WAG 03-23-01: Incarcerated Persons

PM 03-23-01

DEARS Prisoner Data Crossmatches in IES

The table below displays the task titles that DEARs will create with regard to Department of Corrections (DOC) Prisoner Data Match reports that are found in IES, as well as the report ID and title that needs to be consulted in order to complete the tasks. Information gathered by the DEARS data exchange matches is complied into Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-Annual and Annual reports. Many DEARS reports are available in IES and provide lists of individuals who have been identified as having matches in any of the data exchanges that DEARS interfaces with.

1. (FCRC) The FCRC must act on all Prisoner Data Crossmatches within 10 days. Review and analyze data on the crossmatch report before completing DEARS crossmatch tasks. Upon starting a task on the DEARS Acton Reporting page, review the information provided in the report and case information to determine if the incarceration was previously known and the appropriate action was already taken on the case. If the case was canceled prior to the receipt of the match, no further action is necessary. If no change is needed select No Change from the Results drop down list. Mark the task as complete.
2. (FCRC) For SNAP and/or Cash, if the incarceration is not previously known, send a 267 VCL to the client prior to taking a negative action on the case to ensure that the data source is correct, regardless of the IES match. Send a 267 VCL to request that the client contact the Family Community Resource Center (FCRC)  to clarify its circumstances either in person, by phone or through correspondence with the required verifications, if needed. Medical benefits may continue if all other eligibility factors are met. For parents or caretaker relatives of children, review 'absence of an adult' policy in PM 03-05-04. Include the following on the 267 VCL:
   • "We have received information that conflicts with information that you have previously provided. You must respond to this notice and provide the information that is requested within 10 days from the date of this notice. If you do not respond and provide the information within 10 days, your SNAP benefits will be discontinued".
   • "Hemos recibido información que entra en conflicto con la información que nos ha proporcionado con anterioridad. Debe responder a este aviso y proporcionar la información que se solicita dentro de los 10 días siguientes a la fecha de esta notificación. Si usted no responde y proporcionar la información dentro de 10 días, se suspenderán sus beneficios de SNAP".
3. (FCRC) The 267 VCL notice must clearly explain what information the client must provide and the consequences of failing to respond to the notice. Send the 267 VCL to the last known address that the client reported to the FCRC. See PM 18-04-03.
4. (FCRC) If the person does not respond within 10 days and/or the 267 VCL is returned undeliverable, send a 360c with the appropriate cancellation reason to the last known address that was reported by the client. Cancel cash and/or SNAP benefits using the appropriate cancellation reason. 
   • For SNAP households subject to Change Reporting, if the household does not respond to the 267 VCL regarding the crossmatch, or does respond but fails to provide sufficient information to clarify its circumstances, send Form 360c to cancel the entire SNAP case. A Change Reporting household is required to report changes within 10 calendar days of the date they learn of the change (PM 18-04-00). The reason for the cancellation is that the household failed to respond or provide the necessary information to determine eligibility.  
   • For Mid-Point Reporting SNAP households, if the household does not respond to the 267 VCL regarding the crossmatch or does respond but fails to provide sufficient information to clarify its circumstances, remove the individual from SNAP and adjust benefits accordingly. For a single person case, cancel SNAP. Send Form 360c to notify the household of the adverse action. A Mid-Point Reporting household is not required to report when someone leaves the household, therefore adverse action is only taken on the ineligible person listed in the crossmatch. If the ineligible person is the head of household, a new application should be completed for the remaining eligible persons.  
   • Example: The FCRC receives a Prisoner Data Match that indicating Mr. B is incarcerated. Mr. B is a one person SNAP household in Change Reporting. He has not reported any changes in his circumstances to the FCRC. The FCRC sends Mr. B a 267 VCL notice to his last known address to request contact for clarification and/or verification of the unclear information (see PM 18-04-03). The 267 VCL is returned as undeliverable mail. The FCRC sends the notice of adverse action to Mr. B's last known address indicating that his SNAP benefits will be canceled. Cancel the case because the client cannot be located and eligibility cannot be determined due to the undeliverable mail. The information received from the data match is unclear information since there was no contact with the client to confirm his circumstances.
5. (FCRC) If the person provides a response, conduct a client interview to determine the client's status at the present time and during any period in question to determine continued eligibility.
6. (FCRC) If it is verified that the person is incarcerated and a change is necessary, on the Initiate Data Collection page use the Case Change action to process any updates, run Eligibility and certify the case if there are no pending verifications. Refer to WAG 23-02-00 for instructions regarding recoupment/recovery of any overpayments.
   • Example: Ms. K, her husband BJ, and their son T are in Mid-Point Reporting for SNAP. In October, the FCRC receives a Prisoner Data Match indicating BJ is incarcerated. If BJ is incarcerated, the  Mid-Point Reporting household is not required to report it. The FCRC is required to act on the data match by sending the household a 267 VCL requesting contact for clarification of the unclear information reported on the data match. It is considered unclear information because the data match indicates a change in household circumstances that the household has not reported and the FCRC does not know if the information is correct. Ms. B responds to the 267 VCL within 10 days and reports that BJ has been incarcerated since August. The FCRC removes BJ from SNAP. Form 360c is sent notifying the SNAP household of the removal of BJ and the reduction in SNAP benefits. There is not an overpayment because the Mid-Point Reporting household was not required to report that the household member left the home, unless the household had income that would exceed the Gross Monthly Income Standard for the household size. 
7. (FCRC) If not all required actions relating to a DEARS data exchange match have been addressed when arriving at the DEARs Action Reporting page, click (Rework Later) to return to this page later and complete all actions required. The (NEXT) button becomes (Rework Later) after certification. 
8. (IES) If one or more EDGS are pending verifications and the case is not ready to be certified, the DEARS Action Reporting pages is not added to the driver flow. Generate a VCL for the customer. The DEARS task status remains in Progress and the case status remains Pending.