September 2009
Hello my name is Donald Shortslef. Please make sure you have a copy of the LDSS-3938 form.
This training program is delivered under a contractual agreement between the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Operations and Program Support, Bureau of Training and Management Analysis and Professional Development Program, Rockefeller College, University at Albany, State University of New York through the Research Foundation of State University of New York
Food Stamps policy requires all Food Stamps applicants be screened for the Expedited Food Stamp (EFS) process on the day the application is filed.
Expedited processing of the Food Stamps application allows potentially eligible applicants to receive Food Stamps benefits within 5 calendar days after the file date.
At the conclusion of this training, you will be able to:
Let’s find out how much you already know about Expedited Food Stamps and which areas you may want to focus on during the training. For now, please jot down your answers on a sheet of paper so that you can refer to them later. At the end of the course we will come back to this exercise and provide the correct answers to these questions.
Once again, we will come back to this at the end of the course and go over the answers then.
What is Expedited Food Stamps?
EFS is a process that allows FS applicants to receive a FS benefit within 5 calendar days rather than within the normal 30 calendar days.
An important note: Households (HHs) do not need to claim a food emergency to be eligible for expedited processing.
The LDSS -3938 Food Stamp Application Expedited Processing Summary Sheet must be used to determine expedited processing eligibility.
The Screening form has 2 purposes:
Page one is used to determine if application process should be expedited.
Page 2 is used to determine FS Program eligibility.
For this part of the training, please take out your LDSS-3938 Food Stamp Application Expedited Processing Summary Sheet.
Let's go over each part and section of the summary sheet.
Notice at the top is the form number and name of the form, along with the date the application was filed, case name, case number, who it's screened by and date of screening. Below that we have the instructions for completing the form.
One page one, there are four parts.We will look at each part separately.
Part One asks: Is the household already receiving food stamp benefits this month? YES or NO?
If yes, the household does not qualify for expedited processing. However, please notice the important exception in the note here that says "If YES is checked, but the household entered a domestic violence shelter during the month of application, continue with Part Two."
If the household is not receiving food stamp benefits, continue with Part Two.
Part Two is divided into Sections A and B. Part Two compares the income and resources to expenses. In Section A, the question is asked: Does the household have $100 or less in cash, savings or other liquid resources AND has the household received or does it expect to receive less than $150 gross income during the month of application? Notice that you must answer YES to both parts of this question. If YES, the household qualifies for expedited processing. Again, this is YES to both questions.
If the answer is NO, we'll continue with Section B. Section B asks Are households total gross income during the month of application plus the household's liquid resources, less than their monthly rental/mortgage plus utility expenses? Here we have spaces to enter Rent/Mortgage, Heat/AC, Utilities, Telephone, and the total expenses. In the 2ndi column, we have Income, Resources and Totals. If YES, then the household qualifies for expedited processing. If NO, the household does not qualify for expedited processing UNLESS qualified under Part Three.As we scroll down for Part Three, we notice that Part Three is for households with a migrant/seasonal farm worker in them. Part Three Section A asks if this is a household with more than $100 in liquid resources AND the only income for the month of application was either terminated before application or is new, and no more than $25 gross income will be received within ten days after the application.
Notice that if the answer is YES to Question A and YES to EITHER Question B1 OR Question B2, the household qualifies for expedited processing. So you must answer YES to A and either B1 or B2. If the answer is NO to both B1 and B2, the household does not qualify.
And finally, Part Four shows the results of evaluation. Either they qualify for expedited application processing or they do not. qualify.
Moving on to Page Two, we have Part Five, which is the Eligibility Interview Section.
Section A is a verification check and it asks can an applicant's identity be verified? Is the answer is YES, and they are eligible, benefits can be issued, provided any other outstanding requirements have been met. And then we would go to question 2.Question 2 asks if the household has received expedited processing of Food Stamp benefits in the past? If the answer is YES, we would continue with Part Three. If the answer is NO, the household can receive benefits with all other verification pended, and we would continue with Section B.
Question 3 asks, if the answer to question 2 is YES, has all previously pended verification already been submitted, or has the household been certified for ongoing Food Stamp benefits under normal processing (no pended verification) since the last expedited processing?
If YES, and if deemed eligible the household can receive benefits with all other verification pended and we would continue with Section B.
Section B is where we have the date when the eligibility interview is held and the worker name.
Finally Section C is the Agency Disposition of Food Stamp Benefit Eligibility.
Now let's look at the rules for screening.
For HHs eligible for EFS processing, eligibility benefits will be based on:
During the month of application:
Does the household have $100 or less in cash, savings, or other liquid resources?
AND
Has the household received or does it expect to receive less than $150 gross income?
Note that these questions are a package deal and must be answered YES
Bill Mack comes in with I.D. to apply for Food Stamps on 10/6. Bill’s income, resources, and expenses are:
The answer is NO, and the reason is that Bill's last paycheck for $780 was received on Oct. 2nd, which is within the month of application.
In order to look at this on the 3938, we are going to go back and put in these figures. Adding the $535 rent to the $645 SUA beings our total expenses to $1180. Bill's income is $780 with resources of $95 ($45 cash plus $50 savings) which brings us to $875 total.So the answer here we find in Section B, is YES, because Bill's resources are LESS than the total expenses.His household would qualify for expedited processing.
