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S N A P M A N U A L

58 • The applicant or the Agency has submitted a request to SSA for information regarding the number of quarters of work that can be credited to the individual, SSA has responded that the individual has fewer than 40 quarters, and the individual provides documentation from SSA that SSA is conducting an investigation to determine if more quarters can be credited. If SSA indicates that the number of qualifying quarters that can be credited is under investigation, the Agency must certify the individual pending the results of the investigation for up to 6 months from the date of the original determination of insufficient quarters; or • The applicant or the Agency has submitted a request to a Federal agency for verification of information which bears on the individual's eligible non-citizen status. The Agency must certify the individual pending the results of the investigation for up to 6 months from the date of the original request for verification. The Agency must provide non-citizen applicants with a reasonable opportunity to submit acceptable documentation of their eligible non-citizen status as of the 30th day following the date of application. A reasonable opportunity must be at least 10 days from the date of the Agency's request for an acceptable document. When the Agency fails to provide a non-citizen applicant with a reasonable opportunity as of the 30th day following the date of application, the Agency must provide the household with benefits no later than 30 days following the date of application, provided the household is otherwise eligible. Absent verification or third party attestation of U.S. citizenship or non-citizen national status, the member whose citizenship or non-citizen national status is in question is ineligible to participate until the issue is resolved and will have his or her income and resources considered available to any remaining household members as set forth in Section 14.1 Treatment of Income and Resources of Certain Non-household Members. (7) Gross nonexempt income Gross nonexempt income will be verified for all households prior to certification. However, where all attempts to verify the income have been unsuccessful because the person or organization providing the income has failed to cooperate with the household and the Agency, and all other sources of verification are unavailable, the ES worker will determine an amount to be used for certification purposes based on the best available information. (8) Utility expenses The Agency will verify a household's utility expenses for households that are only allowed to claim actual utility costs (See Section 12.5 [4] Utility Allowances [Actual Utility Costs]) and the households wish to claim actual utility expenses. If the household's actual utility expenses cannot be verified before the 30 days allowed to process the application expire, the Agency will determine the household’s eligibility and benefit level without providing a deduction for the claimed but unverified expenses.