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NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance- TA and SNAP Employment Policy Manual

Section 385.13- Page 11 Rev. 3/2022  after the reduction, the individual is earning less than the equivalent of 30 hours multiplied by the minimum wage;  the reduction occurred within 30 days prior to the date of application or anytime thereafter; and  the reduction was voluntary and without good cause. The minimum wage equivalency does not apply when determining a reduction in work effort. The individual must be working 30 hours per week prior to the reduction in work effort, regardless of the rate of pay, to consider the reduction in work hours voluntary. For example, an individual working 20 hours per week at $15.00 per hour, who reduces their weekly hours of employment to 12 hours per week at $15.00 per hour, is not subject to the reduction in work effort provision. An applicant will be ineligible for SNAP in accordance with the sanction periods identified in 18 NYCRR 385.12(e) if the voluntary quit without good cause took place within 30 days of application for SNAP. There is no such limitation for recipients. In instances where an individual voluntarily quit their job before applying for SNAP, but this fact was unknown to the district until after the individual became a SNAP recipient, the procedure will be the same as that for a recipient. The district must provide the individual an opportunity during the application process to give reasons for leaving or being terminated from employment or reducing his/her work hours or provoking the reduction of hours. The regulations in this section provide several reasons which are considered to be good cause for a voluntary quit. If, after providing the individual an opportunity to give reasons, the district determines that the applicant voluntarily quit their employment without good cause, a standard denial notice should be used, indicating that denial was due to a voluntary quit without good cause and referencing 18 NYCRR 385.13(b). For applicants, the disqualification is effective as of the date of application for SNAP, whether the remaining household members are certified, or the application is denied. For participants, the sanction period would begin the first month after all normal procedures for taking adverse action have been taken, (including a fair hearing). The following SNAP durational sanction periods must be imposed for a non-exempt SNAP applicant who without good cause has voluntarily quit employment, or has voluntarily reduced earnings/work effort as described in 18 NYCRR 385.13: • The first instance of voluntary quit or reduction in work effort without good cause, a period of 30 days (1 month) and thereafter until the individual complies with SNAP requirements as determined by the district;