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Approval/Denial: Following receipt of all necessary verifications, an eligibility determination is made. If eligible, the payment is calculated and issued to the EBT. Approval is effective the date of authorization and benefits are prorated for the month of approval. If the application is denied, a Notice of Case Action (NOCA) will be mailed to the applicant with the reason for the denial. Native American Participation: Native Americans living within a Tribal TANF SDA may not receive benefits concurrently from the tribal program and NMW Cash Assistance Program. The Department will continue to provide SNAP and Medicaid benefits to eligible tribal members. Specific procedures regarding state tribal exchange of information are negotiated with each tribe. Subject to availability, tribal members may participate in service only programs funded with state general funds claimed as state TANF Maintenance- of-Effort, regardless of whether they live in a tribal SDA. The State, through Human Services Department, provides NMW cash assistance and services to all eligible tribal members in accordance with state plan provisions detailed in this document. 9.2 CASE ADMINISTRATION Follow-up review: Applicants will submit an Interim Review in 6 months during the certification period to report changes or circumstances that may affect eligibility or payment amount. Recertifications: Cash assistance is approved for a fixed certification period. If the individual still wishes to receive Cash assistance they will be required to submit a recertification application otherwise have the assistance be terminated. The recertification consists of a complete review of eligibility and determination on each benefit group member. Simplified reporting: Households assigned to simplified reporting shall be required to file an interim report no later than the 10th day of the sixth month of the 12-month certification period or in compliance with SNAP simplified report, whichever is appropriate. Regular reporting: A benefit group not subject to simplified reporting requirements and shall be certified every six months or less. Change reporting: A caseworker must review possible changes in circumstances which must be reported if they occur. 9.3 DEFINING THE ASSISTANCE GROUP Basis for defining the benefit group: The NMW benefit group is defined as a pregnant woman or a group of people that includes a dependent child, all the dependent child’s full, half, step or adopted siblings living with the dependent child’s parent or relative within the fifth degree of relationship and the parent with whom the children live and the spouse of a parent. A woman with no other dependent children who is in her last trimester of pregnancy will be considered as having a dependent child for eligibility purposes and will be treated as one person in determining payment. The father of the unborn child is also included in the benefit group if he lives in the home. The mother and the alleged father of the unborn child must provide the department with a written sworn statement attesting to paternity. Living in the home: To be eligible for inclusion in the benefit group, the dependent child must be living, or considered to be living in the home of a parent or specified relative. An unmarried, unemancipated teen parent must be living with a parent, legal guardian, a responsible relative, or in an approved adult-supervised setting. For this requirement, a teen parent is an individual who has not reached the age of 18. A teen parent and his or her dependent child(ren) living in an adult- supervised setting do not have to be related to the adult providing the supervision.