Category: Food Stamp Home

IM-88 UPDATES TO IIVE STORAGE AND USE

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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: UPDATES TO IIVE STORAGE AND USE

MANUAL REVISION #
0110.025.10
1141.010.10
1805.020.05.05
1805.030.20.10

 

DISCUSSION:

Policy is updated to match current processes and clarify that copies of IIVEs cannot be stored in the case record. Policy manual updates are summarized below:

0110.025.10 Unearned Income in the General Information manual:

  • Review IIVE to verify Social Security and/or SSI for all participants.

1805.020.05.05 Documents to Verify Citizenship for MO HealthNet:

  • Note: Do NOT file IIVE screens in case record.

1805.030.20.10 Income Excluded Under MAGI in the Family Healthcare manual:

  • Enter all sources of income into the eligibility system including excluded income.

1141.010.10 Incarceration Matches in the SNAP manual:

  • Review IIVE for a TPQY Prisoner Response at SNAP application. The TPQY Prison Response provides the following:
    • Prisoner’s name, identifying information and status code
      • 02 – Non-pay inmate of public institution
      • 22 – Non-pay Inmate of correction institution
    • Confinement and release date,
    • Facility name and contact information,
    • Reporter and reported date

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

 

 

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IM-87 UPDATES TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) AND ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER (EBT) MANUAL TO INCLUDE POLICY ON ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFITS (ESB)

Posted on

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: UPDATES TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) AND ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER (EBT) MANUAL TO INCLUDE POLICY ON ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFITS (ESB)

MANUAL REVISION #
0150.010.00
1150.000.00
1150.005.00
1150.010.00

 

DISCUSSION:

The SNAP manual has been updated to expand the policy on replacement benefits due to household misfortune. This gives staff more information about what is considered a household misfortune, acceptable verification, and handling questionable information. Additionally, staff will now be allowed to review EBTedge to determine the dollar amount the participant actually lost when processing requests due to multiple misfortunes.

The EBT manual has been updated to include the definitions of cloning, skimming and phishing.
ESB has been added as a reason a participant can request replacement of their SNAP benefits.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

Review manual sections:

 

 

 

KE/ch

 

IM-86 EBT CARD BALANCE INQUIRIES FOR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) & TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE (TA) BENEFITS

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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: EBT CARD BALANCE INQUIRIES FOR SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) & TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE (TA) BENEFITS

 

DISCUSSION:

Effective 10/15/2023, participants must enter the head of household’s social security number associated with their EBT card when calling the EBT Vendor’s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system at 800-997-7777 for balance inquiries. If there is no social security number associated with the case, the zip code for the household address will be used.

Authorized Representatives will be required to enter the social security number associated with the authorized representative’s card EBT card (this may be the authorized representatives social security number, if provided), if no social security number is associated with their card, the zip code for the Authorized Representative’s address will be used.

If the EBT Vendor’s IVR is unable to verify the information entered after three failed attempts, the call will be disconnected. Participants or authorized representatives may call the EBT Vendor’s IVR again if the call is disconnected.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

 

 

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IM-85 REVISED INFORMATIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (DSS) PROGRAMS

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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: REVISED INFORMATIONAL DOCUMENTS FOR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES (DSS) PROGRAMS

 

DISCUSSION:

DSS has revised flyers and brochures for numerous programs that are administered by the Family Support Division (FSD) or may be beneficial for FSD participants.

Revised flyers and brochures now utilize the new DSS logo and show a 7/2023 revision date.

FSD team members should utilize and distribute the revised flyers and brochures which are all IM-4 forms and can be found in the public and internal forms manuals.

Note: FSD staff should continue to use existing documents, but utilize revised documents when current office supply runs out. Information provided on the documents has not changed.

 

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
  • Begin using the new flyers and brochures when existing office supply runs out.

 

 

 

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IM-84 CLAIMANT ACTION NOTICE (FA-150) REVISED

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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: CLAIMANT ACTION NOTICE (FA-150) REVISED

 

DISCUSSION:

The FA-150 was revised to include specific language to remind participants to complete their recertification application or mid-certification review.

The wording previously included both the recertification and the mid-certification information and was unclear that different forms will be mailed depending on what action is needed. The revised paragraphs are more specific to name which form will be sent.

The wording will now be specific to which type of form they will receive and must return, in order to have no lapse in benefits.

Recertification notices:

You must reapply for your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by XX/XX/XXXX. Prior to that date, you will receive a SNAP Application Form in the mail. You will need to complete the application if you wish to continue to receive SNAP benefits beyond that date.

Mid-certification notices:

We must complete a review of your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by XX/XX/XXXX. Prior to that date, you will receive a SNAP Mid Certification Review Report Form in the mail. You will need to complete the review if you wish to continue to receive SNAP benefits beyond that date.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

 

 

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IM-82 UPDATING INCIDENT RESPONSE FOR UNAUTHORIZED IRS DISCLOSURES IN THE GENERAL INFORMATION MANUAL

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FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: UPDATING INCIDENT RESPONSE FOR UNAUTHORIZED IRS DISCLOSURES IN THE GENERAL INFORMATION MANUAL

MANUAL REVISION #
0165.000.05

 

DISCUSSION:

Effective August 21, 2023, federal, state, and local agency partners will report improper inspection or disclosure of federal tax information (FTI) including data breaches, data incidents, and information spillage to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Office of Safeguards only. Agencies are no longer required to report improper inspections or disclosures to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

General Information Manual section 0165.000.05 INCIDENT RESPONSE FOR UNAUTHORIZED IRS DISCLOSURES is updated to reflect this change.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

 

 

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IM-81 OCTOBER SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MASS ADJUSTMENT FY2024

Posted on

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: OCTOBER SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) MASS ADJUSTMENT FY2024

MANUAL REVISION #

1105.015.04.05 1130.035.00
1115.035.05 1130.099.00
1115.035.25 1135.010.07.05
1115.035.25.15 Appendix B
1115.035.25.40 Appendix J
1115.099.00  

 

DISCUSSION:

The SNAP Mass Adjustment will go into effect for all applicants and participants as of October 1, 2023. During the SNAP Mass Adjustment, income maximums, resource maximums, utility standards and deductions are updated to reflect changes based on the cost of living.

The policy sections listed above were updated along with the following documents:

 

Updates to the Maximums, Utility Standards and Deductions:

Allotment Types Allotment Amounts
Standard Deductions 1-3 Household Members $198
4 Household Members $208
5 Household Members $244
6+ Household Members $279
Utility Standards SUA $475
NHCS $351
LUA $153
Telephone $76
Excess Shelter Deduction $672
Homeless Standard Deduction $179.66
Standard Medical Deduction $170
Gross (130%) Maximum Increased
Net (100%) Maximum Increased
FPL (165%) Maximum Increased

Notices: All households with an allotment increase or decrease will be sent a FA-150 Action Notice dated September 27, 2023.

The notice informs the household of the following:

  • The Standard Deduction and Excess Shelter Maximums have changed.
  • The Utility Standard Allowances have changed.
  • The household SNAP allotment for October has changed.

Fair Hearing Request: When a fair hearing is requested, follow current fair hearing request procedures.

Conflict of Actions: FAMIS will adjust active SNAP cases during the mass adjustment, even if the case has a pending adverse action. A conflict of action is created if there is a pending adverse action when the mass adjustment is completed.

Staff should void the pending adverse action and process the mass adjustment adverse action following these steps:

  1. Void the first (pending) adverse action on the Action Resolution (FM50/ACTRES) screen.
  2. Complete the eligibility determination on the Eligibility Determination Resolution screen (FM3Y/EDRES).
  3.  Authorize the new action, even if the action is a benefit reduction or closing.

Cases Not Adjusted: Pending applications and cases with pending changes cannot be adjusted during the mass adjustment and require staff to take action.
When staff complete the appropriate action, the case will be automatically adjusted.

The following are examples of cases not adjusted:

  • Expedited households that are active with postponed verification (APV status).
  • Any household with an incomplete eligibility determination, such as when there is insufficient data (ISD).
  • Any household in the controlled flow.
  • If a verification code is left blank for a program element.
  • Any household with pending verification.

MO HealthNet Non-MAGI Vendor Allotment: The SUA or the telephone standard is used in calculating the community spouse (CS) allotment for vendor cases. This calculation is completed by the eligibility system on the shelter expenses and utility standards entered by staff. The Non-MAGI manual has been updated to reflect the new standards in Appendix B and Appendix J.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.

 

 

 

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IM-79 SEPTEMBER 2023 – FORMS UPDATE

Posted on

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: SEPTEMBER 2023 – FORMS UPDATE

 

DISCUSSION:

Income Maintenance (IM) forms and documents are reviewed and revised periodically, as necessary. New forms and documents are created as required or requested.

Note: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) replacement benefit forms are updated due to new replacement policies and procedures related to electronically stolen benefits. Refer to New and Revised internal forms for revisions to IM-112 and new form IM-112RB.

All new and revised IM forms show a revision date of 9/2023; previous versions of these forms with other revision dates are now obsolete. Family Support Division (FSD) will accept obsolete forms until 12/31/2023.

New and Revised Forms available in the public and internal forms manuals:

Form Number  Form Name New or Revision:
FSD-4 Customer Service Revision to add DSS logo and electronic signature attestation.
FSD-4 (Spanish) Servicio Al Cliente New form translating the FS-4 to Spanish.
IM-100RWC Request to Withdraw or Close Revision to add new form number, AEG program option, and non-discrimination statement.
IM-100RWC Solicitud de Suspension o Cierre Revision to IM-100RWC Spanish.
IM-110 Replacement Request Revision to add non-discrimination statement and remove office use only section.
IM-110 (Spanish) Solicitud de Substitucion New form translating the IM-110 to Spanish.
IM-145  Change Report Revision to add new question regarding pregnant household members and additional instructions for active MO HealthNet (MHN) participants requesting a different MHN program.
IM-145 (Spanish) Informe de Cambios New form translating the IM-145 to Spanish.

 

New and Revised Forms available only to FSD staff in the internal forms manual:

Form Number Form Name New or Revision: 
IM-112 Action Taken On Your Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Case Revision to remove replacement benefit language and add non-discrimination statement.
IM-112 (Spanish) Acción Implementada en su Caso del Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP) Revision to IM-112 (Spanish).
IM-112RB Action Taken on Your Request for Replacement Benefits New form to notify participants who have requested replacement benefits due to household misfortune, stolen EBT card, or electronically stolen benefits.
IM-112RB (Spanish) Medida Adoptada en su Solicitud de Sustitucion de Beneficios New form translating IM-112RB to Spanish.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
  • Begin using revised forms immediately.
  • Discard and recycle blank obsolete forms.
  • Share with community partners.

 

 

 

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IM-77 NEW SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) POLICY ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFITS (ESB) AND ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFIT REPLACEMENT REQUEST FORM

Posted on

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: NEW SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) POLICY ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFITS (ESB) AND ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFIT REPLACEMENT REQUEST FORM

MANUAL REVISION #
1150.015.00

 

DISCUSSION:

Due to the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) 2023, section 1150.015.00 Electronically Stolen Benefits has been added to the SNAP manual. The CAA allows states to replace electronically stolen SNAP benefits with federal funds and allows retroactive requests for losses that occurred from 10/01/2022.

Electronically stolen benefits are defined as:

  • card skimming,
  • card cloning, and
  • phishing (or another similar method of fraud)

A new form, Electronically Stolen Benefit Replacement Request (IM-111), was created to capture the details for these types of replacement requests. For the loss to be considered for replacement, the IM-111 will need to be completed and signed by an adult participant or authorized representative of the SNAP household.

Specialized staff have been assigned special security profiles to process these types of benefit losses. A new code of ESB – Electronically Stolen Benefits is now active in the eligibility system for the assigned staff to enter benefit replacement requests.

Staff can view if a benefit replacement has been issued by going to PAYHIST/FM5F to see the payroll type of ESB.

Retroactive requests from 10/1/2022 can be accepted until 12/4/2023. If the participant has already reported the loss on the IM-110, designated staff will review and re-process these past requests.

Note: Benefits replaced due to electronic theft from an EBT account, may be replaced only two times per federal fiscal year (FFY) which is October-September.

Effective today, staff must direct participants to complete the ELECTRONICALLY STOLEN BENEFIT REPLACEMENT REQUEST (IM-111) if the participant indicates they have been a victim of this type of criminal activity. Only IM-110’s received prior to 12/04/2023 and IM-111’s will be accepted for ESB replacements.

Note: P-EBT benefits are not SNAP benefits and cannot be replaced if electronically stolen.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff
  • Begin using the new IM-111 to report SNAP benefit losses due to electronic fraud.

 

 

 

KE/ch

 

IM-76 DETERMINING CORRECT APPLICATION DATES FOR ALL PROGRAMS

Posted on

FROM: KIM EVANS, DIRECTOR

SUBJECT: DETERMINING CORRECT APPLICATION DATES FOR ALL PROGRAMS

 

DISCUSSION:

In a recent Program Access Review (PAR), the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) found Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications registered with incorrect application dates. This memo provides clarification in determining correct application dates for all programs.

Incorrect application dates can result in:

  • benefit payment errors,
  • incorrect eligibility begin dates,
  • improper processing timeframes, and
  • increases to the agency’s error rates for accuracy and timeliness, potentially impacting federal funding.

Application dates must be carefully evaluated during both registration and processing to ensure that the correct date is used.

Application Date vs Agency Received Date

Application dates are determined by the date and time that an application with the minimum required information is received by the agency. (See policy for program-specific requirements.)

  • Applications received before 5:00 p.m. Monday – Friday are considered as received on that date.
  • Applications received outside of business hours (after 5:00 p.m., on a weekend, or on a holiday) are considered as received on the next business day.

Note: MO HealthNet (MHN) applications received by phone or online, including applications from the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM), are an exception. Regardless of the time of day or day of the week received, online and FFM applications are dated the day the application was successfully submitted and phone applications are dated the day that the telephonic signature was captured.

Identifying Date/Time of Receipt

With the exception of applications received through the Upload Portal, applications must be opened and viewed in order to see the received date.

Received date location examples:

  • Upload Portal: Added On date in the Electronic Content Management system (ECM)

  • Online/AEM (not MHN): Submitted Date Time on bottom of each page

 

  • Mail: Date stamp

  • Resource Center: Date stamp

  • Fax: Receiving information on bottom or side of page

  • MHN – Online, phone, FFM: MHN Application Case tab

 

When Multiple Applications are Received:

If more than one application is received for the same program, the first application received is the application to be registered.

Example: Two Temporary Assistance applications are found in the ECM, dated 9/12 and 9/14. The eligibility system shows that neither has yet been processed.

    • The 9/12 application is registered but both applications are reviewed during processing.

Registering the Correct Applicant:

Care must be taken to ensure that applications are registered under the correct applicant. Applications registered under an incorrect head of household cause delays for the applicant and could result in a breach of confidentiality for either party.

 

NECESSARY ACTION:

  • Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
  • Review content and resources in the Application Registration row of FAMIS Resources.

 

 

 

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