PFS-17721-506; Expedited SNAP benefits review for untimely SNAP renewals; October 2015
If a household meets any one of the criteria for expedited service and is eligible for benefits, the CAO must make sure the first benefit is available within five calendar days.
The 5-day count begins the day after the application is filed and runs for 5 days in a row. Weekends and holidays are part of the 5-day count.
The CAO must issue the PA EBT ACCESS card and authorize benefits on or before the 4th calendar day after the application filing day, so that benefits are available on the EBT system on day 5.
The EBT system links the new EBT card and account overnight.
If the 5-day count begins on Wednesday, the CAO must issue the PA EBT ACCESS card on Thursday or Friday to meet the deadline.
If the1st day of the 5-day count is followed by 4 nonbusiness days, the CAO must issue the card on day 1 to meet the 5-day deadline.
Example: Mr. Davis files an application for SNAP benefits on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. He qualifies for expedited service. The 5-day count begins Wednesday. The CAO issues the PA EBT ACCESS card no later than Wednesday, because the CAO is closed Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
If the CAO does a telephone interview with a household and mails the application to the household for signature, mailing time is not part of the 5-day expedited deadline. Mailing time includes the days the application is in the mail to and from the household and the days the household has the application.
7 CFR § 273.2(i)3)(iii)
If the preliminary review does not show that a household is entitled to expedited service and then the CAO discovers that the household is entitled, the 5-day count begins with the date the CAO discovers the entitlement.
If the CAO determines that a household is ineligible for expedited SNAP after reviewing its SNAP application, the CAO must send a PA/FS 163 and PA 253 to the household. If the subsequent application interview indicates that the household does qualify for expedited SNAP, the 5-day time frame for authorizing benefits begins with the date of the interview.
Example: Mr. and Mrs. Green apply for SNAP benefits for themselves and 2 children on March 5th. Based on the income reported on the application form, the family is ineligible for expedited services. The caseworker mails a PA/FS 163 and PA 253 to the family scheduling a telephone interview for March 14th. The CAO completes the interview and discovers that the household no longer has earned income as previously reported. Based upon this new information, the family is eligible for expedited SNAP. The CAO must authorize benefits so that they are available on or before March 19th.
The CAO must not delay issuing expedited benefits to households applying for other programs. The CAO may schedule interviews for the other programs within the 5-day expedited time frame. If the household remains eligible for SNAP benefits,it must get the first benefit in EBT no later than the 5th calendar day.
Example: A household applies for both cash assistance and SNAP on Monday. The preliminary review shows the household is entitled to expedited service. The CAO must authorize SNAP benefits no later than the close of business on Friday. The CAO schedules an interview for cash assistance on Wednesday and delays the SNAP authorization while awaiting the outcome of the cash assistance interview. If the household misses the cash assistance appointment, the CAO still has enough time to meet the Friday expedited service deadline.
NOTE: The CAO must not delay processing expedited benefits while waiting for verification needed to decide the household's eligibility for another program.
Individuals receiving or applying for SSI benefits may apply for SNAP benefits at the Social Security Administration (SSA) office.
The SSA will do the following:
Review all SNAP applications for expedited service on the day it receives the application.
7 CFR § 273.2(k)(1)(i)(I)
Mark "EXPEDITED PROCESSING" on the PA 600 for all households meeting expedited criteria and tell the applicant that benefits may be available sooner if the household applies directly at the CAO.
Verify identity.
Refer non-SSI households that want to apply for SNAP benefits to the correct CAO.
The CAO must do the following:
Review all applications from the SSA for expedited service on the day it receives the application. The CAO is not required to do a face-to-face interview.
7 CFR § 273.2(k)(1)(i)(J)
Begin the five-day time frame for authorizing benefits on the date it receives the application.
7 CFR § 273.2(k)(1)(i)(F)
Reissued July 3, 2014 , replacing March 1, 2012