Category: 2021

IM-139 ALLOWABLE SHELTER COSTS UPDATE TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MANUAL

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  ALLOWABLE SHELTER COSTS UPDATE TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MANUAL

MANUAL REVISION #
1115.035.25.05

 

DISCUSSION:

The Allowable Shelter Costs section of the SNAP manual was updated to include association fees in the condominium fee (CF) expense type. Association fees were already an allowable shelter expense and should be included as a deduction in a household’s budget calculation using the (CF) expense code.

The Condo Fees (CF) expense label in the Shelter Expense code table in FAMIS has been updated to state Condo and Association Fees.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/tl

IM-138 UPDATES MADE TO THE ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM FOR THE HOMELESS STANDARD DEDUCTION

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FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  UPDATES MADE TO THE ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM FOR THE HOMELESS STANDARD DEDUCTION

 

DISCUSSION:

Eligibility system updates have been completed for the Select Worker Initiated Budget Calculation Area (SELWIBCA) to include the Homeless Standard Deduction (HSD) for SNAP which was previously introduced in memo IM-139 September 4, 2020.

When calculating a Worker Initiated Budget Calculation (WIBCA), the system will now automatically allow for the HSD in the budget calculation if the participant is paying a qualifying expense and has been marked as homeless on the Application Detail screen. The HSD is triggered in the WIBCA by entering an amount in the Shelter Expense field under MONTHLY EXPENSES. If the participant is not paying a shelter expense, the HSD is not included in the calculation.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/tl

IM-137 SECTION 529 PLANS, OR “MOST” ACCOUNTS, ADDED TO DECEMBER 1973 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FAMILY MO HEALTHNET (MAGI) MANUAL

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FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  SECTION 529 PLANS, OR “MOST” ACCOUNTS, ADDED TO DECEMBER 1973 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FAMILY MO HEALTHNET (MAGI) MANUAL

MANUAL REVISION #
1025.015.19
1805.030.20.10

 

DISCUSSION:

Section 529 plans, known as MOST accounts in Missouri, are a type of investment account used to save for or provide for education expenses.

The December 1973 Eligibility Requirements manual is updated with a new section, 1025.015.19 Section 529 Plans, or MOST Accounts. This section describes:

  • The income and resource treatment of Section 529 plans for MO HealthNet for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled programs
  • Treatment of MOST accounts awarded to participants of the Missouri Vaccine Incentive Program (MO VIP)
  • Treatment of funds transferred from a MOST account to an Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) account

Section 1805.030.20.10 Income Excluded Under MAGI is updated to note distributions from Section 529 plans, or MOST accounts, are an excluded income type when the distributions are used for qualified education expenses.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/ers

IM-136 CHILD CARE AUTHORIZATION CLARIFICATIONS

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FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  CHILD CARE AUTHORIZATION CLARIFICATIONS

 

DISCUSSION:

Family Support Division (FSD), in consultation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Childhood, has become aware of a technical problem impacting transitional child care subsidy benefits for certain households. Previously, a family applying for Child Care Subsidy as a new applicant between January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021, could be eligible for Transitional Child Care when their adjusted gross income was between 151% to 185% (transitional level A) or 186% to 215% (transitional level B) of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The eligibility period for these households was programmed to terminate on December 31, 2021, regardless of the date of application.

Participants with a transitional child care subsidy certification period ending prior to the normal yearly (twelve month) certification will receive a letter to advise them that the certification timeframe has been corrected to twelve (12) months. Participants will receive a renewal letter and application when it is time to recertify for the transitional Child Care Subsidy benefit.

Families who received this temporary transitional child care benefit will need to reapply for Child Care Subsidy prior to their approved twelve (12) month certification ending, and must meet the traditional childcare income guidelines of 139%-150% of the (FPL) to be considered eligible for Child Care Subsidy at the traditional income thresholds. Effective January 1, 2022, in order to qualify for transitional child care, the participant must have first been determined eligible for the traditional child care benefit.

Example: a family who was found eligible on January 1, 2021 has an eligibility period through December 31, 2021. A family who was found eligible on August 1, 2021 may have received a notice that their eligibility period would end on December 31, 2021 and a recertification would be required in January 2022; however, this is not correct. The eligibility period for a family found eligible on August 1, 2021 shall be valid for a twelve (12) month period.

Families may contact the Family Support Division to request clarification regarding their child care benefits and the eligibility period. Additional guidance is forthcoming. In the interim, staff must explain that transitional child care eligibility will be corrected to reflect a twelve (12) month period for those households who were originally given an eligibility period shorter than twelve (12) months from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. The impacted households will receive a new notice once system updates have been completed.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE

IM-135 INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR FOOD STAMP APPLICATION/FOOD STAMP RIGHTS FORM REVISION

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR FOOD STAMP APPLICATION/FOOD STAMP RIGHTS FORM REVISION

FORM REVISION #
IM-31F
IM-31F (Spanish)

 

DISCUSSION:

The Instructions for Making Your Food Stamp Application/Food Stamp Rights (IM-31F) English & Spanish forms have been revised to replace Food Stamps with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The form title has been updated to “Applying for SNAP Benefits”. The form number has not changed.

The revised form is available for participants and staff to access in the Department of Social Services (DSS) Manuals Income Maintenance (IM) Forms Manual.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
  • Use only the IM-31F with the 10/2021 revision date.
  • Obsolete and discard all previous versions of the IM-31F and instructions.

