All Programs

For policy on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorized representatives of institutions and group living situations, see policy 255-3B .

An authorized representative is any individual selected by an applicant or recipient to conduct business on his or her behalf. An authorized representative may submit an application, provide verifications and complete forms for the individual. The authorized representative CANNOT sign the application form or review form instead of the individual, unless the customer is mentally or physically unable to sign. They receive a copy of all notices sent to the customer. The authorized representative may be a payee for the individual and have access to the Utah Horizon accounts.

Use of an Authorized Representative

Any responsible member of the household may designate an authorized representative to apply on behalf of the household. The authorized representative should be an adult non-household member. The representative may also receive and use SNAP benefits on behalf of the household.

The authorized representatives must be properly designated and named in the household's case record.

For SNAP - An authorized representative may represent any number of households. When employers, such as employers of migrant or seasonal farm-workers, are designated as authorized representatives or when a single authorized representative has access to a large number of SNAP accounts, be sure the SNAP accounts are being properly accessed and used for the eligible household.

For SNAP - In the event the only adult living with a household is classified as a non-household member, that individual may be the authorized representative for the minor household members.

Application for assistance an authorized representative

Adults who are non-household members may apply for the household only under the following conditions:

The authorized representative has been designated in writing by the head of the household, the spouse, or another responsible member of the household; and

The authorized representative is an adult who is sufficiently aware of relevant household circumstances.

The household will be liable for any overpayment which results from erroneous information given by the authorized representative.

Use of Assistance by an authorized representative

An authorized representative may be designated as an alternate payee to use the Utah Horizon accounts and receive a Utah Horizon card. See section 641-2 for information on authorized representative access to the Utah Horizon accounts.

For SNAP - The authorized representative may use SNAP assistance to purchase food for the household's consumption, with the full knowledge and consent of the household provided the authorized representative is listed as an alternate payee.

Restrictions on Authorized Representatives

Employees who certify and/or issue assistance, and retailers who accept the Utah Horizon card, may not act as authorized representatives without the specific written approval from management. They may serve as authorized representatives only if no one else is available to serve.

An individual disqualified for fraud shall not act as an authorized representative during the period of disqualification, unless that person is the only adult member of the household able to act on its behalf and no one else is available to serve as authorized representative. The worker shall separately determine whether the disqualified person is needed to apply on behalf of the household, to obtain assistance, and to use the assistance for food for the household.

Disqualifying an Authorized Representative

When there is evidence that an authorized representative has misrepresented a household's circumstances or has not used the SNAP assistance properly, the person is disqualified from acting as an authorized representative for up to one year.

Written notice must be sent to the household and its representative 30 days before the date of disqualification. The notice must say the representative is being disqualified, the reason for the action, the household's right to ask for a hearing, the office telephone number, and the name of the person to contact for additional information.

If the person represented more than one household, each household has the right to a hearing.

For SNAP - The disqualification does not apply to authorized representatives for residents of approved institutions, such as drug and alcohol treatment centers.