Food assistance: elderly and disabled individuals living with others

(b) The disabled individual is unable to purchase food and prepare his or her own meals.

(2) When an individual meets these criteria, both the individual with their spouse may be granted separate assistance group status, even when the spouse does not meet the criteria.

(B) What is the disability criteria to be certified for SNAP separately? The disability shall be considered permanent under the Social Security Act of 1935 or be a nondisease-related, severe, permanent disability. "Disability" as described in this rule is not the same as "disabled member" as described in rule 5101:4-1-03 of the Administrative Code. The key factor in determining whether or not the disability would qualify an individual for separate assistance group status under this provision is an inability to purchase and prepare meals because of the disability.

(C) How is a disability verified for separate assistance group status? Disability shall be verified by one of the following procedures:

(1) A county agency shall use the social security administration's most current list of disabilities as the initial step for verifying if a person has a permanent disability under the Social Security Act of 1935.

(2) When it is obvious to the county agency that the person is unable to purchase and prepare meals because he or she suffers from a severe physical or mental disability, even when the disability is not specifically mentioned on the Social Security Act list, additional verification is not needed and the nature of the disability shall be documented in the case file.

(3) When the disability is not obvious to the county agency, the person shall be required to provide a statement from a physician or licensed or certified psychologist certifying that the person is unable to purchase and prepare meals because he or she suffers from one of the non obvious disabilities mentioned in the Social Security Act list or from some other severe, permanent physical or mental disease or nondisease-related disability.

(D) How is the income of the other individuals in the home determined?

(1) After an elderly individual has been determined disabled in accordance with this rule, the following must occur:

(a) The gross income of the others with whom the individual resides must be considered, as if the others were applying for SNAP;

(b) The gross monthly income of the others are to be compared to the one hundred sixty-five per cent of the federal poverty level for that assistance group size; and

(c) The income of the individual who is elderly and disabled and their spouse shall not be included in the calculation, nor are the elderly and disabled individual and their spouse to be considered assistance group members for this purpose.

(2) The elderly and disabled individuals who wish to be a separate assistance group shall be responsible for obtaining the cooperation of the individuals with whom they reside in providing necessary income information to the county agency.

(3) Income of the others with whom the elderly and disabled individuals live shall be verified as if the others were also applying for program participation, as discussed in rule 5101:4-2-09 of the Administrative Code.

(E) Are shared expenses prorated? Once separate assistance group status has been established, county agencies shall prorate any expenses shared by the elderly and disabled individual's assistance group and the others with whom the elderly and disabled assistance group resides. When the assistance group is eligible for one of the utility allowances, the utility allowance shall not be prorated.