 

KE/vb

IM-134 SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) CHILD SUPPORT EXCLUSION CLARIFICATION

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) CHILD SUPPORT EXCLUSION CLARIFICATION

MANUAL REVISION #
1115.035.20
1125.010.00
1125.010.05

 

DISCUSSION:

The SNAP Policy Manual has been updated to clarify excluding Court Ordered Child Support Expenses.

To determine eligibility, for households required to pass the Gross Maximum, Court Ordered Support Expenses are:

  • Excluded from the Gross Income to calculate the Gross Income
    • System Compares Gross Income to the Gross Maximum

A household is expedite eligible when:

  • Monthly Income
    • minus Court-Ordered Child Support
    • plus Liquid Resources
    • is less than Monthly Rent/Mortgage
    • plus the household’s Mandatory Utility Standard(s)

This is not a change in the process or in the eligibility system. It is policy clarification in the manual.

A note was also added to 1115.035.20 Child Support Exclusion to address child support arrearages that are paid as legally obligated.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/cs

IM-133 2022 FAMILY MO HEALTHNET (MAGI) COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) AND RAILROAD (RR) INCOME

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  2022 FAMILY MO HEALTHNET (MAGI) COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT (COLA) FOR VETERANS ADMINISTRATION (VA) AND RAILROAD (RR) INCOME

 

DISCUSSION:

Effective January 2022 VA and RR participants will receive a 5.9% COLA for MAGI programs.

NOTE: The Families First Coronavirus Response Action of 2020 (FFCRA) requires that MO HealthNet (MHN) coverage for individuals be maintained at the same level or better for the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). The eligibility system will not reduce or end MHN coverage due to the COLA changes until the PHE is ended.

Cases Adjusted

Cases that include income types VA and/or RR benefits in the eligibility system are subject to an automatic increase of 5.9% for those income types. The eligibility system will end date the previous income and add a new piece of income evidence that reflects the adjusted income amount.

NOTE: Actions to reduce benefits will not be taken until the COVID-19 PHE has ended.

Cases That Did Not Adjust

Some cases will not adjust during the COLA. These cases will require manual intervention from staff to add the increased income amounts. As cases are reviewed, check the income on each case to determine if the current income is entered. Update and verify income as required using established procedures.

Notices

For case updates made as a result of COLA, the eligibility system will finalize the decision(s) and send out the appropriate notices. Adverse Action notices will not be issued until the COVID-19 PHE has ended.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/kg

IM-132 2022 INCREASE IN SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY (SGA)

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  2022 INCREASE IN SUBSTANTIAL GAINFUL ACTIVITY (SGA)

MANUAL REVISION #
MHABD Appendix D
MHABD Appendix J

 

DISCUSSION:

The Social Security Administration announced an increase to the SGA amount. Effective January 1, 2022, the monthly SGA amount for:

  • statutorily blind individuals is $2,260.00
  • non-blind individuals is $1,350.00

MO HealthNet for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled Manual Appendix D Substantial Gainful Activity has been updated to reflect this change.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/rnr

IM-131 INCREASE IN RESOURCE LIMITS FOR QUALIFIED MEDICARE BENEFICIARY (QMB), SPECIFIED LOW INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARY (SLMB), AND QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS (QI-1 OR SLMB2) PROGRAMS

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  INCREASE IN RESOURCE LIMITS FOR QUALIFIED MEDICARE BENEFICIARY (QMB), SPECIFIED LOW INCOME MEDICARE BENEFICIARY (SLMB), AND QUALIFYING INDIVIDUALS (QI-1 OR SLMB2) PROGRAMS

MANUAL REVISION #
0865.010.15
Appendix J
Appendix K

 

DISCUSSION:

Effective January 1, 2022, the QMB, SLMB, and SLMB2 resource limits increased. For a single individual, the resource limit increased from $7,970 to $8,400. For a married couple, the resource limit increased from $11,960 to $12,600. Resource maximums have been updated in the eligibility system. There is no change in policy regarding how to determine available resources.

The following have been updated:

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/rnr

IM-130 INCREASE IN VENDOR MAXIMUM MONTHLY MAINTENANCE STANDARD AND MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SPOUSAL SHARE

Posted on

FROM:  KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:  INCREASE IN VENDOR MAXIMUM MONTHLY MAINTENANCE STANDARD AND MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM SPOUSAL SHARE

MANUAL REVISION #
1030.035.10
1030.035.20
1030.035.25
Appendix B

 

DISCUSSION:

Effective January 1, 2022, the Maximum Monthly Maintenance Standard and the minimum and maximum spousal share amounts are increased.

MAINTENANCE STANDARDS

The new Maximum Monthly Maintenance Standard is $3435.00. MO HealthNet for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled (MHABD) Manual Appendix B – Maintenance Standards for Allotments has been updated to reflect the change effective January 1, 2022.

The Minimum Monthly Maintenance Standard of $2178 was announced in Memorandum IM-72 Increase in Vendor Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance and Shelter Standards Adjustments in Vendor, dated July 1, 2021.

SPOUSAL SHARE

The new minimum spousal share is $27,480.00. The new maximum spousal share is $137,400.00. Both amounts become effective for any assessment completed on or after January 1, 2022. IM Manual Sections 1030.035.10, 1030.035.20, and 1030.035.25 have been updated to reflect the spousal share increases effective January 1, 2022.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

KE/rnr