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The DSS-EA-300, Cover letter and Verification Checklist, is used as a pending notice when action by the customer is necessary to complete the application/renewal process within the specified time frames. The cover letter should be used when there has been no verbal communication with the customer about what is needed for completing the application. It may also be used if more room is needed, than what the verification checklist provides, to explain what is needed. The verification checklist form should state:  The reason the case is pended  What action, if any, needs to be taken by the household  The date by which the action must have occurred

Failure by the household to take the required action by the date indicated on the notice will result in denial.

17150 NOTICE OF MISSED INTERVIEW (NOMI)

The DSS-EA-333, Notice of Missed Interview, is required to be sent if the EA-301 was received and the household missed the first scheduled interview. The DSS-EA-333 informs the household that contact must be made with the local office to re-schedule the missed interview.

17200 NOTICES OF ADVERSE ACTION

Before any action to reduce or terminate a household's benefits within the certification period, the Specialist must provide the household 10 days advance notice before the adverse action is taken unless the criteria for adequate notice is met. The adverse action notice must be mailed to allow at least 10 days between the mailing date and the first of the month, in which the change would become effective. The household has 10 days from the date the notice of adverse action was mailed to request a fair hearing and receive continued benefits. If the adverse action period ends on a weekend or holiday, and a request for a fair hearing and continuation of benefits are received the day after the weekend or holiday, the Specialist will consider this a timely request for continued benefits and forward the hearing request on to ORFI.

The automated notice or a manual SPEC-C, Notice of Action, is the notice of adverse action form. All notices of adverse action must explain:  The proposed action and  The reason for the proposed action  The household's right to request a fair hearing  The telephone number of the SNAP office where collect calls will be accepted for households outside the local calling area.

The notice of Adverse Action is a notice based on a change in benefit from one month to the next. A 10 day notice of adverse action is not required if benefits are decreasing from one version to the next version, only if the change in versions is a decrease from the previous month’s benefit.

Example: March benefits were approved for $420 on Feb 15th. On March 12th customer reported and verified a decrease in hours. This increased benefits to $485 for April. On March 23rd customer reported that the employer reconsidered and did not decrease his hours as much. This change then decreased benefits to $440 for April. This is still an increase from the March benefit, and no 10 day notice is required so the change can still be budgeted for April even though it was reported after 10 day notice for April.