Elderly/Disabled Simplified Application Process (ESAP) Certification Period, PFS-22450-575 (Published March 13, 2026)
The CAO must assign a certification period once it determines that a household is eligible to participate in SNAP. A certification period is the period of time within which a household is eligible to receive benefits. The CAO assigns the longest certification period possible based on the household's circumstances and characteristics. See Section 575.2 .
NOTE: The expedited and ongoing certification periods may be authorized separately and considered separate certification periods. SNAPH 575.1 advises that the CAO must assign a certification period once it determines that a household is eligible to participate in SNAP. Following the expedited OTI, the ongoing SNAP determination was pended for verification. Once the verification is received and the eligibility determined, the certification period is assigned based on the beginning date of the ongoing benefit.
Example: A household applies on 5/17/24 and is determined to be eligible for expedited benefits, but also reports income changes which must be verified for ongoing benefits. The expedited benefits are issued for 5/17/24-6/30/24 in a 2-month certification period and the case is pended for income verification for the ongoing benefit. When the verification is received, the case is processed with a begin date of 7/1/24 for the ongoing benefit, so the certification period for the ongoing benefit will expire on 6/30/25 if the household qualifies for the standard 12-month certification period, 6/30/26 if they qualify for a 24-month certification period or 6/30/27 for FS75 cases.
SNAP benefits stop at the end of each certification period. The CAO continues benefits only after renewal of eligibility. See Chapter 576, Renewal.
The household must receive written notice of the begin and end dates of the certification period. See Section 575.4.
The certification period is based on calendar months. It begins the first day of the first month of eligibility.
Examples:
A household applies in January and is eligible for benefits in January. The application is processed in February. The certification period begins in January.
A household applies in January and is ineligible for benefits in January. The CAO determines the household’s SNAP eligibility begins in February and the certification period begins in February.
An eligible household that is not receiving a benefit because of proration is considered eligible in that month. The month that the benefits are prorated to $0 is the first month of the certification period.
See Appendix A for Certification/Renewal Chart.
Updated April 10, 2026, replacing June 10, 2015