COVID-19 Adjustment to the SNAP Interview Extended through June 2020

Illinois Department of Human Services Logo

06/26/2020

Policy Memo

Summary

  • As authorized by Section 2302 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) gave waiver approval to allow an adjustment to requiring a SNAP household to be interviewed prior to the approval of benefits.
  • The initial waiver approval allowed an adjustment to the interview requirements for initial applications, including expedited, from March 01, 2020 through May 31, 2020. See policy memo, Adjusting SNAP Interview Requirements Due to COVID-19, dated 04/08/2020.
  • FNS has extended the waiver approval to allow this adjustment through June 30, 2020.
  • As authorized by Section 2302 of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) gave waiver approval to allow an adjustment to requiring a SNAP household to be interviewed prior to the approval of benefits.
  • The initial waiver approval allowed an adjustment to the interview requirement for initial applications, including expedited, from March 01, 2020 through May 31, 2020. See policy memo, Adjusting SNAP Interview Requirements Due to COVID-19, dated 04/08/2020.
  • FNS has extended the waiver approval to allow this adjustment through June 30, 2020.
  • An interview is not required for expedited and non-expedited SNAP households whose identity is verified and all mandatory verifications needed to establish eligibility is provided.
  • A SNAP household whose identity cannot be verified, or mandatory verifications have not been provided, or information is questionable does not qualify for the adjustment and must have an interview. .

Rights and Responsibilities and Copies of the Application

Each FCRC has established a procedure to retrieve mail, printed documents and other information from the FCRC. Copies of the Rights and Responsibilities and a copy of the application (if a copy is requested) should be mailed to the customer. These documents  can be printed in the FCRC and the designated person will pick up the documents from the FCRC for mailing.

Case Comments

Case comments should include an adequate description of the household's circumstance and any adjustments or exceptions made to the eligibility determination and case processing due to COVID-19, including any customer and advocate complaints. Case Comments should also include that the rights and responsibilities, and a copy of the application, if requested has been mailed to the customer.

Desk Aid

Provides a desk aid for the COVID -19 adjustment to the SNAP interview process.

  COVID-19 ADJUSTMENT TO THE SNAP INTERVIEW DESK AID

QUESTION ANSWER PROCEDURE
When is a SNAP interview NOT required for expedited service? At initial application when an applicant qualifies for expedited service PM 02-08-01 and:
  • Identity is verified; and
  • all mandatory verifications, such as residence, income, including self-employment income, citizenship have been provided with the application to determine eligibility.
 If all eligibility factors are verified to determine eligibility for SNAP, issue expedited benefits, run eligibility and certify ongoing benefits.
When should the applicant who qualifies for expedited service be contacted for an interview? When the applicant qualifies for expedited service but:
  • Identity is not verified; and/or
  • other verifications have not been verified to determine eligibility; or the information is questionable.

Whenever possible use electronic sources, such as SOLQ.

Attempt to call the applicant to conduct an interview and obtain verifications. If the interview is held and identity can be verified, but other verifications are postponed, issue benefits within the expedited timeframes.

Issue benefits for:

  • 1 month, if the applicant applies on or before the 15th of the month; or
  • 2 months, if the applicant applies after the 15th of the month.

Do not delay issuing benefits just because all other verification has not been provided at the time of the interview.
VERIFICATIONS
What is meant by mandatory verifications other than identity? Any verifications needed to establish eligibility for the case such as residence, income, including self-employment, citizenship.
If a 267 VCL is needed for any verification, like income, residency, questionable data should the worker (once this is discovered) stop data collection and try and reach the customer for an interview? Yes, if the applicant can't be reached by phone, an interview should be scheduled.
If an interview is required, and the applicant only returns verifications instead of complying with the interview requirement, is the application denied?

Yes, if the applicant is required to have an interview, then they must comply with the requirement.

The application is denied for missed interview on the 30th day.
NON-EXPEDITED
When is a SNAP interview NOT required for non-expedited households?

When the applicant's:

  • identity is verified; and
  • all other mandatory verifications, such as residence, income, including self-employment, citizenship have been provided with the application to determine eligibility.

If all eligibility factors are verified to determine ongoing eligibility for SNAP, approve benefits. Run eligibility and certify ongoing benefits.
When should a non-expedited applicant be contacted for an interview?

Conduct an interview when:

  • identity cannot be verified;
  • and/or mandatory verifications have not been provided to determine eligibility; or
  • the information is questionable.

If the applicant only returns verifications but does not respond to having the interview, the application is denied.

 If the interview is held and the applicant qualifies for expedited services, begin expedited processing timeframes. See PM 02-08-02-a, PM 02-08-02-b.
An application submitted 03/01/20 or later was denied for missed interview, should it be reopened when/if discovered or questioned by the customer? No, if the application was denied on the 30th day and the applicant did not comply with the interview requirement, a new application is needed.

[signed copy on file]

Grace B. Hou

Secretary, llinois Department of Human Services

Forms Referenced: