Appendix E: Automated Restitution Referral and Computation (ARRC) System and Semiannual Reporting (SAR) SNAP (FS) Overpayment Computation Methodology

ARRC will:

1. Retain prospective and retrospective budgeting principles based on the budgeting method entered by the CAO to  income overpayments.

2. Use a combination of prospective/retrospective budgeting and prospective budgeting for SNAP overpayment claims that begin prior to SAR but end on or after May 27, 2003.

3. Drop April and May's 2003 income when transitioning SNAP computations from retrospective to prospective budgeting.

4. Use prospective budgeting for SNAP overpayment claims that occur on or after May 27, 2003.

5. Add 30 calendar days to the first income date entered for individual error, SAR Code 6, SNAP overpayment claims within the certification period (W) that occur on or after May 27, 2003 but before October 21, 2005, where the household failed to report the income received or expected to be received. For individual error SAR Code 6, ARRC will not add calendar days for application (A) or re-certification (R) overpayment claims.

6. Add 30 days to the end of the month (last day of the month) to SAR Code 1, individual error SNAP overpayment claims, within the certification period (W) that occur on or after May 27, 2003 but before October 21, 2005.

7. Add 33 calendar days for SAR Codes 1 and 6 for all individual caused overpayment claims within the certification period beginning October 21, 2005.

8. Add 30 days to the Start Date, regardless of the SAR code, for all SNAP resource claims (ARCAER), eligibility claims (ARCAEL), and household composition claims (ARCAFI), within the certification period (W).

9.  agency error SNAP overpayment claims by using the information the CAO enters. The CAO will data enter the gross monthly income for each month the agency error occurred. ARRC will not add calendar days for agency errors.

ARRC SNAP Claim Computation Methodology for Individual Error Overpayments

SNAP individual error overpayment claims d prior to May 27, 2003

The CAO will continue to data enter SNAP overpayments as in the past for overpayments that begin and end prior to May 27, 2003. ARRC will retain pre-SAR prospective and retrospective budgeting methodology to  earned income overpayment claims that begin and end prior to May 27, 2003. The pre-SAR budgeting methodology will remain in place for at least five years.

ARRC will retain all software prior to October 21, 2005 to  SNAP overpayment claims for five years.

SNAP individual error overpayment in ongoing cases that begin prior to May 27, 2003 and end prior to October 21, 2005

The CAO will data enter the actual unreported, underreported, or late reported income that makes SNAP household eligible for a smaller benefit or ineligible.

ARRC will:

NOTE:  ARRC will not add days to SAR reviews, that is, when a SAR Code 1 has a 12-month certification.

NOTE:  Retrospective (R) and Both (B) income entered for April and May 2003 will  to $0.00. Prospective income entered for April and May 2003 will  to an overpayment amount.

Example: Ms. Swift is an ongoing SNAP individual who begins employment March 5, 2003 and her income puts the family over the 130% FPIGs. The first pay is received on March 10, 2003. Ms Swift fails to report this income to the CAO. Her income stops July 2, 2003.

NOTE:  If this income had been under the 130% FPIG, there would have been no overpayment for June or July.

The CAO worker will enter "1" in the SAR code field and a "W" in the A/R/W field on the ARCAFA screen. The CAO worker will enter the weekly pays beginning with the pay of March 10, 2003 on the ARCAUI screen.

Claim Computation: The claim would begin May 1, 2003 and end July 31, 2003. May's SNAP benefits would be retrospectively budgeted using March's income; June's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using June's income; July's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using July's income.

SNAP Overpayments at Application and Re-Certification Post SAR Implementation for Individual Error Overpayments

The CAO will data enter unreported, underreported, or late reported income that makes the SNAP household eligible for a smaller amount or ineligible.

ARRC will:

Example: Ms. Swift applies for SNAP benefits June 5, 2003 and the application is approved on June 10, 2003. On June 8, 2003 the individual obtains employment and receives weekly pays beginning June 10, 2003. The individual does not provide this information to the CAO. The employment ends September 2, 2003. The overpayment would be d as follows:

The CAO worker will enter "1" in the SAR code field and an "A" or "R" in the A/R/W field on the ARCAFA screen. The CAO worker will enter the weekly pays beginning with the pay of June 10, 2003 on the ARCAUI screen.

Claim Computation: The claim will begin June 5, 2003 (date of the initial SNAP benefit) and end September 30, 2003. June's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using June's income; July's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using July's income; August's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using August's income; September's SNAP benefits would be prospectively budgeted using September's income.

Prospective Budgeting after SAR Implementation

The CAO will data enter the actual unreported, underreported, or late reported income that makes the SNAP household eligible for a smaller benefit or ineligible.

ARRC will:

Example: SAR Code 1, Monthly Application Code W, Individual Error, Reason Code 01.

Ms. Swift is enrolled in SAR and failed to report that her income exceeded the 130% FPIG starting with her pay on 6/17/03. She exceeded the 130% FPIG until the pay of 10/9/03. (This is not during an application month or renewal month).

The CAO worker would enter "1" in the SAR code field and "W" in the A/R/W field on the ARCAFA screen. The CAO worker will enter the weekly pays beginning with the pay of June 17, 2003 on the ARCAUI screen.

Claim Computation: The claim will begin on August 1, 2003 (30 calendar days added to the last day of the month {6/30/03} in which the income exceeded the 130% FPIG) and end October 31, 2003. Prospective budgeting will be applied for the months of August thru October.

Example: SAR Code 6, Monthly Application Code W, Individual Error, Reason Code 01.

Ms. Swift is not enrolled in SAR and she failed to report that her income exceeded $100 starting with her pay of 6/15/03. She exceeded the $100 for every month through November 2003. (This is not during an application month or renewal  month).

The CAO worker will enter "6" in the SAR code field and "W" in the A/R/W field on the ARCAFA screen. The CAO worker will enter the weekly pays beginning with the pay of June 15, 2003 on the ARCAUI screen.

Claim Computation: The claim will begin on August 1, 2003 (30 days added to the first income date of 6/15/03) and end on November 30, 2003. Prospective budgeting will be applied for the months of August thru November.

NOTE:  ARRC will not add days to SAR reviews, that is, when SAR Code 1 has a 12-month certification.

Agency Error SNAP Claims on or after May 27, 2003

SNAP agency error income overpayments occur when the CAO receives verification on an income change timely but does not act on the information. ARRC will  food stamp agency error overpayment claims using the income the CAO data enters. The CAO will data enter the gross monthly income for the month the agency error occurred. ARRC will not add calendar days for agency errors. The CAO will use two new fields, Begin Income (BEG INC) and INC ADJ (Income Adjusted), on ARCAUI to identify agency error claims.

Reissued August 14, 2013, replacing March 16, 2012