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S N A P M A N U A L

211 by the 15th of the month in which it is due in order for the interim report to be considered filed timely. The household is entitled to uninterrupted benefits if a completed interim report form is filed timely. When the interim reporting form is received incomplete, whether timely or untimely, the Agency must notify the household. The notice must include what is needed to make the form complete, when the information or verification must be received, and what will happen if the information or verification is not received timely. If an incomplete form is filed timely but the household does not provide required verification by the end of the month in which the report is due, the certification period is terminated at the end of that month. If the household files the form between the 16th and the last day of the month, the household loses its entitlement to uninterrupted benefits, but is entitled to a determination of benefits within 30 days from the date the interim reporting form was received by the county. If the household files the form between the 16th and the last day of the month in which it is due but does not provide required verification within 30 days from the date the form was received by the county, certification is terminated. The Agency must revert to open on CHIP any case where the interim reporting form received by the last working day of the month, but the Agency failed to acknowledge its receipt on CHIP.

Failure to provide verification of a reported expense may result in the exclusion of that deduction.

1 5 . 7 U N C L E A R I N F O R M A T I O N Unclear information is information that is not verified, or information that is verified but the Agency needs additional information to act on the change.

During the certification period, the Agency may receive unclear information about changes in the household’s circumstances from which the effect of the change on the household’s benefit amount or continued eligibility cannot be readily determined. The Agency may receive this unclear information from a third party, the household, or data matches, and must pursue clarification and verification (if applicable) of the household circumstances if:

• The unclear information is received outside the recertification review is fewer than 60 days old relative to the current month of participation; and would, if accurate, have been required to be reported under simplified reporting requirements; or • Any unclear information appears to present significantly conflicting information from that used by the Agency at the time of certification.

The following procedure must be followed to clarify and verify the household’s circumstances: