2nd Extension of SNAP Approval Periods for Select Mail-in EZ REDE Cases

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11/13/12

Summary:

  • United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has approved a second waiver that allows the department to extend approval periods on select EZ REDE cases an additional six months.  The waiver was requested as part of the department's corrective action to improve SNAP application processing timeliness. 
  • During the period 12/12 through 05/13, staff will not have to process over 300,000 mail-in REDEs for the affected cases.  Instead, staff are to focus on the timely processing of initial SNAP applications. SNAP applications must be approved and if eligible, SNAP applicants must have their SNAP benefits by the 30th day from the date of application.  Generally (but not always) an approval action must be taken by day 27 for the application to be considered timely.  SNAP applications must be denied by the 30th day from the date of application.
  • SNAP approval periods for mail-in REDEs continue to be extended 6 months for SNAP only (category 08) and Family Health Plan (category 94/96) cases with SNAP except those cases coded with 801, 802, or 654 in Item 90 that have a SNAP benefit amount of $400 or higher.
  • Mail-in cases that have approval periods centrally extended in this 2nd extension group will be coded with a D in Item 80 656 Total Cost field.
  • Those cases that have their approval period extended will no longer be considered EZ REDE cases and the clients will have to report the following changes:
    • Change in the source of income
    • Change of more than $100 a month up or down, of earned income;
    • Change of unearned income of $50 a month, up or down;
    • People who move in or out of the household, including newborns;
    • If they have moved, the new address and telephone number and changes in rent or mortgage and utilities; and/or
    • If they receive a deduction for making child support payments, report when the support order changes or ends.
  • Those cases that have their approval period extended will be sent Client Notice (CN)12.08 to inform them of their responsibility to report these changes.  CN 12.08 will be produced at Group 00 cut-off for each month benefits are extended. When the client receives the notice, the client is responsible for reporting all changes until the next SNAP REDE.  At the next SNAP REDE, the case will be back in EZ REDE.
  • Staff continue to act on reported changes on any SNAP case per PM 18-04-00. 
  • A monthly report, 84504053, is available in Mobius titled "MM/YY Cases with Approval Period Extended". The report contains the case name, case ID, and new Item 24 End Date of each case that was extended and is divided by caseload, local office and Region. A summary monthly report, 84504054-Summary of MM\YY Cases with Approval Period Extended, is also available showing the total number of cases by region and statewide.
  1. Why We Are Extending SNAP Approval Periods?
  2. What Does This Change Mean for Clients?
  3. What does this Change Mean for FCRC Staff?
    1. Changes to the Priority Action List (PAL)
  4. System Changes
    1. Central Conversion
      1. Summary of Dates for Central Conversion
    2. Client Notice 12.08
    3. Mobius Report

Why We Are Extending SNAP Approval Periods?

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) has approved a second waiver that allows the department to extend approval periods on select EZ REDE cases.  The waiver was requested as part of the department's corrective action to improve SNAP application processing timeliness. 

What Does This Change Mean for Clients?

Those cases that have their approval period extended will no longer be considered EZ REDE cases (until their next SNAP REDE) and the clients will have to report the following changes:

  • Change in the source of income
  • Change of more than $100 a month up or down, of earned income;
  • Change of unearned income of $50 a month, up or down;
  • People who move in or out of the household, including newborns;
  • If they have moved, the new address and telephone number and changes in rent or mortgage and utilities; and/or
  • If they receive a deduction for making child support payments, report when the support order changes or ends.

What does this Change Mean for FCRC Staff?

During the period 12/12 through 05/13, staff will not have to process over 300,000 mail-in REDEs for these cases. Instead, staff are to focus on the timely processing of initial SNAP applications both in Intake and Service Coordination. SNAP applications must be approved and if eligible SNAP applicants must have their SNAP benefits by the 30th day from the date of application. Generally, a SNAP application must be approved by day 27 to be considered timely.  SNAP applications must be denied by the 30th day from the date of application.

Staff act on reported changes per PM 18-04-00. 

Changes to the Priority Action List (PAL)

Currently for Code C and U, the system drops the case if the case has an R in Item 36 for any of the "match" months. For those converted cases coded with a R in Item 36 and a C or D in Total Cost field of Item 80 code 656 EZ RD, the system will select the case for any of the "match" months.  Those selected cases appear on the PAL and staff will need to take the appropriate action, see WAG 19-06-01-d for Medical cases and WAG 19-06-02-a for SNAP cases. Once the converted cases have matched for the appropriate months, the system will revert to the previous selection criteria so cases with an R in Item 36 will not be selected and will no longer appear on the PAL.

System Changes

Central Conversion

SNAP approval periods for mail-in REDEs continue to be extended 6 months for SNAP only (category 08) and Family Health Plan (category 94/96) cases with SNAP except those cases coded with 801, 802, or 654 in Item 90 that have a SNAP benefit amount of $400 or higher. 

Effective 11/14/12, the close of Schedule 00 for 12/12, the system will produce a central action (TA 31, TAR 61) and change the date in Item 24 to 05/12 and the M to F in Supplied By for the affected EZ REDE cases. The cases with approval periods centrally extended will be coded with a D in Item 80 656 Total Cost field.  Code D in Item 80 656 Total Cost field will be retained and displayed in ACID and on the Form 552. 

The system continues to produce the central action for each of the following five months through 05/12.

Summary of Dates for Central Conversion

Item 24 Prior to Conversion Converted Item 24 Form 4764/4765 Suspended Mailing
12/12 06/13 11/26/2012
01/13 07/13 12/26/2012
02/13 08/13 01/26/2013
03/13 09/13 02/26/2013
04/13 10/13 03/26/2013
05/13 11/13 04/26/2013

Client Notice 12.08 

Those cases that have their approval period extended will be sent Client Notice (CN)12.08/S (pdf) to inform them of their responsibility to report these changes. CN 12.08 will be produced at Group 00 cut-off for each month benefits are extended. When the client receives the notice, the client is responsible for reporting changes.

Mobius Report

A monthly report, 84504053, is available in Mobius titled "MM/YY Cases with Approval Period Extended". The report contains the case name, case ID, and new Item 24 End Date of each case that was extended and is divided by caseload, local office and Region. A summary monthly report, 84504054-Summary of MM\YY Cases with Approval Period Extended, is also available showing the total number of cases by region and statewide.

Michelle R.B. Saddler

[signed copy on file]

Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services