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Subject: SNAP Timeliness Standards

Policy 24.03 Date of Last Review: 11/30/2023 Effective Date: 02/01/2022 Date of Next Review: 11/30/2026 RDA: SW22 Page 6 of 10 3. If the county office fails to assist the household, as required, in completing the application form or in obtaining documentary evidence to support its income or questionable information, fails to give the household sufficient time, or fails to timely schedule the required interviews, the fault is then the county’s. 4. If the county office fails to assist the household as required in obtaining verification of questionable expenses, do not delay processing the application. Certify the household without the expense and restore any lost benefits to the household upon receipt of the required information, if appropriate. 5. The Eligibility Counselor must have taken the action as previously outlined in this policy before a delay can be considered the fault of the household. 6. A delay shall be considered the fault of the county office if the Eligibility Counselor failed to take actions previously outlined in this policy. 7. The fault is the county office’s if the household met its obligations in a timely manner, but the county office failed to complete the application process by the thirtieth (30th) day. 8. When the delay is the fault of the county, the household’s benefit level for the initial month of certification is based on the day of the month it filed its application for benefits. K. County Office Requirements 1. The Eligibility Counselor must offer, or attempt to offer, assistance in completion of the application for those households that have failed to complete the application form. 2. The Eligibility Counselor must have informed the household of the need to register for work, and given the household at least ten (10) calendar days from the date of notification to register a household member for work, if one or more members of the household have failed to register as required in Policy 24.11 SNAP Work Requirements. 3. The Eligibility Counselor must have assisted the household when necessary for the household to provide documentary evidence to support its income statement and questionable information. 4. The Eligibility Counselor must have allowed the household sufficient time prior to the thirtieth (30th) day of the application to provide the missing verification. Sufficient time is at least ten (10) days from the date of the county office’s initial request for the particular verification that was missing. 5. The Eligibility Counselor will give the household a written list of the information needed and the due date to provide the missing information, both verbally and in writing. 6. The Eligibility Counselor is then responsible to ensure that: a. documentation is placed in the running record to note any outstanding verification within forty-eight (48) hours, b. a written request is provided to the applicant, and c. assistance is offered in obtaining verification, if requested. 7. If the applicant has failed to provide the verification within ten (10) days of the Eligibility Counselor’s request, the Eligibility Counselor must deny the application after the tenth (10th) day. 8. When an application is denied after the tenth (10th) day for “failure to provide verification” (reason code 305), and the household provides the missing verification within the initial thirty