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R. ‘‘Local Department’’ means an office located in any one of the counties of the State. S. ‘‘Stepparent’’ is a person living in the home of the opposite sex ceremonially married to the parent of the children in the FI budget group. HISTORY: Added by State Register Volume 19, Issue No. 5, eff May 26, 1995. Amended by State Register Volume 21, Issue No. 6, Part 2, eff June 27, 1997. Editor’s Note This regulation, as amended in State Register Volume 21, Issue No. 6, Part 2, effective June 25, 1997, contained two paragraphs designated ‘‘I’’. Pursuant to the direction of the Code Commissioner, the second paragraph ‘‘I’’ was redesignated as ‘‘K’’ and paragraphs ‘‘K’’ through ‘‘R’’ were redesignated as ‘‘L’’ through ‘‘S’’ respectively. 114–1120. Application and Application Processing. A. Application for Assistance. Each individual wishing to do so shall have the opportunity to apply for assistance without delay. Under this requirement: (1) The Department shall require a written application, signed under a penalty of perjury, on a form prescribed by the Department (including those items in Section 43-5-65(a) of the 1976 South Carolina Code), from the applicant himself, or his authorized representative, or, where the applicant is incompetent or incapacitated, someone acting responsibly for him. (2) An applicant may be assisted, if he so desires, by an individual(s) of his choice (who need not be a lawyer) in the various aspects of the application process and the redetermination of eligibility and may be accompanied by such individual(s) in contacts with the Department and when so accompanied may also be represented by them. B. Beginning Date of Assistance. Provided the eligible applicant is alive on the date the application is approved, assistance begins on the earlier of the two following dates: (1) The date the award is authorized if that date is in the same month as the month of application; or (2) The first day of the month in which the thirtieth day from date of receipt of a completed and signed application falls. C. Standard of Promptness. A decision shall be made promptly on applications, not in excess of thirty days, except for a benefit group in sanctioned status. A benefit group in sanctioned status which must demonstrate compliance with a work requirement will have its application acted upon within five working days after the end of the thirty-day compliance period. Under this requirement, the applicant is informed of the time standard in acting on applications which covers the time from date of application to the date that the notification of approval for an assistance benefit or notification of denial of assistance is mailed to the applicant or recipient. The standard of promptness for acting on applications or redetermining eligibility shall not be used as a waiting period before granting assistance or as a basis for denial of an application or for terminating assistance. D. Applicants’ Rights and Responsibilities. Applicants shall be informed about the eligibility requirements and their rights and responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Department under the FI Program. Under this requirement, individuals are given information in written form, and orally as appropriate, about coverage, conditions of eligibility, scope of the program, and related services available, and the rights and responsibilities of applicants for and recipients of assistance. Specifically developed bulletins or pamphlets explaining the rules regarding eligibility and appeals in simple, understandable terms shall be available. E. Income and Eligibility Verification System. All applicants for and recipients of assistance shall be notified in writing at the time of application and on redetermination that income information will be regularly requested from agencies specified by the federal government in the Income Eligibility Verification System (IEVS) and that it will be used to aid in determining their eligibility for and amount of assistance. Assistance will not be denied, delayed, or discontinued pending receipt of income or other information requested under IEVS, if other evidence establishes the individual’s eligibility for assistance. F. Adequate Notice. Adequate notice shall be sent to applicants to indicate that assistance has been authorized, including the amount of financial assistance or that it has been denied.