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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HANDLING CHANGES

10/25 VOLUME V, PART XIV, PAGE 3

3. Local Agency Action on Changes (7 CFR 273.12(c), 273.2(f))

Except when households receive Transitional Benefits for former TANF recipients, the BPS must act promptly to terminate or to adjust benefits when changes in household circumstances are reported by recipient households, including information about an upcoming or future change reported at application/renewal or through the interim report. For changes that will occur in the future, the BPS is encouraged to use electronic or manual reminders to adjust the benefit level or a household's eligibility for benefits timely when the change finally occurs. For Transitional Benefits cases, the BPS must input changed information during the Transitional Benefits period, but the benefit amount must remain in the same amount calculated when the TANF case closed, i.e., overriding a calculated benefit amount. (See Part XII.H.)

The SNAP case must reflect the following changes: • changes reported by the household; o If the household reports an address change, the BPS must inquire about shelter costs that result from the move. If the household fails to declare and verify new shelter costs, the BPS must remove existing shelter costs from the SNAP calculations. • changes put into VaCMS to meet reporting or policy requirements of another program; • changes to prevent duplicate participation; and • changes that are considered verified upon receipt, such as information about the removal of a child from the home by a foster care worker or information from a drug treatment center that says a client moved.

Other information may become known to the BPS through other means than listed above. If the change is one that the household was required to report, the BPS must act on the information. If the change is a change that was not required to be reported, the BPS must hold the information and evaluate it at the next interim report or renewal, whichever comes first.

The Appendix to this chapter contains charts that outline the procedures for handling changes reported or discovered during the certification period.

The BPS has 10 days from the date the BPS learns of a change to act on the new information. When the reported change requires a reduction, termination or suspension of benefits, the BPS must issue an advance notice within 10 calendar days, beginning with the date the BPS receives the change, unless one of the exemptions for mailing the notice in Part XIV.D is applicable. In these cases, depending on the change, the BPS must send an adequate notice if a notice is required at all.

Part III.F contains required BPS actions needed in response to information obtained through IEVS. The household or the source of information must verify unverified information received through IEVS. If the BPS opts to obtain verification from the household, the BPS must request the information and allow the household 10 days to respond, as allowed in section d below.

TRANSMITTAL #36