The CAO must not discriminate against any SNAP applicant or recipient regarding the following: 7 CFR § 272.6(a)
Program administration
Certification of households
Issue of SNAP benefits
Conduct of fair hearings
Conduct of any other program service
The CAO must not discriminate against any SNAP applicant or recipient for any of the following reasons:
Age
Race
Color
Sex
Disability
Religious creed
National origin
Political beliefs
Sexual orientation
Enforcement action may be brought under the Food Stamp Act, the Age Discrimination Act, the Rehabilitation Act, or the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
A person who believes he or she has been subjected to discrimination may file a verbal or written complaint in his or her own language. The CAO must explain the complaint procedures in language the person understands. 7 CFR § 272.6(b)
Complaints must be filed no later than 180 days from the date of the alleged discrimination. Written complaints may be sent to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 880, Appendix A for the address. 7 CFR § 272.6(c)
The USDA requires a separate complaint form and separate tracking of discrimination complaints received from SNAP clients. If a client filing a complaint also receives benefits from other programs, the CAO must use the form shown in Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 880, Appendix A only if the complaint relates specifically to SNAP. For all other complaints, the CAO must use the standard complaint form (PW 125).
The USDA requires the CAO to have a separate tracking system for SNAP discrimination complaints. The CAO must show the separate tracking system if an auditor or USDA official asks for information. 7 CFR § 272.6(d)
The CAO must accept all complaints, including anonymous complaints, for processing. A CAO worker who receives a verbal complaint must put it in writing. 7 CFR § 272.6(c)
Complaints must include the following information:
The location and name of the organization or office accused of discrimination
The nature of the alleged discriminatory incident or policy
The reason for the alleged discrimination
The names, titles, and addresses of persons who may have knowledge about the alleged discriminatory acts
The name, address, and telephone number of the person who is complaining
The date on which the alleged discriminatory act happened
NOTE: The USDA accepts all complaints, whether or not they are complete. The USDA will investigate, however, only if the complaint includes the first three items in the list above.
All SNAP civil rights complaints must be sent directly to the Office of Civil Rights, USDA, in Washington, DC. (See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 880, Appendix A for the address.) 7 CFR § 272.6(d)
The household that files the complaint may appeal an action taken that affects their SNAP benefits. (See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 870.)
Reissued March 1, 2012, replacing October 25, 2008