MASS CHANGES

A. General: Certain changes initiated by the state or federal government may affect the entire caseload or significant portions of it. These changes include, but are not limited to, increases or decreases in eligibility or payment standards changes in excluded or deducted items or amounts. Mass changes affecting income include annual adjustments of Social Security, SSI, and other federal benefit programs, and any other changes in eligibility criteria based on legislative or regulatory actions.

B. Notice of mass changes: Adverse action notices are required for mass changes resulting from statutory or regulatory changes in eligibility or payment standards, benefit, changes in excluded or deducted items or amounts for purposes of eligibility or calculation of benefit levels. The HCA will either provide concurrent notice to affected households of the mass change no later than the date the household receives, or would have received, its benefit issuance, or the affected cases will be notified through the media, and posters in county offices.

C. Appeal rights: Notice of the change will include the recipient’s right to appeal. A hearing is not available, and benefits are not continued, when automatic benefit adjustments are required by federal or state law unless the specific, express basis for the hearing request is incorrect benefit computation. If the recipient requests a fair hearing within the advance notice period, benefits will be continued at the former amount. If the appeal results in a decision that the reduction or closure was incorrect, the difference between what the recipient received pending the appeal decision and the amount that should have been received will be restored to the recipient.

[8.100.180.15 NMAC - Rp 8.100.180.15 NMAC, 7/1/2024]