COVID-19 Adjustment to Approved Representative Requirements for SNAP Extended June 2020

Illinois Department of Human Services Logo

06/17/2020

Policy Memo

Summary

  • This policy memo extends the "Adjustment to Approved Representative Requirements for SNAP" for the month of June 2020. It obsoletes policy memo, Adjustment to Approved Representative Requirements for SNAP - COVID-19, dated 05/07/2020.
  • The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) received waiver approval from Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to adjust SNAP regulations and allow certain community partners and advocates to be designated as an approved representative for the application process through household verbal consent. FNS is approved the initial waiver adjustment under authorization of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127) for a period of 3 months, effective March 01, 2020 through May 31, 2020. FNS has now granted an extension of this adjustment through 06/30/2020.
  • Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the State can allow certain community partners and advocates to sign an application as an approved representative of a household based on the household's verbal assent. A written signature is not required by the client to give consent for an approved representative to sign the application
  • This adjustment is applicable only to Illinois SNAP Outreach Community Partners.
  • The approved representative must be an adult fully aware of the relevant household circumstances and the household designates the individual as the approved representative through verbal assent.
  • The community partners and advocates obtain verbal assent from the household over the phone giving the community partners approval to serve as the approved representative for the purpose of signing the application.
  • The application can then be signed by community partners or advocates that are designated as the approved representative by the applicant.
  • The community partners and advocates are approved only for the purposes of signing the application, and not for the purposes of the interview, or use of benefits on the behalf of the customer. 
  • This adjustment will allow assistance to households that encounter issues and difficulties with signing the application during initial intake.

Approved Representatives

Federal regulations provides under current policy that a non-household member may be designated as an approved representative for the application process provided that the person is an adult who is sufficiently aware of relevant household circumstances and the approved representative designation has been made in writing by the head of the household, the spouse, or another responsible member of the household.

Adjustment to Approved Representatives

  • FNS approved, under authorization of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L. 116-127), the adjustment of approved representatives to certain community partners and advocates for the purposes of signing an application on the behalf of the household for a period of 3 months, effective March 01, 2020 through May 31. 2020. FNS has granted an extension to allow this adjustment through 06/30/2020.
  • A written signature is not required by the client to give consent for an approved representative to sign the application. This adjustment allows assistance to the households that encounter issues and difficulties with the signing of the application during initial intake.
  • The community partners will obtain verbal assent from the household allowing the community partners to sign an application on their behalf. This adjustment is allowed only for the purposes of signing the application. Community partners or advocates may not assist with other parts of application process, interviewing, or use of benefits on the behalf of the household.

NOTE: The community partners should not be added as an Approved Representative in IES as they are only approved to sign the SNAP application on behalf of the customer.

Community Partners & Advocates

This waiver adjustment applies to community partners and advocates included as Illinois SNAP Outreach Community Partners.

[signed copy on file]

Grace B. Hou

Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services

Forms Referenced: