IM-52 May 30, 2013; IM-36 April 22, 2010; IM-80 August 27, 2004; IM-14 January 23, 2003
Take action on all changes that affect the household’s Income Maintenance (IM) cash grant and the changes related to the change in the IM cash grant. The action required is dependent upon whether there is sufficient information to determine the impact on the SNAP benefits.
Sufficient Information to Determine Impact on SNAP
For those changes with sufficient information to determine the impact on the SNAP benefits, take the action.
- Decrease in both IM and SNAP Benefits: Send a single notice of adverse action for both IM and SNAP. Make the change effective with the month following the month in which the ten day notice of adverse action expires.
- Increase in SNAP Benefits Due to IM Cash Assistance Change: If the household’s SNAP benefits increase as a result of reducing or terminating the IM grant, the eligibility system will not take the SNAP action to increase benefits until after the notice of adverse action expires for the IM cash grant and the IM action is completed. Both the change to the IM cash grant and the change that caused the grant to increase or decrease must be taken.
NOTE: If the household requests a hearing on the IM grant reduction, budget the amount of IM grant the SNAP household receives pending the hearing decision.
Insufficient Information to Determine SNAP Impact
A change may result in terminating a household’s IM cash grant within its SNAP certification period and sufficient information does not exist to determine how the change affects the household’s SNAP eligibility and benefit level.
EXAMPLES: The return of a non-custodial parent to the home and information about the income of the new household member is not available, or the Temporary Assistance was closed for failure to complete a reinvestigation.
- Do not automatically terminate benefits.
- Send the household a Request for Contact notice, along with the IM cash grant Notice of Adverse Action.
- Request information needed to clarify the household’s current circumstances.
- Give the household at least 10 calendar days to provide the requested information. Record the date the Request for Contact notice was sent in the eligibility system.
If the household does not request a hearing regarding the change in its IM benefits and does not provide information to clarify its current circumstances, authorize a worker initiated adverse action closing with reason Failed to Cooperate and send an Adverse Action notice to close the SNAP case. Record the reason for the action in the eligibility system. The case is closed effective the month following the month in which the notice of adverse action expires.
Refer to the Worker Initiated Closing guide for instructions.