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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION

10/24 VOLUME V, PART VI, PAGE 17

f. FNS Authorization

FNS may authorize group living arrangements as a retail food store. A state or local agency must appropriately certify these facilities. If the facility loses its certification, FNS may withdraw its approval at any time

If FNS disqualifies a facility as a retail food store, the BPS must suspend its authorized representative status for the same period. If a facility loses its certification to use SNAP benefits through wholesalers or its certification from the appropriate State or local agency, residents will not be eligible to participate except those who have applied on their own behalf. Residents who will be ineligible are not entitled to the Advance Notice of Proposed Action, but they must receive a written notice explaining the termination and the effective date.

3. Shelters for Battered Women and Their Children

a. Determination of Acceptable Shelter Status

Before certifying residents of shelters for battered women, the BPS must determine that the shelter for battered women and children meets the definition of Part VII.C.1.d. of this manual. The BPS must maintain documentation to support the determination to show that the shelter meets the criteria.

If a shelter has authorization by FNS to use SNAP benefits, the shelter will meet the criteria and will need no further determination by the local agency.

b. Special Eligibility Considerations

Many shelter residents will have recently left a household containing the person who abused them. The former household may be certified for participation in the program and its certification may be based on a household size that includes the women and children who have just left. Shelter residents who are included in such certified households may, nevertheless, apply for and, if otherwise eligible, participate in the Program as separate households if the previously certified household that includes them also contains the person who abused them.

Shelter residents who are included in such certified households may receive an additional allotment as a separate household only once a month. The BPS must certify shelter residents who apply as separate households solely based on their income and resources and the expenses for which they are responsible. The BPS must not consider the income, resources, and expenses of their former household in certifying these applicants. Jointly held resources must be considered inaccessible for battered women and children if access to the value of the resource depends on the agreement of a joint owner who still resides in the former household.

Room payments to the shelter are allowable shelter expenses.

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