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Page | 116 DSS considers jointly held resources inaccessible and considers room payments to a shelter as shelter expenses.

Specialists must encourage shelter residents to use the facility's post office box as their mailing address, if available, to maintain a confidential residence address.

7420 SPECIAL CONDITIONS FOR DRUG OR ALCOHOL TREATMENT CENTERS

Items 7421-7424 applies only to drug or alcohol treatment centers; they do not apply to shelters for battered women and children because if the shelter is appointed authorized representative, its responsibilities are the same as any other authorized representative.

7421 CENTER RESPONSIBILITY

A. Applies on behalf of the residents (ID of individual applying must be provided), and B. Receives the EBT card and training, and C. Buys and prepares food for eligible residents on a group basis, or buys meals delivered to the individual residents. D. The resident and authorized representative should personally sign the SNAP application form. E. The facility acting as authorized representative is liable for any misrepresentation or fraud which it knowingly commits in the certification of participants it is representing. Therefore, the facility must be knowledgeable about household circumstances and should review those circumstances with the participants before applying for SNAP benefits on the participants' behalf. The facility is responsible for: 1. Reporting required changes in participant’s circumstances; 2. All losses or misuse of SNAP benefits held on behalf of participants, and 3. All over-issuances which occur while the participants are residents of the facility.

Specialists must report incidents of suspected misuse or misappropriation of SNAP benefits through channels to SNAP program staff, which in turn, will refer to USDA. If the facility is disqualified by USDA as a retailer, it may not serve as an authorized representative for participants as long as it is disqualified. Also, if the facility loses its license or certification from the appropriate State Agency, it may not serve as authorized representative.

7422 LIST OF RESIDENT PARTICIPANTS

Each month, each facility director must give the local SNAP office a list of resident participants in SNAP. The list must be signed by an employee of the facility and given to the local office within five workdays after the end of the month for which it is prepared. Certification office staff use the list to:

A. Monitor facility caseload on a monthly basis, B. Make periodic on-site visits, and C. Ensure that office records are current. Specialist must also ensure that the person the facility appoints to act as AR for participants knows of the reporting requirements. If the list of residents is not sent within the required time frame, the specialist should remind the facility representative of the reporting requirement. Repeated failure of the facility to report resident participants should be reported, through supervisory channels, to the SNAP program staff.