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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES APPLICATION PROCESSING

10/24 VOLUME V, PART II, PAGE 8

an indication from the application or interview that the member may have received SNAP benefits during the current 36-month period.

F. DELAYS IN PROCESSING

If the local agency does not determine a household's eligibility and provide an opportunity to participate within 30 days following the date the application was filed, the local agency must take the following action:

1. Determining Cause (7 CFR 273.2(h)(1))

The local agency must determine who caused the delay using the following criteria:

a. A delay must be considered the fault of the household if the household failed to complete the application process even though the local agency took all required action to assist the household. The local agency is required to take the following actions before a delay can be considered the fault of the household:

1) For households that failed to complete the application, the local agency must have offered, or attempted to offer, assistance in its completion.

2) If one or more members of the household failed to register for work, as required in Part VIII.A, the local agency must have informed the household of the need to register and given the household at least 10 days from the date of notification to register these members.

3) In cases where verification is incomplete, the local agency must have provided the household with a statement of required verification and offered to assist the household in obtaining required verification and allowed the household sufficient time to provide the missing verification. Sufficient time will be at least 10 days from the date of the local agency's initial request for the verification that was missing.

4) For households that failed to appear for an interview, the local agency must have scheduled an interview within 30 days following the date the household filed the application. If the household failed to appear for the interview, and the household does not request that the agency reschedule another interview until after the 20th day but before the 30th day following the application filing date, the household must appear for the interview, bring verification and register members for work by the 30th day; otherwise, the delay will be the fault of the household. If the agency must allow the household additional time to provide information or verification, the delay will be the fault of the household. If the household failed to appear for the interview and requests another interview to occur after the 30th day following the date of application, the delay will be the fault of the household. If the household missed the scheduled interview and misses the one it requested, the household must request another interview and any delay will be the fault of the household. TRANSMITTAL #35