What is an MCR:

Mid-Certification Renewal (MCR): This term is used to describe the review that occurs in the middle of the certification period for benefits to continue.  An MCR is not an application, it is a review of any changes that have taken place since the certification.

Annual Reporter:  Household in which all adult members are elderly or disabled with no earned income.  This can be for SNAP and/or ABD Related Medical benefits.

• Certification period: 24 months for SNAP benefits
• Notification sent to the household in the 11^th month
• Mid-certification renewal due by the last day of the12^th month

Semi-Annual Reporter: SNAP household that is not annual or change reporter.

• Certification period: 12 months for SNAP benefits
• Notification sent to the household in the 5^th month
• Mid-certification renewal due by the last day of the 6^th month

What happens when an MCR is due:

The household receives a computer-generated notice titled “Renew My Benefits” for SNAP and/or ABD Related Medical benefits.  The notice informs the household that a renewal is due, which program is involved, when it is due, and how to complete it.  This renewal must be completed and verification provided by the due date.  An interview is not required, and an ADM-92 should not be issued for MCR’s.

When a renewal is submitted, the eligibility worker reviews the household information and the verification provided to determine completeness and continued eligibility.  This includes:

• what changes occurred;
• if the household provided all required verification; and
• what changes must be made to the computer system.

When the renewal is complete and the household remains eligible, the worker makes updates to the case based on the information reported and verified.

What verification is needed:

Income and expenses for all household members must be verified at the mid-certification renewal.  Verification of any consecutive thirty days of income beginning with the fourth month may be used to calculate income.  Resources must also be verified for ABD Related Medical benefits.

Even though an ADM-92 is not issued, the household is informed when they complete the renewal what verification is required.  If verification is not provided to determine continued eligibility, the MCR cannot be completed, and the benefit is closed or remains closed.

For SNAP, when the household fails to provide sufficient verification for a reported expense but has provided all other required verification (such as income), the worker processes the MCR without the expenses.  It is not necessary to wait for verification of expenses before completing the MCR.  If the verification of expenses is provided after the MCR has been completed, it is considered a case change and can be added for the next effective month after it is received.  A SNAP supplement cannot be issued for any month(s) for expenses.

How to Process the Mid-Certification Renewal after submission:

When the MCR is submitted timely, the eligibility worker must take action prior to the first deadline date of the review month to prevent an invalid closure.

The eligibility worker evaluates information contained in the MCR reported by the household (either the electronic OKDHSLive Summary or Renew My Benefits paper form in OnBase), the verification available/provided (through OnBase TRUV, and/or AVS), and all data exchange information (BEN, SDX, OWL, NHL, etc.) to determine if the household is still eligible for SNAP and/or ABD Related Medical benefits.

1. If the household remains eligible, the MCR is marked “complete” after the worker enters all changes in household information in FACS and documents all case information and how continued eligibility was determined in Case Notes.
   1. For SNAP benefits: Enters “C” in SNAP MCR action block (C35) and the SNAP MCR action date (C36); AND/OR
   2. For ABD Related Medical benefits: Enters the date of review in block D.10 and/or B7.

1. If eligibility cannot be determined, the MCR is marked “more information is needed” after the worker documents case information and what information or verification is still needed to determine eligibility in Case Notes.
   1. For SNAP benefits: Enters “V” in Web Utility or in FACS SNAP MCR action block (C35) and the SNAP MCR action date (C36); AND/OR
   2. For ABD Related Medical benefits: Enters “V” in Web Utility; No dates are entered in block D.10 and/or B.7 if all required verification has not been provided. (Long Term Care (LTC) benefits follow the Standard Operating Procedures.)
   3. If the case is still pending verification, do not add household members to the Household tab, as doing so can cause issues in OKDHSLive if the customer attempts to reapply after the closure month.

Renewal Action Codes:

• X – An MCR has been initiated by the client (automatically entered by the system when completed online, must be entered by AFS staff if a paper renewal is submitted); an eligibility determination has not been made
• V – More information is needed to complete the renewal; an eligibility determination cannot not be made
• P – Verification has been provided; renewal has not yet been completed
• C – Eligibility worker has completed the renewal; household remains eligible for SNAP benefits

A text message is automatically sent to the household through the system whenever a case is placed into X, V, P, or C status to inform the household of the status (received, verification needed, verification provided, or completed).

When the renewal is submitted by the household but is not coded as complete OR the mid-certification renewal was not submitted by the household OR verification was not received, the benefits will close with a reason code of “36S” for the next effective deadline, and an automated closure notice will be mailed.

When and How to Reopen an MCR after a “36S” Closure:

At times the MCR is submitted past the deadline or submitted without verification and after the benefits have been closed on a “36S”.  Benefits may only be reopened following a “36S” closure if a renewal is submitted, all verification is received, and the household remains eligible.

A reopen action:

• Does not require an interview
• Cannot be put in application status
• Cannot be put in unfinished issuance status

For SNAP, benefits can only be reopened within 30 days of the closure date and only for the date the verification is provided (unless the date is the 31^st and then it should be updated to the 30^th to allow proration to occur).

For ABD Related Medical, benefits may be reopened back to the 1^st day of the closure month during the 90-day reopen period.

Reopen Coding for MCR:

• Action = Reopen
• Reason = 18O
• SNAP Effective Date = Date verification was received (NOT the date of closure)
  • For SNAP benefits: “C” in SNAP MCR action block (C35) and the SNAP MCR action date (C36)
• ABD Related Medical Effective Date = 1^st day of the month of closure
  • For ABD Related Medical benefits: Enter date of review in block D.10 and/or B7.
• All eligible household members should be added to the appropriate benefit
• All information must be updated (i.e. income, verified expenses, resources)

Current Outcome

• Completed

If the benefits have closed on “36S” and the household submits the renewal and/or provides all required verification during the reopen period, but the household is no longer eligible for benefits, the benefit must remain closed.  However, the closure reason must be explained to the household so the eligibility worker must issue a manual closure notice (ABCDMS-37 Client Notice of Action) for the correct reason.  Case notes must be updated to reflect this information.  The “36S” closure code is not changed, and no further action is taken in the system.  A denial action is never appropriate because an MCR is not an application and the case is already in a closed status.