FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: FILLABLE PDF VERSION OF THE APPLICATION FOR PRESUMPTIVE ELIGIBILITY (PE)
FORM REVISION: #09
The purpose of this memo is to introduce a fillable PDF version of the Application for Presumptive Eligibility (PE-1SSL). This does not replace the paper version, but may be used instead by Qualified Entities.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: COVID-19 TEMPORARY UPDATES TO THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE (TA) PROGRAM
On March 13, 2020, a national health emergency was declared in response to COVID-19. Due to this emergency, the Family Support Division (FSD) recognizes that some Temporary Assistance (TA) eligibility factors may be difficult to satisfy due to unavailability or other hardships. Below are three (3) temporary policy updates being implemented to assist TA applicant/participants.
45 Month Lifetime Limit Extension
FSD is extending TA benefits to Forty Eight (48) months through Hardship Extensions. Any participant that is due to close for meeting the Forty Five (45) month Lifetime Limit and do not qualify for any exemptions during the months of March, April and May 2020 will receive the Hardship Extension.
Hardship Extensions will be completed through system updates for all currently active participants that have reached or will reach their 45-month lifetime limit in the months of March, April, and May 2020. The COMPACT screen will be updated to show these participants as J-“Hardship extension referred to MWA” in the “Work Req Ind” field and 25-“Family Crisis” in the “Extension Rsn” field. These will have a re-evaluation date of 05/15/20.
FSD staff processing TA applications received March 1 – May 31, 2020 will follow normal procedures when a client may be eligible for this hardship extension with the exception of the temporary changes below due to the COVID019 crisis:
This update will be re-evaluated at the end of May.
Drug Testing and Drug Treatment Referrals
FSD is suspending all mandatory drug testing and treatment referrals. FSD staff will not change any process in entering an application in the Family Assistance Management Information System (FAMIS) based on the clients’ answers to the drug test screening question and the waiver for drug treatment in lieu of a drug test question.
FSD staff will continue to follow TA Policy, 0240.000.00 Temporary Assistance Drug Test Requirements. Participants that are mandatory for drug testing or treatment will still be referred after the COVID-19 Health Emergency is over.
Participants that received the following disqualifications with a violation date of 03/01/20 were end dated with code of SNI – “Sanction Not Imposed”.
DNS – DID NOT SHOW UP FOR DRUG TEST
6NS – DID NOT SHOW-UP FOR DRUG TEST-6 MOS
TRP – FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE IN MANDATORY TREATMENT
These participants will be re-referred to start the process over once the COVID-19 crisis is over.
This update will be re-evaluated at the end of May.
MWA Work Requirements
FSD is suspending MWA work requirements for TA participants for 90 days. In addition, the completion of the TA Orientation and Personal Responsibility Plan (PRP) is waived for the length of time in which the work requirement is suspended.
Those cases that are for WRF sanctioned applicants should continue to be referred. There are no changes for FSD Staff in FAMIS. The MWA contractors will implement a process that will ensure sanctioned applicant cases are not rejected due to not completing the needed hours.
ITSD will be prohibiting any work requirement case sanctions (codes WR5 or WRF) from being activated in FAMIS during the specified time period. FSD staff are instructed to not act to end or delete any of these sanctions in FAMIS at this time.
The work requirement will be re-evaluated at the end of May.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: COVID-19-GOOD CAUSE FOR ABLE BODIED ADULTS WITHOUT DEPENDENTS (ABAWD)
Effective April 1, 2020 ABAWDs will not be subject to work requirements. Good cause will be allowed as declared in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. A system change has been implemented to waive counties statewide from the ABAWD work requirements.
The EMPLOY (FMMS) screen will be displayed as normal within the CONFLOWS. Staff must determine a participant’s employment assessment code during the application process and make appropriate entries.
The WORKREQ (FMMR) screen will no longer appear while ABAWDs are waived from the work requirements.
During March, staff will continue to make entries on the EMPLOY (FMMS) and WORKREQ (FMMR) screens according to current Food Stamp Policy. This will allow applications to be processed instead of resulting in an ISD. The FAMIS Unit is following up on these cases to remove non-work months during the COVID-19 crisis period.
EMAIL-IM-#05
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: COVID-19 STATEWIDE FOOD STAMP INTERVIEW WAIVER
The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved temporary changes to Food Stamp interview requirements effective March 18th, 2020 through May 31, 2020 in response to the COVID-19 health emergency. This waiver will allow temporary changes to the Food Stamp Program in order to help keep Missourians safe and healthy.
Approved changes are as follows:
Staff must make every attempt to verify household circumstances through available electronic resources and must contact the household if any information on the application is questionable and cannot be verified.
Note: It is important to make a comment referencing COVID-19 on each case in which an interview has been waived.
System changes have been made to the FSINTRVW (FM1B) screen as shown in the screenshots below.
