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S N A P M A N U A L

271 Benefit Integrity Claims staff must accept any payment for a claim whether it represents full or partial payment in any of the acceptable forms of repayment. Acceptable forms of repayment are:

(A) Reducing benefits prior to issuance. This includes allotment reduction and offsets to restored benefits. (B) Reducing SNAP benefits after issuance. These are benefits from electronic benefit accounts. (C) Accepting cash or any of its generally accepted equivalents. The equivalents include check or money order. (D) Requiring the household to perform public service.

Automated recoupment will take place on all active cases. SNAP certification should recognize if an allotment has been reduced because of this collection. This reduction is indicated on CHIP FSBH screen. On inactive cases, the recipient must make cash, money order or certified checks payments to any county DSS office or the State Office Division of Finance.

2 3 . 8 C O L L E C T I O N A C T I O N O N B A N K R U P T C Y C A S E S When a person owing a claim, files for bankruptcy, the General Counsel will petition the bankruptcy court on behalf of the Agency. When written notification that a person has filed for bankruptcy is received by the Agency, all collection actions, including automated recoupment, will stop. If the Economic Services staff becomes aware of a bankruptcy petition, Economic Services staff will need to contact Benefit Integrity Program Manager.

2 3 . 9 D E L I N Q U E N T R E C I P I E N T C L A I M S A recipient claim must be considered delinquent if:

(A) The claim has not been paid by the due date on the initial demand letter and a satisfactory repayment agreement has not been made. The claim will remain delinquent until payment is received in full, a satisfactory repayment agreement is negotiated, or allotment reduction is invoked. (B) A repayment agreement has been made and a scheduled payment has not been made by the due date. The date of the delinquency of a claim in this category is the due date of the missed payment. The claim will remain delinquent until payment is received in full, allotment reduction is invoked, or the Agency determines to either resume or renegotiate the repayment agreement.

A claim will not be considered delinquent if another claim for the same household is currently being paid either through a repayment agreement or allotment reduction and the Agency expects to begin collection on the claim once the prior claim(s) is settled.