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Subject: SNAP Application Processing

Policy 24.02 Date of Last Review: 11/30/2023 Effective Date: 12/01/2022 Date of Next Review: 11/30/2026 RDA: SW22 Page 7 of 20 3. The applicant will have to provide enough information for the Eligibility Counselor to assist in obtaining the necessary verification (information necessary to use the Clearinghouse file, or the name and other information needed to contact an employer). 4. The Eligibility Counselor and applicant/recipient or the household’s authorized representative will come to a clear understanding and agreement as to what necessary information the applicant/recipient will supply and what the Eligibility Counselor will obtain. 5. The applicant/recipient must be advised to contact the Eligibility Counselor if help or additional time is needed to obtain the required information. 6. The customer/Eligibility Counselor agreement regarding the requested information must be documented, in addition to any subsequent contacts or lack of follow-up between the Eligibility Counselor and the applicant. 7. The applicant/recipient must be informed of the specific information needed and must be given sufficient time (at least ten days following the written request’s mail date) to provide acceptable verification if the preferred document is not readily available. 8. Under no circumstances is a case to be denied or closed for failure to provide verification from a particular source when another source could serve the same purpose. 9. When there is only one source of verification for a particular item and that source is no longer available (e.g., a factory has gone out of business and there is no longer anyone who can verify wages for the past month, and the applicant has no check stubs or wage records), a statement signed and dated by the applicant may be accepted as verification. 10.When a required verification cannot be obtained from a third party despite the household’s and the Eligibility Counselor’s best efforts, the Eligibility Counselor can accept the customer’s written or verbal declaration of the facts as a last resort. The record should be documented showing the efforts that have been made and the results. 11.Please refer to Verification and Documentation for SNAP and Verification for Expedited Service. Failure/Refusal to Cooperate in the Eligibility Process The distinction between refusal and failure to provide information or cooperate in the eligibility determination is often difficult to determine. 1. Refusal to cooperate exists when the household is able to cooperate but clearly refuses to take the required action. See examples below. a. Someone may fail to show up for an interview or he/she may refuse to be interviewed; or b. Someone may fail to provide required documentary evidence, or he may refuse to give the Eligibility Counselor information necessary to obtain such evidence. 2. Failure to do something is usually evident; refusal is not evident until the Eligibility Counselor has explored the situation with the applicant/recipient in an attempt to help him/her in establishing eligibility. See examples below.