PM 03-15-08
If the SNAP household is eligible for benefits, only the person that failed to comply with a Work Provision rule is sanctioned. A sanction is not imposed on participants in the voluntary SNAP E&T program.
Prior to implementing a Work Provision sanction, determine if the customer had an allowable job quit reason (PM 03-15-03) or an allowable reason for reducing job hours (PM 03-15-04). Eligibility is not affected when it is an allowable job quit or an allowable reduction in hours. If not allowed, determine if the customer had a good cause reason (PM 03-15-05) for not complying by asking at the application interview. If it becomes known during the certification period, contact the SNAP household by phone to discuss. If the phone call is unsuccessful, send Verification Checklist (Form IL444-267) to request contact to discuss the reason for noncompliance. Verification is not required, unless questionable. See (PM 03-15-03 ), (PM 03-15-04), (PM 03-15-05), (PM 03-15-06), (PM 03-15-08). There is not a conciliation process for a SNAP work sanction.
Example 1: Mr. M, age 30, lives by himself and filed a new application for SNAP on 03/14. He reported that he quit a full-time job on 01/31 and the Family Community Resource Center determines that it was not an allowable job quit and there was not good cause for the quit. As a one-person SNAP household, Mr. M is ineligible for SNAP beginning the fiscal month of application because he quit his job in the 60 days prior to application.
Example 2: Ms. K, age 30 and her 6 year old daughter receive SNAP benefits. Ms. K is a single parent and works the night shift at a local gas station for 30 hours per week. Ms. K reported during the certification period that she quit her job, but the reason was unknown to the worker. Prior to imposing a work sanction, the worker contacts Ms. K by phone. Ms. K explains that her child care provider recently developed some medical problems and can no longer provide services to her child. She quit her job to be home with her child until she can find another child care provider. Ms. K has a good cause reason for quitting her job due to the lack of child care.
