All applicant households, including those sending applications by mail, fax, or COMPASS, must have face-to-face office interviews.
The person interviewed may be any of the following:
The spouse of the head of household
Any other responsible member of the household
An AR who knows the household's situation
The applicant may bring any person they choose to the interview.
A face-to-face interview is not required:
For the first month of expedited services.
If the office interview is waived.
For a joint SNAP/SSI application taken at a Social Security Administration (SSA) office.
At the application interview, the CAO must take the following actions:
Determine whether the household meets the guidelines for expedited service.
Make sure the PA 600 is complete, and review it with the applicant to be sure it represents the household’s actual situation.
Decide what information needs to be verified, and explain what proof is needed.
Complete the verification checklist on the PA 253, and give the household a copy.
Explain that all applicants must cooperate with the CAO to give and prove all information used to decide whether they are eligible.
Tell the applicant about the conditions of eligibility, and explain what information is needed, how to get the information, and what is acceptable proof.
Give the applicant a copy of all appropriate SNAP pamphlets.
The Pennsylvania SNAP state plan of operation allows the CAO to interview households by telephone in lieu of a face-to-face interview. The CAO must grant a face-to face interview to any household that requests one.
The CAO must inform each applicant of the opportunity for a face-to-face interview at the time of application or renewal and grant a face-to face interview to any households that requests one at any time.
Households interviewed by telephone or face-to-face does not exempt the household from verification requirements and does not affect the length of the household's certification period.
The CAO must take the following actions:
Schedule all interviews as promptly as possible, so that eligible households have an opportunity to participate within normal or expedited time frames.
Review the information on the application.
Explore and work out any unclear or incomplete information with the household.
Let the household know of its rights and responsibilities.
Explain the expedited and 30-day processing standards.
Let the household know of its responsibility to report changes.
Tell the applicant what they must do as a recipient.
Explain basic program procedures and aims.
Let the applicant know of their right to appeal the CAO decision if they are not satisfied. (See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 870.1 General Policy )
Tell the applicant that eligibility will be decided without discrimination.
Conduct the interview as an official and confidential discussion of the household's situation.
Explain that all SNAP benefits are issued electronically through EBT.
Explain the EBT system and make sure eligible applicants get training, if needed, on how to use it.
Issue the PA EBT ACCESS card and let the recipient choose a personal identification number (PIN).
Give the recipient copies of the EBT fact sheet and the EBT recipient handbook.
Offer the applicant the opportunity to register to vote at the end of the application interview. If the applicant wants to register, give them the registration form and help the applicant complete it. (See Supplemental Handbook, Chapter 980.2 CAO Responsibilities.)
If a household fails to appear for the application interview, the CAO must send a Notice of Missed Interview (NOMI) to let the household know that it missed the interview and that it must contact the CAO to set up another interview.
If the household contacts the CAO within 30 days, the CAO must schedule a second interview.
The CAO must document the NOMI mailing by writing in the case narrative that the applicant did not come to the interview and that a notice was mailed. The CAO must put a copy of the NOMI in the case record. (See Appendix B for the recommended language.)
The household must appear for an interview and provide verification by the 30th day from the application filing date to be eligible. (See Section 504.6 for information on handling applications delayed more than 30 days.)
A household in which all members are applying for public assistance (TANF) may apply for SNAP benefits at the same time it applies for the other assistance program.
Following a single interview, the application may be processed by two separate caseworkers to determine the household's eligibility for the two programs.
A household whose public assistance application is denied does not have to file a new SNAP application. The CAO must decide on the household's eligibility using information on the original application filed jointly for public assistance and SNAP benefits.
Any household in which all members are receiving public assistance or SSI is considered categorically eligible. (See Chapter 512.2 The Application Process for application processing information.)
Updated January 14, 2026, replacing March 1, 2012