A change in the budget group's (see Section 110.1) composition, income or other circumstances may result in a payment increase or decrease, a suspension, a benefit hold or a closure.
The CAO must act on all reported changes in a timely manner and give appropriate and timely notice to the budget group before a change in the payment is made. A change data entered up to 5 p.m. on deadline day is effective the next regular payment day.
Exception:A case closure or deletion of a budget group member is effective the calendar day before a payment day with proper notice.
See Appendix E for a list of action codes. See Appendix C for reason codes. All changes require entry into eCIS of a reason code that defines the reason for the action.
The CAO must not process a change in a budget group's payment amount of less than $1 monthly or $0.50 semimonthly.
When the Central Office gets a request from a recipient to discontinue payment or change the address, it will notify the CAO and forward any correspondence to the CAO. The CAO must take the appropriate action.
180.61 Suspensions
The CAO may suspend a budget when uncashed checks or other mail is returned to the CAO or Central Office. Before suspending, the CAO must verify that the proper notice was sent to the client. See Chapter 177.
55 Pa. Code § 227.24(e)(1)(ii)
Reminder:A "zero cash payment" month, used when ineligibility is not expected to continue, is processed as a decrease, not a suspension.
A suspension may also be processed by the system if two consecutive checks are returned as undeliverable or are benefit-held.
NOTE: The system will generate a Confirming Notice to notify the recipient of the suspension. The suspension will appear in eCIS with reason code 451.
In maintenance mode, select Suspend on the eCIS Budget Action screen to authorize a suspension. The budget group will not receive a cash payment when a budget is suspended. Select reinstate on the eCIS Budget Action screen to authorize a reinstatement of payments.
Action to suspend must be data entered no later than 5 p.m. on the deadline date. A reason code is required. See Appendix C.
If a suspension continues for more than 30 days, the CAO will receive an Unresolved Suspension Report. Use the report to review the status of each budget still in suspension.
A reinstatement will restart the check issuance for the next payment day for which deadline can be met. If the budget group is eligible for any of the suspended checks, the CAO must authorize an OTI for each check using Supplemental Benefit Reason Code 112 -- Issue suspended benefits.
NOTE: The CAO must reinstate the budget before the OTI can be authorized.
180.62 Benefit Holds
A benefit hold is an action to stop issuance of a payment to the budget group for a specific payment date. See payment day schedule in Appendix A for the Benefit Hold dates for each payment day.
The benefit hold will stop only one payment and will not affect issuance of the medical card or the Semiannual Reporting Form. Benefits will resume for the following payment day unless the CAO takes other action.
Use benefit hold only if a suspension action cannot be processed because a deadline has passed. If the benefit hold is for an adverse action, do not use the benefit hold unless the CAO processed an Advance Notice 15 days before the benefit hold date. If the Advance Notice time frame cannot be met for an adverse action, postpone suspension of the benefit until the next payment date. Treat the benefit that could not be withheld as an overpayment. See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 910 for the restitution requirements. Use benefit hold for actions such as:
· change of address;
· change of payment name;
· the budget group requests a reduction to avoid an overpayment; or
· decrease in the payment of $1 or more.
NOTE: An increase in the payment or decrease of less than $1 is made for the next regular payment date.
180.621 EBT benefit holds
The Department transmits a recipient’s recurring cash benefits to the EBT system five days before the recipient’s payment day. The benefits stay in a pending file on the EBT system until 6 a.m. on the payment day, when the benefits become available to the recipient.
The CAO may place a hold on pending benefits by using the “benefit hold” functions on the EBT administrative terminal. Refer to the Pennsylvania EBT Administrative Manual.
The benefit hold transaction allows the CAO to place a hold on an entire cash benefit before the payment day. The entire benefit amount in the pending file must be processed. The system does not allow benefit holds after the benefits are posted to an active account. Once the hold is placed, it cannot be rescinded. The hold transaction returns the entire benefit to the Department, where it is posted in eCIS benefit history the next day.
180.63 Closures
Select Budget Close on the eCIS Budget Action screen to close a budget. The effective date for a closure is the calendar day before the next payment day for which proper notice can be given.
The CAO may close a budget that is in suspension. The closure may be effective as of the day before the suspension date or the day before a payment day following suspension.
Action to close is data entered no later than the deadline date. A Budget and Benefit Reason Code is required. See Appendix C for the list of codes.
180.64 Out-of-County/Out-of-State Moves
When a recipient reports an absence from the county of residence, the budget group may or may not continue to be eligible for Cash Assistance. The CAO must first determine whether all members of the budget group have moved. If not all of the members have moved, the CAO must process the change as a deletion.
If the budget group has moved, the CAO must determine if the move is permanent. A budget group may continue to get benefits from the CAO if the move is temporary. See Chapter 123 for specific regulations concerning eligibility and procedures.
For temporary and permanent moves, process a change of address for the next payment day for recipients who continue to get benefits by mail. If the deadline for the next payment day cannot be met, use the benefit hold process and authorize an OTI to the new address to replace the held benefit.
If a permanent move is to another Pennsylvania county, process the move as an intercounty transfer. If a permanent move is out of state, close the budget.
180.641 Intercounty transfers
When a recipient moves from one county to another, benefits are not interrupted as long as the recipient remains eligible. The move to a new county does not affect the recipient’s access to any benefits remaining in the EBT account. The primary account number (PAN) (see Section 180.7), based on the recipient’s eCIS individual number, does not change because of an intercounty move. If the recipient applies and is eligible for benefits in the new county, those benefits will be posted to the existing EBT account. The recipient must continue to use the PA EBT ACCESS card (see Section 180.7) issued by the original CAO. The new CAO must issue replacement cards as needed.
The losing CAO must process an Intercounty transfer by using the maintenance mode under Case Action on the Case Non-Financial Screen. The CAO must data enter a change of address for the next payment day for which deadline can be met.
Enter reason code 099---Intercounty Transfer
NOTE The CAO may use a benefit hold if the deadline for the next payment day cannot be met.
If a recipient reports to the new CAO that the budget group did not receive a payment issued by the former CAO, the new CAO must begin the replacement procedures of Section 180.5. The new CAO must have the recipient sign the PA 207 and must advise the former CAO that requirements have been met. The former CAO must authorize a replacement OTI and issue the benefit either from county issuance or through EBT.
NOTE: The former CAO does not need to have the PA 207 to authorize the replacement.
See Section 123.72.
180.642 Out-of-state moves
When a recipient is temporarily absent from Pennsylvania and remains eligible, the CAO must continue to issue benefits.
Recipients can use their PA EBT ACCESS card to get their cash benefits in other states through the MAC and Quest networks. The MAC and Quest logos identify stores and ATMs that accept the PA EBT ACCESS card.
When a recipient reports a permanent move from Pennsylvania, the CAO must close the budget following appropriate notice.
Revised March 6, 2019; Replacing July 9, 2013