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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HANDLING CHANGES

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If the household reports the addition of a new member, that person may not be included in the allotment until the BPS knows the income and resource information about the individual.

a. Required Supplemental Allotments

If the reported change requires an increase in the household's benefits, the change must be reflected no later than the first allotment issued ten (10) days after the date the change was reported. However, if the increase in benefits is a result of the addition of a new household member or is the result of a decrease of $50 or more in the household's gross monthly income, the BPS must reflect the change no later than the month following the month in which the change was reported. If it is too late in the month to adjust the upcoming month's allotment, it will be necessary to issue a supplementary allotment by the 10th of the upcoming month.

b. Voluntary Supplemental Allotments

At its option, the local agency may give a supplemental allotment for individual household changes in the month of the changes. The agency may not give supplemental allotments for household composition changes. The agency may give supplemental allotments for income reductions or increased shelter, medical or dependent care expenses.

If the agency opts to provide supplements, the agency must give the supplements for all similar situations, e.g., medical expenses more than $100, loss of income or income reductions of $200 or more, etc.

c. Changes and Verification

Households may need to verify information that changes during the certification period. See Part III.E for a discussion of verification requirements for changes unrelated to the Interim Report process. See Part XIV.C.2.c for a discussion of verification requirements for changes related to the Interim Report.

d. Contacting the Household

Whenever the BPS learns of a change or a potential change in the household's circumstances during the certification period, the BPS must determine the impact of the change on the household's eligibility and benefit level based on the information reported. The BPS must initiate the review of the change within ten days of the notification of the change.

1) Informal Contact Depending on the source of the information reported, as addressed above, and the completeness of the report, the BPS may need to contact the household for additional information or clarification. If the BPS is unable to determine the impact of the information as reported, the BPS should

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