10:87-6.26 Other household certifications

(a) Households eligible for a certification period of three months or less at the time of certification, shall have their certification periods increased by one month if the certification process is completed after the 15th day of the month of application and the household's circumstances warrant it. For example, if a household eligible for a three- month certification period makes application in June and is not certified until late June or early July, the certification period would begin in June and go through September. (b) Unless a household is eligible for simplified reporting, households containing one or more persons subject to a lockout or on strike from their place of employment shall not be certified for periods of more than one month, if the household is certified before the 15th day of the month of application. Otherwise, the maximum certification period shall be for two months. (c) Unless a household is eligible for simplified reporting, households shall be certified for one or two months, as appropriate, when the household cannot reasonably predict what its circumstances will be in the near future, or when there is a substantial likelihood of frequent and significant changes in income or household status; for example, day laborers during the work season when income is uncertain and subject to extreme fluctuations during the work season due to the uncertainty of continuous employment or due to bad weather and other circumstances. (d) Households shall be certified for 12 months if there is little likelihood of changes in income and household status; for example, households with a stable income record and for which major changes in income, deductions or composition are not anticipated. (e) Households consisting entirely of unemployable or elderly persons with very stable income shall be certified for 12 to 24 months provided other household circumstances are expected to remain stable; for example, Social Security recipients, SSI recipients and persons who receive pensions or disability payments. (f) Households whose primary source of income is from self-employment (including self- employed farmers) or from regular farm employment with the same employer shall be certified for 12 months and put on simplified reporting. Twelve-month certification periods may be assigned to farm workers who are provided their annual salaries on a scheduled monthly basis that does not change as the amount of work changes. (g) A household comprised entirely of elderly or disabled individuals with or without earned income (see N.J.A.C. 10:87-2.34) may be allowed a 24-month certification period, provided that circumstances otherwise warrant. At the 12th month of the 24-month certification, the CSSA shall make one contact with the household, using the interim report form, to determine whether any changes have occurred. The method of contact, as well as any changes reported by the household, shall be documented in the household's case record and acted upon by the CSSA. (h) Households eligible for a child support deduction that have no record of regular child support payments or of child support arrearages shall be certified for no more than three months. Households with a record of regular child support and arrearage payments shall be certified for no more than 12 months. These requirements do not apply to households whose certification periods are established in accordance with N.J.A.C. 10:87-6.22 or 6.26(a) or households eligible for simplified reporting. History HISTORY: As amended, R.1981 d.97, effective April 9, 1981. See: 13 N.J.R. 96(c), 13 N.J.R. 228(a). (a)7 deleted. Amended by R.1989 d.121, effective February 21, 1989. See: 20 N.J.R. 2689(a), 21 N.J.R. 511(b). Added (a)7 and 8. Recodified from N.J.A.C. 10:87-6.23 and amended by R.1998 d.498, effective October 5, 1998. See: 30 N.J.R. 1928(a), 30 N.J.R. 3669(b). In (a), rewrote 7 and 8. Recodified from N.J.A.C. 10:87-6.24 and amended by R.2004 d.181, effective May 17, 2004. See: 36 N.J.R. 28(a), 36 N.J.R. 2425(a). Rewrote the section. Amended by R.2012 d.031, effective February 6, 2012 (operative March 7, 2012). See: 43 N.J.R. 2114(a), 44 N.J.R. 241(a). In (b), (c) and (h), substituted "simplified" for "six month"; in (c), deleted "and migrant workers" following "laborers"; in (d), (f), and (h), substituted "12" for "six" preceding "months"; in (f), substituted "simplified" for "six-month" and "Twelve-month" for "Six-month"; and in (g), inserted "with or without earned income", ", using the interim report form," and "and act acted upon by the CWA".