Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 14 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Policy Manual › Chapter 3 - Verification and Documentation › Rule 18-14-3.3 - Mandatory Verification at Initial Application

Current through June 25, 2024
The following information must be verified prior to
				  certification for households at the initial application:
A. Gross nonexempt income - Gross nonexempt
				income, both earned and unearned, must be verified for all household members
				prior to certification.
B.
				Citizenship and/or Non-citizen eligibility - The immigration status of all
				non-citizens applying for SNAP benefits must be verified using the Systematic
				Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.
C. Utility expenses - The worker must verify
				a household's utility expenses if the household wishes to claim expenses in
				excess of MDHS' utility standard and the expense would actually count as a
				deduction. If the household's actual utility expenses cannot be verified before
				the thirty (30) days allowed to process the application expire, MDHS must use
				the standard utility allowance, provided the household is entitled to use the
				standard. If the household wishes to claim expenses for an unoccupied home,
				MDHS must verify the household's actual utility expenses for the unoccupied
				home and not use the standard utility allowance.
D. Medical expenses - The amount of any
				medical expense must be verified prior to initial certification and at
				recertification provided the expense would actually result in a deduction. If a
				portion of the expense is reimbursable, the amount to be reimbursed must be
				verified before the non-reimbursable portion can be allowed. Verification of
				other factors, such as whether services provided are allowable or the
				eligibility of the person incurring the cost, must be required if
				questionable.
E. Social Security
				Numbers (SSN) - Households are required to provide the social security number
				of each household member or apply for a number prior to certification, but the
				worker must not delay the certification for or issuance of benefits to an
				otherwise eligible household solely to verify the SSN of a household member. If
				an individual is unable to provide a SSN or does not have a SSN, the worker
				must require the individual to apply for a number. Once verified, MDHS must
				make a permanent notation in their system so as to prevent any further
				unnecessary reverification of the SSN.
F. Residency - Residency in the county must
				be verified, except in unusual cases (such as homeless households, some migrant
				farm worker households, or households newly arrived in a county) where
				verification of residency cannot reasonably be accomplished.
G. Identity - The identity of the person
				making application must be verified. When an authorized representative applies
				on behalf of a household, the identity of both the authorized representative
				and the head of household must be verified.
H. Disability - Verification of disability is
				required to identify individuals or households who may qualify for the uncapped
				shelter expense allowance, for excess medical deduction, the higher resource
				limit, exclusion from the gross test, and as a condition of eligibility for
				residents of blind and disabled group living arrangements.
I. Household composition - The worker must
				verify factors affecting the composition of a household, such as student,
				boarder, or separate household status, if questionable. Individuals are
				responsible for proving they are a separate household to the satisfaction of
				MDHS.
J. Students - If a person
				claims to be physically or mentally unfit for purposes of the student
				exemption, verification may be required.
K. Legal obligation and actual child support
				payments - The legal obligation and actual child support payments made to or
				for a non-household member must be verified, if allowing the expense could
				potentially result in a deduction.
L.
				 Able-bodied Adult without a Dependent (ABAWD) - The number of
				hours worked and any countable months in another state must be verified. Any
				questionable information must also be verified.
M. Household members Terminated for
				Non-Cooperation with State Quality Control (QC) Reviewer - All factors of
				eligibility must be verified after reapplying after ninety-five (95) days from
				the end of the annual review period. If it was non-cooperation with a Federal
				QC reviewer, then all factors of eligibility must be verified after reapplying
				after seven (7) months from the end of the annual review period.
N. Liquid Resources and Loans - The worker
				will verify liquid resources and whether monies received by households are
				loans.
O. Dependent Care Costs - All
				dependent care costs must be verified by the household, regardless of the
				amount.
7 CFR §
											273.2(f)(1)