PFS-21852-506, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Certification Period Clarification (Published July 24, 2024)
PFS-17947-506; Processing Expedited SNAP for ABAWDs (Revised February 7, 2020)
PFS-17665-506; Expedited SNAP Review for Households Currently Receiving SNAP; August 2015
According to Federal regulations, there are two standards for issuing SNAP benefits: normal processing and expedited processing. The requirement to provide initial benefits within 30 days applies to households subject to normal processing standards. Households who meet expedited service criteria must be able to get their initial benefits within 5 calendar days.
Expedited service is an important SNAP policy for households who need benefits right away . An expedited service household may not choose to have its application processed in the normal time frame. An eligible applicant household that meets expedited service criteria must receive (and have a reasonable opportunity to use) its first benefit no later than the 5th calendar day after the application filing date .
A household requesting, but not entitled to, expedited service must have its application processed in the normal time frame.
506.11 How Expedited Service Works
The CAO must conduct a preliminary review of every identifiable application on the day it receives the application to see if the household meets one of the criteria for expedited service.
NOTE: An application for benefits may be any form approved by DHS for SNAP (PA 600 or PA 600 FSO) or a COMPASS online application. If the household submits an application not approved for SNAP or a COMPASS application requesting only Medical Assistance, a second application is required. The effective date for expedited SNAP benefits is the date of the second application.
The CAO must screen every household for expedited service. A household may not waive this screening
NOTE: This includes households that have voluntarily withdrawn their application.
The CAO may combine the preliminary review and the application pre screening only if both can be completed on the day the CAO gets the application for benefits.
If the CAO terminates SNAP benefits during a certification period and the household asks to be reinstated, a review for expedited services is not required. The CAO may reinstate benefits until the end of the original recertification period.
The CAO must narrate how it determines eligibility/ineligibility and benefit levels. The narrative should be sufficiently detailed so that a reviewer can confirm the reasonableness and accuracy of the determination.
Updated April 11, 2024, replacing February 7, 2020