Note: Staff must enter “Y” for the “Do you need to schedule an interview?” field and choose the COVID-19 codes shown below to allow FSD to track waived interview cases for federal reporting requirements.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: COVID-19 PANDEMIC SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (P-SNAP)
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act allows for supplemental benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known as Food Stamps) to be issued to eligible SNAP households. These benefits will be issued by the Family Support Division (FSD) as part of the P-SNAP program. All households eligible for SNAP will receive the maximum amount for the household size in March and April.
Note: Households that already receive the maximum allotment for their household size will not have a benefit increase.
SNAP households do not need to apply for P-SNAP. The supplemental benefit will be automatically added to the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: 2020 UPDATE OF POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES FOR MAGI MO HEALTHNET PROGRAMS
MANUAL REVISION #13 – 1805.030.20.20.05, 1840.010.15.05, 1800.000.00 APPENDIX A, 1800.000.00 APPENDIX B, 1800.000.00 APPENDIX D, 1800.000.00 APPENDIX E, 1800.000.00 APPENDIX I
FORM REVISION #8 – IM-4PRM
Effective April 1, 2020, the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income guidelines are increased for:
NOTE: New poverty income guidelines for Presumptive Eligibility programs will be provided to Qualified Entities by Income Maintenance Program and Policy.
Any cases in Annual Renewal status on April 1, 2020 will not receive the FPL update until the renewal is completed.
All other MAGI cases will be adjusted in April 2020 based on the new FPL income guidelines and notices sent.
Premiums paid for April coverage will be refunded to the participant if the FPL causes the case to:
The refund process will take approximately 8 weeks to complete.
Any household receiving an IM-80 Adverse Action Notice may request a hearing on the adjustment action within 10 days from the date of the notice.
If a household receiving an IM-80 Adverse Action Notice requests a hearing on the adjustment within 10 days of the notice, the household may request benefits continue at the level before the FPL adjustment until the hearing decision is made. Staff should inform the household that if continued benefits are issued and the agency is determined to be correct, a claim will be established for any overpayment.
The Internet pages MHK/MHF/TA Income Chart and Do Your Children Need Health Coverage are updated to include the change in FPL income limits.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: UPDATE TO INCOME INCLUDED AND EXCLUDED FOR MAGI PROGRAMS
MANUAL REVISION:#12 – 1805.030.20.10
The purpose of this memorandum is to advise that MAGI manual section 1805.030.20.10 Income Excluded Under MAGI has been updated:
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: 2020 UPDATED PRESUMPTIVE ELIGIBILITY INCOME GUIDELINES
MANUAL REVISION #11 – APPENDIX A (1900.000.00)
The purpose of this memorandum is to update the income guidelines for Presumptive Eligibility due to the increase in the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). These guidelines are effective from April 1, 2020 through March 31, 2021. Appendix A, found in the Presumptive Eligibility Manual has been updated to reflect the new FPL.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: 2020 UPDATE OF POVERTY INCOME GUIDELINES FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE (TA)
MANUAL REVISION #10 – 0210.005.30
The purpose of this memorandum is to notify staff that effective April 1, 2020, the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) income guidelines are increased for deeming major parent income for Temporary Assistance.
0210.005.30 Minor Parent Lives with Parent(s) has been updated to reflect the 2020 100% FPL figures needed to deem major parent income for a minor parent. In addition, the example for the deeming process has been updated to show the 2020 100% FPL figures.
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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR
SUBJECT: COVID-19 VERIFICATION FOR FOOD STAMPS (FS), TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE (TA), AND CHILD CARE (CC)
Originally posted March 27, 2020; revised April 1, 2020 to include the note highlighted below.
During the COVID-19 health emergency, staff should be flexible while working with participants to obtain verification. Participants may have limited resources during this time making it challenging to obtain requested verification.
It may be difficult for the participant and/or Family Support Division (FSD) staff to obtain verification from outside sources for a variety of COVID-19 related reasons including temporary or permanent business closures. Staff should continue to request verification when required by policy. If the participant is not able to obtain the requested verification, determine if their statement of income, job loss, reduced hours, etc. is reasonable. Accept client statement if determined to be reasonable and make a comment in the eligibility system referencing COVID-19.
Note: Staff should enter Collateral Contact (CC) when client statement has been accepted to prevent the Food Stamp application from pending for verification.
Example 1: Mr. B applied for FS and CC on 3/20/20. During the FS interview he states that the family restaurant where he was employed has closed because COVID-19 has caused a lack of business. He states he received his final pay check on 3/15/20 which is his only March pay check as he is paid on the 15th and last day of the month. Staff request verification of the restaurant closing and his final pay stub. Mr. B provides his final pay stub but states no one is answering the phone at his former employer. It is reasonable that the business has closed and client statement of the closing is acceptable. Staff must reference COVID-19 in all income comments.
Example 2: Ms. J has an active TA and FS case. She reports that her employer, the Star Casino, closed on 3/17/20 and she has been terminated. It is common knowledge that casinos statewide were ordered to be closed at midnight on 3/17/20 and therefore is not necessary to request verification of job termination. Accept client statement and reference COVID-19 in the comment.
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