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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES HANDLING CHANGES

10/24 VOLUME V, PART XIV, PAGE 12

c. Case Transfer Process for the Transferring Agency

Within five working days after being notified that a household has moved from the locality, the BPS must complete a desk review of the case. The desk review is to ensure that documents are properly filed; the record is complete and orderly; and that documentation of case actions is complete. The BPS must also review the accuracy of the benefit amount in relation to the reported move. The BPS must complete the address change and other changes such as household composition, income or shelter expense changes that result from the move or reported before the move occurs. If the household fails to provide new shelter costs, the BPS must remove existing shelter costs from the SNAP calculations. The BPS must provide sufficient documentation to advise the receiving agency to initiate claims collection activities after the transfer occurs. The case documentation must also support ongoing collection actions.

While the assessment of the case must take place within five days of the reported move, there are instances when the transferring agency must wait a month before completing the transfer. The final assessment of the case must take place after handling postponed verifications for an expedited case or after processing the interim report. The final assessment of the case may take place as late as a month after the report of the move.

If the household reports changes in household circumstances, verification of the changed elements may be needed before the second month, by the next recertification, or for the Interim Report, depending on the impact of the changes on the allotment. Verification will be needed before the second month if the SNAP benefit will increase because of the reported changes. The transferring agency must notify the household on the Notice of Action that reflects the allotment change to provide the new verifications to the new agency. The transferring agency must also notify the receiving agency on the Case Record Transfer Form to obtain the verification or change the allotment back to the original amount.

The BPS must complete the Case Record Transfer Form and forward it to the receiving agency. The transferring agency must transfer the entire case file. At its option, the agency may keep photocopied or other duplicates of case documents. The transferring agency may not keep any of the original documents from the case file except when the transferring and receiving agency both use a compatible electronic filing system or when there is an ongoing claims investigation in which case the agency may keep applicable case information and send a copy of the documents to the receiving agency or arrange to secure the necessary documents later from the receiving agency.

The BPS must complete a Notice of Transfer form to notify the household of the transfer of the case. The BPS must send the Notice of Transfer to the household along with a Change Report form.

TRANSMITTAL #35