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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES D-SNAP

10/24 VOLUME V, PART XX, PAGE 13

The actual amount of the allotment will be based on the household size. The benefit allotment tables must be used to determine the amount of the allotment.

7. PROCESSING STANDARD. Eligible households that complete the D-SNAP application must have their eligibility determined the same day, or as soon thereafter as possible, to ensure that benefits are issued no later than the third calendar day following the date the application was filed. Ex: Application date is September 17, so September 18 is day one of the processing period.

Ideally, an opportunity to obtain benefits should be provided the same day the application is approved. Benefits will be issued by vault EBT cards.

If, due to the volume of applications, additional processing time is needed, the local agency must forward the request for additional time to the VDSS SNAP Unit. The request must indicate the date by which all D-SNAP applications will be processed.

8. CERTIFICATION NOTICES. The household must be advised in writing of the disposition of the application. See Appendix I of this chapter for the Notice of Action for the Disaster Program. If an application is approved, the household must be advised of the amount of the allotment and the period the benefits are intended to cover. If the application is denied, the basis of denial must be explained. If an application is withdrawn, list the date of the withdrawal on the notice to confirm it. Appeal information is on the notice.

9. HANDLING CURRENT SNAP HOUSEHOLDS. In some disasters, ongoing recipients may apply for and be certified for disaster benefits. FNS has previously approved options such as the issuance of automatic replacements to ongoing households. The way ongoing households are to be handled will be determined in negotiations with FNS at the time of a disaster.

L. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR D-SNAP

To be eligible for the D-SNAP, a household must meet basic eligibility factors or requirements. These eligibility factors are for the household to: live in the affected area (Residency); intend to purchase and prepare food during the disaster benefit period (Purchase and Prepare); have suffered an adverse effect other than loss of food as a result of the disaster (Adverse Effect); be evaluated with people who would normally be part of the household (Household Composition), and to meet the income and resource eligibility test (Income and Resource Test). These factors are explained fully below.

1. RESIDENCY. At the time the disaster struck, the household must have been residing within the geographical area authorized for implementation of the Disaster Program. Such a household may be certified even though it is temporarily residing outside of this area. In this situation, the household would need to apply at the local agency where it lived at the time of the disaster. There may be exceptions for those who worked in the disaster area but do not live there. This will depend on the disaster circumstances.

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