Code of Massachusetts Regulations › 106 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE › Title 106 CMR 366.000 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): additional certification functions › Section 366.920 - Regular SSI/SNAP Households

Current through Register 1525, July 5, 2024
In accordance with
				7
				USC 2020(i) and SSA policy,
				SSA will take a regular SNAP application for pure SSI households who do not
				meet the Bay State CAP criteria or who meet Bay State CAP criteria but are
				subject to a disability determination that will take longer than 30 days to
				process. The SSA claims representative will also screen for expedited service.
				SSI applicants/recipients who qualify for expedited service may complete a SNAP
				application at SSA, the Department or online for regular SNAP benefits. Any
				obligation attributed to SSA in 106 CMR 366.920 is included for informational
				purposes only. Appeal rights regarding SSI eligibility or benefit level must be
				pursued through SSA.
The following procedures shall apply for regular SSI/SNAP
				households served by the Department.
(A)
Filing an
			 Application
. Assistance in completing SNAP applications will be
			 available at SSA or the Department.
(B)
Date of
			 Application
. If the application is filed at an SSA office, then
			 the date of application shall be the date the identifiable SNAP application is
			 faxed by SSA to the appropriate Transitional Assistance Office (TAO).
If an application is filed at a TAO or online, the date of
				application shall be the date the identifiable SNAP application is received by
				the Department through the online application, the DTA Document Processing
				Center or at a Department local office. (
See
106 CMR
				361.120:
Date of
				Application
.)
(C)
Interviewing Households
. At initial certification, if
			 a pure SSI household files an application at an SSA office that is then
			 forwarded to the Department, the households shall not be required to see a
			 Department representative or be subject to an additional interview, in
			 accordance with
			 106 CMR
			 361.190:
Handling Applications for
			 Pure SSI Households
.
At initial certification and recertification, if the
				application is filed at a TAO or online, the household must have a face-to-face
				or telephone interview, in accordance with
				106 CMR
				361.500:
Interviewing
				Households
.
(D)
Verification at Initial Certification
.
(1) If the application is filed at an SSA
			 office, SSA will indicate what required verifications are on file at the SSA
			 office. Unless the application is incomplete, mandatory verification is
			 missing, or certain information on the application is questionable, no other
			 verification shall be requested.
(2) If an application is filed at a TAO,
			 available SDX data will be used to verify the assets, identity, residency,
			 social security number and unearned income of the SSI recipient. Additional
			 verification of these eligibility factors will be required only if the
			 information supplied by the SSI recipient contradicts SDX data.
(3) Deductible expenses claimed by the
			 applicant shall be verified in accordance with Department
			 requirements.
(4)
Noncitizen Status
. Noncitizen Status will be verified
			 through SDX. The applicant must meet an eligible noncitizen status in
			 accordance with
			 106 CMR
			 362.220(B). The applicant
			 will be denied if the noncitizen status on SDX is an ineligible status.
			 Additional verification of noncitizen status will be required if the SDX
			 information is questionable.
(5)
Anticipating Income
. At application or
			 recertification, income listed on the SDX file shall be treated as the income
			 anticipated to be received during the certification period.
(6)
Certification
			 Periods
. These households may be certified for up to 24 months.
			 The recertification will be conducted by mail with telephone follow-up, if
			 necessary. Unemployable SSI households with stable income will be assigned
			 certification periods of not less than six months. If all household members are
			 elderly or disabled, the household can be assigned a certification period of up
			 to 24 months.
(7)
Asset
			 Eligibility Initial Certification
. SSI recipients shall be
			 regarded as asset eligible at initial certification.
(8)
Documentary
			 Evidence
. SDX data serves as documentary evidence of the income,
			 assets, identity, residency, social security number, and noncitizen status of
			 the SSI recipient.