12/04/18
Action Memo
Summary:
This Action Memo provides FCRC staff with information on the 2019 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective January 2019 and instructions on budgeting the COLA for Cash and SNAP.
- The COLA effective January 2019 is 2.8%.
- The maximum SSI for a single person is increased from $750 to $771.
- The maximum SSI for a couple is increased from $1,125 to $1,157.
- A central COLA budget will occur by cutoff December 15, 2018 to effect January 2019 Cash and SNAP benefits.
- Family Community Resource Centers (FCRC) are responsible for manually budgeting the COLA increase for applications approved on or after 11/15/18 and on cash and SNAP cases excluded from automated income updates to RSDI and/or SSI.
January 2019 COLA Increase
The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) effective January 2019 is 2.8%. The maximum SSI for a single person is increased from $750 to $771. The maximum SSI for a couple is increased from $1,125 to $1,157.
Central Budget of COLA
The 2019 SSA and SSI benefit amount will be centrally budgeted for January 2019 for the following programs with clients included in the central budgeting process:
- AABD Cash cases
- SNAP cases;
- TANF cases; and
- RRA Cash cases.
Central budgeting takes place towards the end of every month. The SSI/SSA increase will be centrally budgeted for January 2019 Cash and SNAP benefits.
When a case includes more than one person and the information on BENDEX does not match the information in IES 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 2019 SSA and/or SSI income for:
- all new cases put on regular rolls after 11/15/18; and
- persons excluded from automated income updates to RSDI and/or SSI.
Please refer to IES Report "SSA-SSI 02 Exclusion Report (Report ID: IL-LB-112-DLY) See WAG 22-14-03-a for BENDEX and WAG 22-14-03-b for SDX.
Upon receipt of the list of individual incomes not centrally updated by BENDEX/SDX interfaces take the following action:
- determine the reason for the exclusion;
- correctly budget SSA and SSI for the person(s) excluded from automated RSDI/SSI income updates; 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
Forms referenced:
Form IL444-1925
