536.3 Certification Periods For ABAWDS

 

Renewals for Able Bodied Adults Without Children (ABAWDs) who reach their 3-month limit in December 2017, PFS18765-536 (Published December 11, 2017)

ABAWD processing and renewal dates at new 3-year period, PFS-18735-536 (Published October 31, 2017)

The certification period for a household that contains an ABAWD living in a waived county may be 12 months. See Chapter 575.23.

If the ABAWD is currently meeting the work requirement or is exempt by law, assign a 12-month certification period unless the household is elderly or disabled. 

If the ABAWD is not currently meeting the work requirement and is not exempt from the time limit, the length of the certification period is based on the number of months the ABAWD is allowed to receive SNAP benefits.  For a SNAP ABAWD-only household they will have a three-month certification period.

 

536.31 Reporting Requirements for ABAWD-Only Households

ABAWD-only households will not be enrolled in semi-annual reporting (SAR). Therefore, they will have different reporting requirements than those households enrolled in SAR.  An ABAWD-only household is considered a change-reporting household.  These households have to report the following:

 

NOTE:  These households must report changes within 10 days of the date the change becomes known to the household.

Households must be informed of this reporting requirement at the time of application interview.  Reporting requirement language has also been added to the eligibility notices.

 

536.32 Reporting Requirements Mixed ABAWD Households

A mixed ABAWD household will be enrolled in SAR.  They will be required to report the following:

NOTE:  These households must report changes by the 10th day following the month of change.

 

Households must be informed of this reporting requirement at the time of application interview. 

 

536.33 Verification

 

The CAO must verify the work hours of individuals who are subject to the SNAP time-limits and who are satisfying the work requirement by working or participating in SNAP E&T, a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act program, a Trade Adjustment Assistance Act Program, a program of employment and training for veterans operated by the Department of Labor or the Department of Veteran Affairs, or community service.

7 CFR § 273.24(b)(6)

7 CFR §273.2(f)(1)(xiv)(A)

 

If the ABAWD is working and meeting the hourly requirement this only needs to be verified at application.  The ABAWD must report within 10 days if their hours fall below 80 per month or average of 20 hours weekly.  See Chapter 536.31.

If the ABAWD is participating in a CAO-directed SNAP E&T activity to meet the work requirement, the ABAWD must verify their participation hours monthly. The CAO must explain the monthly participation requirement and the ABAWD must verify participation no later than the 10th day of the month following participation for CAO-directed projects. The employment and training weekly activity verification form PA1895 may be used. 

For ABAWDs enrolled in a contracted E&T program (see: Chapter 535, Appendix B), the contracted program will verify participation by data-entering hours of participation into the Commonwealth Workforce Development System (CWDS) by the 15th day of the month following participation.  Data from CWDS is synchronized with eCIS through an overnight batch process and may be viewed by the CAO by accessing the ETP Activity Tracking screen in eCIS.

 

If an ABAWD is participating in community service to meet the work requirement, the ABAWD may verify participation by submitting the PA 1938, Community Service Volunteer Verification Form, to the CAO or the E&T contractor.  The CAO must treat this as valid verification of the ABAWD’s participation in community service until the earliest of:

ABAWDs who receive a provider determination (see: OPS 23-08-04) are not subject to the ABAWD time limit during the calendar month in which the CAO receives the ASAP 156 alert.  However, the ABAWD will begin incurring countable months starting the next full calendar month unless they meet the work requirements, live in a waived area, or are otherwise exempt. 

 

The CAO must verify at application, for individuals subject to the time limits, the number of countable months an individual has used in another state if there is an indication that the individual participated in another state.  The CAO may accept another state agency’s statement as to the number of countable months an individual has used in that area.  

7 CFR §273.2(f)(1)(xiv)(B)

Updated April 18, 2024, replacing June 1, 2023