Food assistance: recertification

(a) Contains a member that is subject to the work requirements;

(b) Contains at least one adult member;

(c) Contains no elderly or disabled members; and

(d) Has no earned income.

(5) AGs are to receive a written notice and an oral explanation of the specific work requirements each AG member is subject to in accordance with rule 5101:4-2-07 of the Administrative Code.

(6) The recertification process shall only be utilized for an AG that applies for recertification prior to the end of its current certification period, except for delayed applications as specified in paragraphs (H)(5) and (H)(6) of this rule.

(7) The county agency shall not recertify an AG without a signed application for recertification.

(B) How is an AG notified it is time for a recertification?

(1) The county agency shall provide an AG certified for expedited benefits a notice of expiration at the time of certification.

(2) All other certified AGs shall receive the Ohio benefits integrated eligibility system generated notice of expiration between the first and last day of the month prior to the month the certification period ends.

(C) What shall the AG provide to the county agency in order to establish an application date for recertification?

(1) When the AG indicates that it wishes to establish a filing date for its recertification prior to its interview, the AG shall be provided a JFS 07200, "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Cash Assistance, Medical Assistance and/or Child Care Assistance Application" or JFS 07204, "Request to Recertify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Cash and/or Child Care Assistance " and instructions to complete and submit the form. The AG shall be advised that the date of application for recertification will be established when the form is submitted with a name, address, and signature.

(2) The AG shall file an application for recertification using the JFS 07200, the JFS 07204, the electronic equivalent of the JFS 07200 or JFS 07204, or the telephonic equivalent of the JFS 07200 or JFS 07204.

(3) The AG shall be advised that the date of application for recertification will be established when the application is submitted with the minimum requirements of name, address, and signature as described in rule 5101:4-2-01 of the Administrative Code. When the completed application is received after business hours, the date of application shall be the next business day.

(4) When the Ohio benefits integrated eligibility system is unavailable or a home visit is necessary, the county agency shall complete the JFS 01846, "Case Worksheet: Cash, Food Stamps and Medical Assistance Interview."

(5) When an interactive interview is conducted or a JFS 01846 was completed, the application date is established when the JFS 07200 or the JFS 07204 contains a name, address, and signature from an AG member or its authorized representative, and is received by the county agency.

(D) Is an interview required at the time of recertification?

(1) As part of the recertification process, the county agency shall conduct an interview with a member of the AG or its authorized representative. The standard interview practices in rule 5101:4-2-07 of the Administrative Code also apply to interviews for recertification.

(2) The county agency shall conduct a face-to-face interview or the telephonic equivalent. Telephone interviews may be conducted in lieu of a face-to-face interview unless the agency has determined the AG's situation requires a face-to-face interview or the AG requests a face-to-face interview. The county agency shall grant a telephone interview to any AG that requests one.

(3) When an interview is conducted but the AG does not submit an application for recertification, the county agency is to deny the recertification at that time or at the end of the certification period.

(4) Upon request, the county agency shall provide the AG with the JFS 04196, "Food Assistance Change Reporting."

(5) The county agency is to notify the AG of the date the verification is to be returned. The AG is to be allowed a minimum of ten days to provide required verification information.

(6) The county agency shall schedule interviews so that the AG has at least ten days after the interview in which to provide verification before the certification period expires. When an AG misses its scheduled interview, the county agency shall send the AG a JFS 04218, "Notice Of Missed Interview."

(a) When an AG misses its scheduled interview and requests another interview, the county agency is to schedule a second interview as described in rule 5101:4-2-07 of the Administrative Code.

(b) When an AG does not request to reschedule the interview but has submitted an application for recertification, the county agency is to deny the recertification thirty days following the date the application is received.

(E) What verification is needed at recertification?

(1) At recertification the county agency does not have to verify unchanged information unless the information is questionable or is more than sixty days old. The county agency is to verify information provided by the AG in accordance with rule 5101:4-2-09 of the Administrative Code.

(2) As part of the recertification process, the county agency is to resolve any information that was held in accordance with rule 5101:4-7-01 of the Administrative Code.

(F) When is an application for recertification considered timely?

(1) An AG certified for expedited benefits shall have fifteen days from the date the notice of expiration is received to file for recertification timely.

(2) AGs, except those certified for expedited benefits, that submit an application for recertification by the fifteenth day of the last month of the certification period shall be considered to have made a timely application for recertification.

(3) Any AG whose eligibility is not determined by the end of its current certification period due to the time period allowed for submitting any missing verification is to receive an opportunity to participate, when eligible, within five working days after the AG submits the missing verification. Benefits are not to be prorated.

(4) For AGs consisting of applicants or recipients of supplemental security income (SSI) that apply for SNAP recertification at the social security administration (SSA) office, the application shall be considered filed for normal processing purposes when the signed application is received by the SSA by the fifteenth day of the last month of the certification period.

(G) What are the processing timeframes for timely recertifications? AGs certified under normal processing standards are to be provided an opportunity to participate by the AG's normal issuance cycle in the month following the end of its current certification period. AGs are to be notified of their eligibility or ineligibility by the end of their current certification period.

(H) What is delayed processing?

(1) When an eligible AG files an application before the end of the certification period, but the recertification process cannot be completed within thirty days after the date of the application because of the county agency, the county agency must continue to process the case and provide a full month's allotment for the first month of the new certification period.

(2) When an AG files an application before the end of the certification period, but fails to take a required action, the county agency may deny the case at that time, at the end of the certification period, or at the end of thirty days. Although the county agency may have the right to issue a denial prior to the end of the certification period, the AG has thirty days after the end of the certification period to complete the process and have its application treated as an application for recertification.

(3) When the AG takes the required action before the end of the certification period, the county agency shall reopen the case and provide a full month's benefit for the initial month of the new certification period.

(4) When the AG takes the required action after the end of the certification period, but within thirty days after the end of the certification period, the county agency shall reopen the case and provide retroactive benefits to the date the AG took the required action.

(5) When an AG files an application within thirty days after the end of the certification period, the application shall be considered an application for recertification; however, benefits shall be prorated in accordance with rule 5101:4-4-27 of the Administrative Code and the application shall be processed within timeframes for processing initial applications as described in rule 5101:4-2-01 of the Administrative Code.

(6) When an AG's application for recertification is delayed beyond the first of the month of what would have been its new certification period through the fault of the county agency, the county agency shall provide restored benefits back to the date the AG's certification period should have begun.

(7) The county agency shall determine cause for any delay in processing an application for recertification in accordance with the provisions of rule 5101:4-5-07 of the Administrative Code.

(I) Do the expedited service provisions apply at recertification?

(1) The expedited service provisions of rule 5101:4-6-09 of the Administrative Code are not applicable when the AG applies for recertification before the end of its current certification period.

(2) When the date of application for recertification is after the certification period has expired, the AG may be entitled to expedited services when the AG's circumstances fall within the expedited criteria in accordance with rule 5101:4-6-09 of the Administrative Code.

(3) AGs that are certified for expedited benefits are to be notified of their eligibility within twenty-four hours or seven days depending on the expedited services for which they qualify.