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A. An erroneous payment occurs when an error is made by the client or the department that resulted in an underpayment or overpayment of program benefits or assistance.
B. Restoration of benefits: If benefits must be restored to an eligibility determination group, the department shall determine each month for which the eligibility determination group was underpaid benefits. The month(s) may or may not be consecutive. In some cases, federal regulations mandate the restoration of SNAP benefits to eligibility determination groups for a specific time period.
C. Overpayment of benefits:
(1) Establishing period of overpayment: If benefits have been overpaid to an eligibility determination group, the department shall determine each month in which the eligibility determination group received benefits to which it was not entitled. The months may or may not be consecutive.
(a) The first month in which a benefit is considered erroneous is the month in which the eligibility determination group received a benefit amount differing from the amount that the eligibility determination group was entitled to receive.
(b) The last month of an erroneous payment ends on the last day of the last month in which payment is discovered. In the case of an overpayment, if the period of overpayment has been extended while a proposed reduction or termination is the subject of an administrative hearing decision, it is included in the overpayment claim period.
(2) Establishing a claim: A claim will be established against any eligibility determination group for any month in which the eligibility determination group received an overpayment of benefits if it exceeds the claims establishment threshold as defined in Subsection G of 8.100.640.11 NMAC.
(a) At a minimum, the department shall take action on claims for which twelve (12) months or less have elapsed between the month an overpayment occurred and the month the overpayment was discovered.
(b) The department may choose to take action on claims for which more than twelve (12) months have elapsed.
(c) No action will be taken on claims for which more than six years have elapsed between the month an overpayment occurred and the month an overpayment was discovered.
[8.100.640.9 NMAC - N, 09/30/2013]