals. The longest eligibility period for FANF financial assistance is 12 months. During a Redetermination the worker will review the household’s circumstances to determine eligibility, the worker will request documentation from the household to verify and prove all eligibility factors and criteria are met. The worker will update eligibility and benefits as necessary.

For more information, also see FAM: Section 161.01 Timely Notice Section 161.03 Required Verification for Redetermination Section 161.05 Processing Redeterminations Section 161.07 Termination at Redetermination

Workers can request documentation, clarification, or a review of a FANF household to determine eligibility during the eligibility period (prior to the households scheduled redetermination) when either of the following situations occur: • there is a change in case circumstances that affects other eligibility factors; or • there is conflicting information regarding eligibility.

Individuals are notified of case decisions on a Notice of Decision (NOD). Each NOD must include all the following: • the name, address, and telephone number of the District Office; • the individual’s name and address; • the case number and current date; • the name of the worker to contact for more information, when possible; • the effective date of the action;