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S N A P M A N U A L

116 The rules and guidelines on how these exemptions should be used are determined by Economic Services Policy. (1) How the discretionary exemptions will be used

The discretionary exemptions can be used under the following circumstances: • When the only or last child in the household turns 18 and the household is between certification periods, the child and all household members would be exempt from meeting the APR for up to 1 month within each 36-month period. • When an Agency error causes an ABAWD to have months of non-compliance with federal work requirements, the ABAWD may be placed under the discretionary exemption so that he/she is not held responsible for an error made by someone else. This exemption can be used up to three months per ABAWD, within each 36-month period.

NOTE: The eligibility staff cannot use the discretionary exemptions without prior authorization from the State Office Designee. (2) Tracking the use of the discretionary exemptions

The exemptions are required to be tracked. Usage of the discretionary exemptions will be tracked by the State Office Designee. (3) Use of more exemptions than allotted

If the discretionary ABAWD exemptions are issued in excess of the annual allocation, including those carried over, FNS considers the benefits issued as unauthorized allotments. In instances where exemptions have been issued in excess of the allotted amount, FNS will allow the deduction of the overused exemptions from the subsequent year’s allotment. If enough discretionary exemptions are not earned during the subsequent year to cover the overuse, FNS will bill the Agency for the unauthorized benefits it provided.

8 . 2 3 B E N E F I T S R E C E I V E D E R R O N E O U S L Y B Y A N A B A W D If an ABAWD receives SNAP benefits erroneously, the Agency will consider the benefits to have been received for purposes of the ABAWD time limit unless or until the individual pays it back in full.