PM 18-04-03: Cooperation in Verifying Unclear Information or Unreported Changes

WAG 18-04-03.

Act on Reported Changes 

Reported Changes in General

FCRC staff are required to act on all reported changes in general. When a SNAP household reports a change, including changes reported at a Change Report or Mid-Point Report REDE or at the Mid-Point Report, the FCRC will review the effect of the change on the household's eligibility and benefit amount and take the appropriate action. The FCRC will request additional information from the household if needed to determine the effect of the reported change. 

Reported Changes with Unclear Information

• During the certification period, the FCRC may receive unclear information about changes in the SNAP household's circumstances from which it cannot readily determine the effect on the household's continued eligibility for SNAP. The FCRC may receive unclear information from a third party or from the SNAP household itself. The FCRC must follow-up with the SNAP household to clarify and/or verify the information reported to determine the effect on the household's circumstances. Unclear information is:
  • information that is NOT verified; or
  • information that is verified but the FCRC needs additional information to act on the change.
• If the information is considered verified upon receipt but additional information is still needed to act on the change appropriately, then the information is considered unclear.
• If the information is verified upon receipt and no additional information is needed to act on the change, the information is not considered to be unclear. The FCRC will take the appropriate action on the reported change.

When to Act on Unclear Information Received from Data Crossmatches

• FCRCs must act on all information received from a Prisoner or Death Data Crossmatch and information received on undeliverable mail/unreported address changes. The FCRC must follow-up with the SNAP household to clarify and/or verify the information reported to determine the effect on the household's circumstances before taking an adverse action, regardless of the IES match.
• For all other data crossmatches the FCRC must follow-up with the customer to clarify and/or verify unclear information received outside of a Change Reporting household's REDE or a Mid-Point Reporting household's REDE or Mid-Point Report if it:

Note: This procedure does not apply to Incarcerated or Death Crossmatches or undeliverable mail/unreported address changes. 

Unclear Information Fewer Than 60 Days Old

• When the FCRC receives unclear information that is fewer than 60 days old relative to the current month of participation that indicates there has been a change in household circumstances that should have been reported according to the household's assigned reporting status (Change Reporting or Mid-Point Reporting), the FCRC will send a notice to request contact with the customer to clarify and/or verify that the information reported in the data match is accurate. 
• The FCRC will send a notice to request contact with the customer for clarification and verification if the unclear information appears to present significantly conflicting information about the  household's circumstances from that used at the time of certification.The FCRC must follow-up with the customer when information becomes known that conflicts with what was reported on the application and during the interview. See WAG 18-04-03.
• If the unclear information indicates that there was a change in household circumstances, but not a change the household was required to report, the FCRC will follow up on the information at the next Change Report household's REDE or the next Mid-Point Report household's REDE or Mid-Point Report, whichever is earlier. 
• The FCRC may follow-up with a SNAP household to provide information (that it was not required to be reported) on a voluntary basis if that information would result in an increase in benefit, but may not take adverse action if the household does not respond.
• See WAG 18-04-03 for procedures. 

Note: The 60 days is not in terms of when the crossmatch is received. The customer information in the data crossmatch cannot be more than 60 days old relative to the current month of participation.

Unclear Information More than 60 Days Old

The FCRC will not act on the information or require the household to provide information until the next Change Reporting household's REDE or the next Mid-Point Reporting household's REDE or Mid-Point Report (whichever is earlier), if the information:

1. is more than 60 days old relative to the current month of participation and was not required to be reported; or
2. does not present significantly conflicting information from that used at the time of certification.

See WAG 18-04-03 for procedures.

Request for Contact/Cancellation Notice

• The FCRC will send a written notice for contact with the household. The notice will advise the household of the verification it must provide or the actions it must take to clarify its circumstances and the consequences if the household fails to respond to the notice.
• The FCRC will allow the SNAP household 10 days from the date of the written request to respond and clarify its circumstances either by telephone or through correspondence with the required verifications, if needed. If the household responds to the notice request and provides sufficient information, the FCRC will act on the new circumstances within 10 days, as appropriate.
• If the SNAP household does not respond to the notice request, or does respond but refuses to provide sufficient information to clarify its circumstances, a notice of adverse action will be sent to the household. Except when verification is requested for an expense, benefits will be canceled if the unit fails to provide the requested verifications within the 10 days. If the household later cooperates, see PM 19-04-00 for restoring benefits policy.