POLICY and PROCEDURE
Federal and state SNAP policy requires that all initial applications be screened for possible expedited processing (EO) the date the initial application was submitted to the agency.
340:50-11-1 Initial application screening: All initial applications must be screened for expedited service entitlement….Screening must be done on the date the initial application was completed in the county or received in the mail…. When the initial application indicates expedited service is required, action is taken immediately to begin processing the application.
This allows the agency to:
- prioritize their interviewing and case processing
- determine if certain requirements and verification can be waived
- get eligible households their SNAP benefits quickly
Timely re-certifications do not require EO screening. But if the case f-denies for failure to return necessary verification, and is later processed as a 2nd 30 day application, it is now considered an initial application and must be screened for expedited eligibility and documented.
State policy requires that applications be screened the day they are submitted, but given the timeframes for our routing of applications, QC and the Quality Assurance Team use the standard of the 3rd business day after application to determine if the application was screened timely. Federal regulations require this documentation even if the case is processed the day of application.
DOCUMENTATION
The decision on expedited eligibility and the date of screening must be documented within 3 business days of the application date. EO Screening Tools cannot be uploaded so they cannot meet the documentation requirement.
To verify that an application is screened for EO, screening must be documented in at least one of three places to meet state and federal auditing requirements.
- The screening section on the PS-1
- The Expedited Services tab in FACS
- Case Notes
NOTE: The Case Note to document application screening for EO eligibility can be located under any FACS tab.
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