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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES APPLICATION PROCESSING

10/24 VOLUME V, PART II, PAGE 14

4) it is necessary to discuss options available to the household, e.g., the use of the utility standard or actual bills, the choice to have expenses averaged or counted only in the month billed.

Even when the agency needs additional information, the agency may not require the applicant to appear at the local agency to finalize the eligibility determination for the application taken at the SSA office.

d. The SSA office must refer persons who are not entitled to joint processing to the local social services agency.

e. The SSA office must prescreen all applications for entitlement to expedited services on the day the SSA office receives the application. SSA must mark "expedited processing" on the first page of all applications that appear to be entitled to such processing. The SSA office must inform households that appear to meet the expedited service criteria that the household may receive the benefits sooner if the household applies directly with the local social service agency. The household may take the application from SSA directly to the local social service agency.

The local agency must prescreen all applications received from the SSA office for entitlement to expedited service on the day the correct agency receives the application. The local agency must certify all SSI households entitled to expedited services in accordance with Part V except that the expedited service processing time standard will begin on the date the correct agency receives the application.

f. The local agency must ensure that households whose SNAP applications are forwarded by the SSA office are not already participating in the program in any Virginia locality.

g. If the SSA office takes the SSI application or re-determination by telephone from a member of a pure SSI household, SSA must also complete the SNAP application during the telephone interview. In these cases, the SNAP application must be mailed to the applicant for signature. The household may return the application to the SSA office or to the local agency. If the SSA office receives the application, SSA will forward the application to the social services agency. The local agency may not require the household be interviewed again and the agency may not contact the household in order to obtain additional information except for those reasons indicated in item c. above.

h. SSA must send information to SSI recipients being re-determined for SSI by mail to inform them of the right to file a SNAP application at the SSA office (if they are members of a pure SSI household) or at their local social service agency. SSA must also notify SSI recipients of their right to an out-of-office SNAP interview performed by the local agency if the household is unable to appoint an authorized representative.

TRANSMITTAL #35