12/14/16
Action Memo
Summary:
This Action Memo provides FCRC staff with information on the 2017 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective January 2017 and instructions on budgeting the COLA for Cash and SNAP.
- The COLA effective January 2017 is .03%.
- The maximum SSI for a single person is increased from $733 to $735.
- The maximum SSI for a couple is increased from $1,100 to $1,103.
- A central COLA budget will occur 01/27/17 to effect March 2017 Cash and SNAP benefits.
- Family Community Resource Centers (FCRC) are responsible for manually budgeting the COLA increase for applications approved on or after 11/15/16 and on cash and SNAP cases excluded from central budgeting.
January 2017 COLA Increase
The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective January 2017 is .03%. The maximum SSI for a single person is increased from $733 to $735. The maximum SSI for a couple is increased from $1,100 to $1,103.
Central Budget of COLA
The 2017 SSA and SSI benefit amount will be centrally budgeted for March 2017 for the following categories with clients included in the central budgeting process:
- AABD Cash cases (Categories 01, 02, 03);
- SNAP under any category;
- TANF cases (Categories 04 & 06); and
- RRA Cash cases (Category 00).
Central budgeting takes place towards the end of every month. The SSI/SSA increase will be centrally budgeted for March 2017 cash and SNAP benefits on 01/27/2017.
When a case includes more than one person and the information on BENDEX does not match the information in the Client Database (CDB) for all persons, central budgeting will occur for those persons in the case with matched information.
FCRC Action
Local office staff are responsible for budgeting the actual amount of the January 2017 SSA and/or SSI income for:
- all new cases put on regular rolls after 11/15/2016; and
- persons excluded from central budgeting.
The following are the valid exclusion codes and appear in the REMARKS section of Form 552, or ACID Screen 2 (See WAG 22-14-03-a for BENDEX and WAG 22-14-03-b for SDX):
- 1 -No valid SSN on CDB (includes situations when no SSN is reflected on the CDB).
- 2 -SSA/PCU is working on the case.
- 3 -No usable SDX or BENDEX information received from SSA.
- 4 -Dual/Triple SSA benefit entitlement discrepancy. Department has not received enough information on all the client's claim number.
- 5 -Client no longer receiving SSI.
- 9 -Cash case centrally budgeted, but SNAP is not centrally budgeted because of exclusion code.
Upon receipt of the monthly list of cases not budgeted centrally (Mobius Report 50473651), take the following action:
- Determine the reason for the exclusion;
- Correctly budget SSA and SSI for the person(s) excluded from central budgeting; and
- Correct the problem causing the exclusion, when possible.
If the FCRC cannot correct the problem causing the exclusion, complete and submit Discrepancy Referral Form IL444-1925 to the SSA Programs Control Unit. Attach the verification supporting the correct client information or benefit amount.
[signed copy on file]
James T. Dimas
Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services
Felicia F. Norwood
Director, Healthcare and Family Services
Forms referenced:
