What is BBCE?
BBCE stands for Broad Based Categorical Eligibility. You may be familiar with policy which defines traditional categorical eligibility households. These were households where all members receive (or are authorized to receive) TANF, SSI, or a combination of TANF and SSI.
BBCE allows us to expand that definition to most households with their certification notice advising the household they are authorized to receive services through 2-1-1 Oklahoma. The households remain BBCE throughout the certification period. Most of our SNAP households are BBCE.
Let’s look at the following scenario as an illustration. Household consists of one adult and three children. Parent applied for SNAP benefits after a job loss and SNAP was certified at $0 income.
*Remember that BBCE households need to be within gross income standards at certification.
After two months the parent began new employment, and the monthly income exceeded the gross income guidelines for a household of 4. This normally would result in a case closure. BBCE allows us to keep the case open for the duration of the certification period. Only the amount of the benefit would be reduced or eliminated.
When a BBCE household goes over the max gross income standards at any time during the certification period, the case does not close.
- Households with 1-2 people get the min benefit amount of $23
- Households with 3 or more people get $0
If a household later reports new income that is within the max gross income standard, the income can be recalculated, and the benefit amount will be adjusted. If the income decreased, and we have verified and recalculated then a change action must be made to the case to increase the SNAP benefit. This must be documented in case notes.
Let’s review policy related to BBCE households.
Categorically eligible households with three or more members are entitled to have the case remain open with no benefits issued when the household’s gross or net income exceeds the Appendix C-3 income standards during the certification period.
For example, a household of one adult and two children is certified for SNAP in April with zero income and becomes categorically eligible. At the mid-certification renewal for October, the worker discovers and verifies the household now has income over the gross and net income standard. The worker completes the renewal keeping the case open, and the system issues zero benefits to the household.
When categorically eligible households report changes in income, workers do not close the SNAP case due to the household exceeding the gross or net income standards for the household size per Appendix C-1. Worker updates the system with the new income information.
The system will reduce the monthly allotment to the minimum benefit for one and two person households. For households that have three or more persons, the SNAP case remains open with no benefit.
Food benefit households are categorically eligible households upon certification unless the households meet the criteria defined in (f) of this Section. Households remain categorically eligible until the next certification.
There are times in which the household does not fall under BBCE. These households are known as non-categorical households and therefore subject to income and resource limits. Examples of these are the following:
- The first time the household applies after SNAP benefits close because of substantial lottery or gambling winnings,
- When any household member is disqualified for an intentional program violation,
- When any household member is disqualified for being a fleeing felon or probation or parole violator,
- When any household member is disqualified for being convicted of certain crimes as an adult after February 2014, and is not in compliance with the terms of the sentence,
- The head of household is disqualified for failing to comply with work requirements
We must consider the household’s resources per 340:50-7-6. The case will need to close if the household goes over the max income standards at any time during the certification period. Prior to denying or closing food benefits, the worker must document in the Family Assistance/Client Services (FACS) Case Notes when the client is not categorically eligible.
System Changes for BBCE
Our systems have been updated to help staff implement BBCE. The following changes have been made:
- The system will continue to determine categorical eligibility with the new rules incorporated. The SNAP tab in the Eligibility Notebook in FACS has been changed to include displaying the categorical eligibility indicator.
- Over income edits have been changed to issue only at certification on cases with broad-based categorical eligibility. If clients qualifying as categorically eligible under traditional rules apply and have income more than the applicable standard; the over income edit must be overridden by the AFS Help Desk. Note: A Phase 2 update will be completed later so the edit will not issue at all on such cases.
- Edits disallowing an open case with zero benefits have been modified to allow it for cases with broad-based categorical eligibility.
- With the system change, current BBCE cases will not have the CATELIG indicator set to N until the next certification. If a BBCE household goes over income between now and the next certification, and the system issues an over income edit, the worker will need to override the over income edit.
- A new field to indicate the designated head of household has been created. The PS2 block is F223. It’s already in FACS in the Interview Notebook on the SNAP tab. If another case member is not chosen to be head of household, the system will set it to be the payee. This field is necessary for applying disqualifications based on the head of household not fulfilling certain SNAP work requirements.
- There is a new negative action reason code for SNAP. Use 15A in C4 for closures due to substantial gambling or lottery winnings. This is necessary for setting the categorical eligibility indicator correctly if the household reapplies.
- There is a new reason code for disqualifying a case member, 83, which means “Convicted of Certain Crimes as an Adult After 02/07/2014 and Not in Compliance with the Sentence.” That is one of the reasons a case cannot have broad-based categorical eligibility.
- The FSSR and FSLB transactions have been changed so staff can supplement a zero-income case instead of doing a retro-certification.
Type | Criteria | Certification | Changes & MCRs |
---|---|---|---|
Traditional CE | All household members receive TANF, SSI, or combination of TANF and SSI. Household is certified regardless of income. | If over income at application, the household is certified. | If over income, the case stays open. |
BBCE | Household meets income standards and receives certification notice with 211 information which confers them to BBCE. | The household meets gross income standards and is certified.* If over income at application, the application is denied and the household is not conferred BBCE. | If over income, the case stays open. |
Non CE | These household must meet both income and resource standards:
|
If over income or resource standards at application, the application is denied. | If over income or resources standards, the case is closed. |
Comments or Suggestions?
We want Quest to be your source for important information that you need to succeed at in your work but we need your help:
Was this article helpful? Was it missing something you needed to get the job done?
Tell us what you think, what you know about this article. What are we doing well, and what we could do better.
All fields are required.