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S N A P M A N U A L

PROCESSING STANDARDS FOR EXPEDITED SERVICE

It is important that interviewers understand that even though the client is told he/she must call the Intake Center within 4 days, the client is entitled to expedited service if he/she calls within 6 days from the date of application. The first day of the six-day time frame begins the calendar day after the application/annual recertification form was received by the Agency. If the application/annual recertification form is not registered timely, the interviewer should document the date that the application/annual recertification form was registered as the reason for allowing expedited service outside of the 6 days. In addition, if the interviewer has information that indicates that the client may not have received the notice in time to call the Intake Center or that the client may not have been able to get through to the interview center by the 6th day, good cause should be granted to the client and the case should be expedited if all other expedited criteria have been met. Examples include but are not limited to: •Client files SNAP application on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Because the agency was closed Thursday- Sunday, the interview notice was not mailed to the client until the following Monday (day 5). Therefore, it would be very unlikely that the client would have received his/her notice to call by the 6th day. He should be given good cause for calling late and expedited, if he calls within a reasonable amount of time after the 6th day. •Client files application December 10th and calls Intake Center on December 17th (the 7th day) and indicates that he has been trying to call but could not get through. As an interviewer, you are aware that SCOSA was down for one full day during the time frame that the client claims to have been trying to call and ESIC daily activity reports show that there was a wait time of an hour to get thru to the Intake Center on the 16th (the 6th day). This client should also be given good cause for calling after the 6th day and allowed expedited processing. Interviewers should use prudent judgment when determining whether or not a client should be given good cause for calling after the 6th day for the interview. If good cause is granted, the specific circumstances warranting this should be documented in the case file before the case is processed. We are aware that this may result in an untimely action, but in order to properly serve the client, the agency is willing to absorb this untimely when we have evidence that the failure to call by the due date is of no fault to the client.