SUBJECT:
NEW LIVING ARRANGEMENT CODE IN FAMIS
DISCUSSION:
Effective immediately, a new living arrangement code "ND - Natural Disaster" is available in FAMIS to identify Hurricane Katrina evacuees from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi for the Food Stamp Program. This code was developed to allow the special rules and flexibility for the Food Stamp Program allowed for the Hurricane Katrina evacuees and to allow for tracking. The Hurricane Tracking Form no longer needs to be completed and sent to Central Office daily.
This code will only be effective through October 15, 2005, when the evacuee policy ends for food stamp certifications.
This code allows the following:
- code ND can be used in conjunction with other codes and allows multiple supercases at one residential address;
- these EUs are only certified for up to three months; and
- special rules for EU composition and supercase membership.
Additional information is provided below.
Multiple Supercases and Used With Other Codes
Code ND can be used in conjunction with other living arrangement codes at the same residential address and allows multiple supercases at that address.
EXAMPLE: Mr. A lives in Missouri and receives food stamp benefits at 100 A Street, Jefferson City, as a residential address. Mr. A's cousin, Mr. B moves in with him when Mr. B evacuated from Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Mr. B applies for food stamp benefits. The worker clears the supercase address at 100 A Street, but enters living arrangement code ND prior to pressing F15=CLRADDRS. A new supercase will be generated once Mr. B is cleared and entered on the Supercase Member Clearance (FM0E) screen.
Certification Period
The evacuee policy is only effective for applications certified through October 15, 2005. To ensure that evacuees are not certified for long certifications with information based on client statement or based on no income or resources due to inaccessibility, FAMIS will suggest a certification period of three months. Certification periods cannot be lengthened beyond 3 months, but workers can shorten the certification period to one or two months if the EU is planning on moving on to another state. Since the certification is less than six months, these EUs are not subject to simplified reporting.
EXAMPLE: Ms. C and her children apply for food stamp benefits at an evacuee shelter on September 8, 2005. The worker codes Ms. C's living arrangement as ND and approves her application for September - November 2005.
EU Composition and Supercase Membership
As discussed in Email Memorandum IM-#118, dated September 2, 2005, evacuees from hurricane-impacted states are to be processed as separate EUs and not part of an existing Missouri food stamp EU. Code ND allows workers to narrow the individuals listed in the supercase, which limits the relationships that must be established. This also allows the worker to separate the EUs based on the evacuee policy. To determine EU composition, consider the individuals who were part of the EU in the hurricane-impacted state and are still a part of the same EU in Missouri.
EXAMPLE: Mr. and Mrs. D and their two teenage children lived in Mississippi. When the family evacuated to Missouri, one of the teenage children moved in with grandparents in Kansas City and the rest of the D family went to St Louis to Mr. D's brother's house. Mr. and Mrs. D and the child who remained with them are considered one EU regardless of whether Mr. D's brother is receiving food stamp benefits. The teenage son with the grandparents can be his own food stamp EU separate from the grandparents.
EXAMPLE: Mr. E and his fiancé live in Missouri. Mr. E's ex-wife, Ms. E, and child move in with him from a hurricane-devastated county in Alabama. Even though there is an in-common child, Ms. E and the child are separate EU from Mr. E as he was not part of the EU in Alabama.
There may be situations in which the supercase for Temporary Assistance may differ from the supercase for food stamp benefits. Individuals may participate in more than one supercase, but not more than one food stamp or Temporary Assistance EU.
EXAMPLE: Mr. F lives in Missouri and receives food stamp benefits. He is separated from his wife, who lived in Louisiana. After the hurricane, Ms. F and the couple's son move in with Mr. F. Ms. F and the child apply for food stamp benefits and the worker codes Ms. F's living arrangement as ND, putting them in a different supercase. Ms. F also wants to apply for Temporary Assistance. Since Mr. and Mrs. F are still married, Mr. F must be on the Temporary Assistance application. Add Mr. F to the ND supercase, but leave his food stamp EU open in the RA - residential address supercase. Mr. F can be in the Temporary Assistance EU in the ND supercase and in his own food stamp EU in the RA supercase.
Pending Applications
Food stamp applications for evacuees that are still pending can be updated to show the ND living arrangement code prior to approval. To update the living arrangement code, go to the Supercase Address/Supercase Transfer (FM0A) screen. Type U on the command line and prompt out for or type code ND in the Living Arrangement field. Press enter. Complete an eligibility determination and authorize the approval actions.
Cases Certified Prior to System Changes
For cases certified prior to system changes, set reminders to review the information in the case no later than November 2005. Verify any information that was verified by client statement due to the evacuee policy, that would normally be verified, and update the system to correspond with normal Food Stamp Policy effective for January 2006.
NECESSARY ACTION:
- Review this memorandum with appropriate staff.
- Use living arrangement code ND - Natural Disaster for evacuees from Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
- Discontinue using the Hurricane Tracking Form to track these individuals.