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VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES APPLICATION PROCESSING

10/25 VOLUME V, PART II, APPENDIX III, PAGE 3

During the initial certification interview, local departments must inform participants of the reporting requirements. Local departments must provide a Change Report to ESAP households when applications are approved and when households report changes.

Local departments must act on changes reported by ESAP households during the certification period, regardless of whether households are required to report the changes. Each household must receive a Notice of Action to reflect the impact of changes reported.

ESAP households are exempt from the interim report process.

Recertification/Renewal

The Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS) will generate and mail a combined expiration notice and recertification application to ESAP households in the month before the certification period expires. Participants must complete the application and return it to the local department for processing. Except as noted below, continued ESAP eligibility will be determined using criteria outlined for the initial application for ESAP.

At recertification, the certification interview will not routinely be required. Local departments must conduct an interview at recertification in the following instances: • If the ESAP household requests an interview; • Prior to closing or denying an ESAP recertification; or • If household circumstances have changed or are questionable.

At recertification, local departments must inquire the data matches, noted in the verification section above, to re-verify income and changes in residency. Households must re-verify medical expenses if they exceed the medical standard deduction. Households that have the medical standard deduction applied will not need to re-verify medical expenses over the $35-threshold unless the expenses are questionable.

Local departments must not deny an ESAP recertification application without first attempting to schedule a recertification interview.

Conversion from/to ESAP

When changes occur during the certification period that cause households to become ineligible for ESAP, local departments must not simply close the case. Workers must determine if households remain eligible for regular SNAP benefits. If cases remain eligible for SNAP benefits, workers must: • Remove the ESAP Indicator in VaCMS. • Notify the household of the change and the revised Change Reporting requirements. The certification period will remain as previously established for ESAP eligibility. Households will be subject to the interim report process at the 12th- or 24th- month interval, as appropriate.

The processes noted here are appropriate if there is sufficient information known about the reported changes. If information is incomplete or unclear, procedures outlined in Part XIV.A.3.d. will apply.

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