Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 67 - SOCIAL SERVICES › Part III - Economic Stability › Subpart 3 - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) › Chapter 19 - Certification of Eligible Households › Subchapter J - Determining Household Eligibility and Benefit Levels › Section III-1985 - Determining Eligibility

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A.
					 Effective March 1, 1983, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's State
					 Manual has been revised to reflect these mandated changes.
1. Verification shall be required, prior to
					 certification or recertification of the household, of all factors of
					 eligibility which are determined questionable and affect the household's
					 eligibility and benefit level. The definition of questionable information is
					 amended to include any information deemed by the eligibility worker to be
					 inconsistent as established by the agency. Questionable information could be
					 information that is inconsistent with other information on the application, or
					 inconsistent with other information received by the agency. It could also be
					 any information that seems inconsistent with the household's situation and
					 raises reasonable doubt about certain factors of eligibility. The eligibility
					 worker may not use these procedures to require additional verification based on
					 race, religion, ethnic background, or national origin. The eligibility worker
					 shall not target groups such as migrants and American Indians for additional
					 verification.
2. Any member whose
					 citizenship is questionable shall be declared ineligible to participate until
					 proof of U.S. citizenship is obtained. Until proof of U.S. citizenship is
					 obtained, the member whose citizenship is in question will have his or her
					 income, less a pro rata share, and all of his or her resources considered
					 available to any remaining household members.
3. Collateral contacts will be selected if
					 the household fails to designate one or designates one which is unacceptable to
					 the agency. If the agency designates a collateral contact, the agency shall not
					 initiate contact with the designated collateral without providing prior written
					 or oral notice to the household at the time of this notice, the agency shall
					 inform the household that it has the following options:
(1) consent to the contact,
(2) provide acceptable verification in
					 another form, or
(3) withdraw its
					 application. If the household refuses to choose one of these options, its
					 application shall be denied in accordance with the normal procedures for
					 failure to verify information.
4. Households participating or applying for
					 participation in SNAP shall provide the agency with the Social Security Number
					 (SSN) of each household member, or apply for one through the agency before
					 certification as a condition of eligibility. The member that has applied for an
					 SSN shall be allowed to participate for 30 days from the first day of the first
					 full month of participation while awaiting receipt of the SSN. If the household
					 member(s) can show good cause why an SSN has not been obtained in a timely
					 manner, they shall be allowed to participate for an additional 30 days. In
					 determining if good cause exists for failure to comply with this requirement,
					 the department shall consider information from the household member, the Social
					 Security Administration, and its own information. Documentary evidence or
					 collateral information that the household has applied for the number or made
					 every effort to supply SSA with the necessary information shall be considered
					 good cause for not complying with this requirement.