1105.000.00 Non-financial Eligibility Requirements

1105.015.15 Duplicate Participation

IM-109 December 30, 2015; IM-50 June 4, 2007; IM-27 March 19, 2004; IM-118 October 5, 1998

EU members should not participate in more than one FS EU and/or more than one county or state. Immediately contact the other state to verify when the EU members last received or will receive benefits from the other state. To obtain the phone number from the other state if the applicant cannot provide it, you can find it here.

NOTE: Enter a detailed comment regarding out-of-state participation confirmation.

If duplicate participation is confirmed at the time the EU applies, reject the application or close the former case before the application is approved. If the duplicate participation involving two or more active cases resulted in an over issuance, and a possible IPV exists, refer to the Welfare Investigation Unit. A decision must be made if one or both of the active cases must be closed.

If verification of out-of-state participation is not provided and every reasonable effort has been made to contact the other State, process the expedited application. Do not pend an expedited application to verify out of state participation. Approve out-of-state duplicate participation based on client’s statement. If out-of-state duplicate participation is verified after approval of expedite months a claim will need to be entered, 1142.030.00 Establishing Claims. The application may not be approved for months following expedited months without verification of out of out-of-state participation.

If an application includes individuals who have received benefits in the month of application and individuals that have not received benefits in the month of application; determine eligibility (including expedited eligibility) for the individuals who have not received benefits in the application month. The income, resources, expenses, and need of individual(s), including the head of the EU, who have already received benefits for the month of application are not considered for the expedited screening or the eligibility determination. The individuals are not considered EU members until the month after they have been removed from the other EU.

EXAMPLE 1: Laurie applies for benefits for herself and her daughter Ashley on November 5. Laurie received benefits in Kansas for November, but Ashley has never received benefits anywhere. Laurie’s resources, income, and expenses are entered in FAMIS, but they are not considered for the November expedited screening or eligibility determination. As Ashley has no income or resources, the EU qualifies for expedited service and prorated benefits for one person for November.

When an active EU is adding an individual who has already received benefits in another EU or state, the income, resources, expenses, and needs of the individual are not considered for the eligibility determination for the month(s) in which they already received benefits or will receive benefits.

EXAMPLE 2: Scott came into the office on December 2 to apply for food stamps for himself and Lacey. Lacey is already receiving benefits in her mother’s EU. As the adverse action notice to remove Lacey from her mother’s EU will expire in December, Lacey cannot receive benefits in Scott’s EU until January. Lacey’s resources, income, and expenses are entered in FAMIS, but they are not considered for Scott’s December eligibility determination. They are considered for January, after she is removed from her mother’s EU. If Scott’s approval action is authorized before Lacey is removed from her mother’s EU, Lacey is rejected and the worker must add her to Scott’s EU after she is removed from her mother’s EU.

Enter all relevant information for all individuals. FAMIS disregards the income, resources, expenses, and need of any individuals for which the EU answered yes on the Received Out of State screen (FMMW) until the month after the the month entered in the “Last Recd” field, or who have received benefits in another EU in Missouri for the eligibility determination’s benefit month.

If FAMIS shows a rejection action for an individual for two consecutive months due to duplicate participation, and the original EU’s certification does not expire within those two months, FAMIS rejects the individual and the worker must add the person again after the individual is removed from the original EU.

EXAMPLE 3: Eric came into the office on October 22, 2003 to add Megan to his food stamp case. Megan is already receiving benefits in another EU, whose certification expires in February 2004. Eric provided all the verification and the action was authorized on October 22, 2003. As Megan is still shown as active in the other EU for October and November, she is rejected form Eric’s EU and must be added again after she is removed from the original EU.