We can see that the gross income total of $875 is less than the $1180 total expenses. Now if he did not qualify under Sections A or B, we would then go to Part Three. If the household contained a migrant or seasonal farm worker on the application and the applicant has not met financial criteria in Part Two, the application may be eligible if:
This a HH with no more than $100 in liquid resources AND the only income for month of application was terminated before application OR the only income for the month is “new” and no more than $25 will be received within 10 days after application.
Let's go back to our 3938 and find this section. Once again, here we have Part Three for migrant/seasonal farm workers households only. Question A asks "Is this a household with no more than $100 in liquid resources?" and B asks if the only income for the month of application either 1. was terminated before the application OR 2. is new, and no more than $25 gross income will be received within 10 days after the application. You must answer YES to A and B1 OR B2 in order to qualify for expedited processing.
Our next case study is Barbara Nash.
Barbara Nash is married and has three children under 10. Harry Nash, her husband, is an Iraq War veteran who currently receives partial veteran’s disability payments. Mr. Nash also receives UIB. Mrs. Nash does not work outside the home and has no other income. They have $150 in a checking account.
Mrs. Nash presents the following documentation during the interview:
So we want to know "Are they eligible for expedited processing?"
The family is eligible for expedited processing. The household’s total gross income plus liquid resources is less than their monthly rent plus utility expenses.
Rent = $750 (only half the rent is counted since the other half is paid directly to the landlord)
SUA = $645
Total Shelter Expenses = $1,395
Total Income/Resources = $1,266.67 which means this household does qualify for expedited processing. At that point, we would go down to Section Four where we would indicate that the family does qualify for expedited processing.
If the application is eligible for expedited processing AND If the household is eligible for Food Stamp benefits, the only required verification to receive the EFS benefit is proof of identity.
There is no one piece of documentation that is required for proof of identity. Some examples of acceptable documentation are:
So we have looked at eligibility and identification verification, let's look at time frames.
If the HH is eligible, and the identity of the applicant has been verified, Food Stamps benefits must be made available to the HH no later than the fifth (5th) calendar day following the day the application was filed.
Note: Calendar days includes weekends/holidays.
Here is out calendar. We have a file date of Oct . 5th. We begin counting the day after, which would be the 6th.
Our 5th day falls on the 10th of October.
What is the latest date benefits must be available? Well we know the client must be able to pick up the benefits on the 10th, so in order to ensure that those benefits are in there, since the office may be closed on a Saturday. We want to make sure those benefits are in there by COB on October 9th. Let's look at a case study.
Jo Conn files an application for FS on 10/1. She qualifies for EFS and provides proof of identity.
What is the latest date the benefits must be available?
The File Date is 10/1.
Latest date benefits must be available is the 5th day, which is, counting from the 2nd, October 6th.
The household must be given the opportunity to provide documentation if:
It is important to note: Once documentation is provided after the application date, the five day rule still applies. However, the five days is calculated from the date the household was determined eligible for EFS.
This time we'll see that the client fails to provide documentation on the file date.
Mary Jane Abbott files an application for FS on Oct. 5th . She does not offer any proof of identity on that day. Mary Jane comes back on Oct. 8th with proof of identity and the household is deemed eligible for EFS benefits.
What is the latest date the benefits must be available?
Well, once again, here we have our calendar and we have a file date of Oct . 5th. The file data remains the 5th. However, the 8th is the date Mary Jane brought in verification so we will begin to count starting the day after the 8th, which is the 9th.The answer is Oct. 13th since that is the 5th day and the latest the benefits must be available.
Now that we have covered timeframes for EFS, let's take a minute to look at AFIS.
For expedited processing:
Note: If WFFSI (Working Families eligible) eligible - AFIS is NOT required
Now we will go to a Match Up activity and look at it together. Please note that the applicant applies for ESP processing on October 14 in all scenarios.
Determine if the applicant or household is Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined.
Scenario 1: The household received Food Stamps on October 3rd and entered a DV shelter on October 10. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined?
Scenario 2: The household has $120 in cash. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined?
Scenario 3: The household has $100 in checking account and has not received any income and does not expect to receive any income until November 2. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined?
Scenario 4: The household's total gross income during October plus liquid resources are more than monthly rent/mortgage plus utility expense. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined?
Scenario 5: The applicant is a migrant farm worker and has $100 in liquid resources; he lost employment and income on October 9. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined?
At this time, take a moment to jot down your answers. We'll come right back to the answer key and discuss the answers together.
Scenario 1: The household received Food Stamps on October 3rd and entered a DV shelter on October 10. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined? The answer is Undetermined. There is not enough information to make a determination, but because the household entered a DV Shelter during the month of application the process would continue and so as the 3938 points out (in Part One), is the household already receiving Food Stamps benefits this month? In this case the answer is YES, however, if the answer is YES and the household entered a DV Shelter during the month of application, continue with Part Two. Although it would not disqualify them at this point, we would need more information, they would continue with the screening process.
Scenario 2: The household has $120 in cash. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined? Again, the answer is Undetermined. There is just not enough information.
Scenario 3: The household has $100 in checking account and has not received any income and does not expect to receive any income until November 2. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined? They are eligible according to Part Two, Section A of the 3938.Part Two Section A asks does the household have $100 or less in cash savings or other liquid resources OR does the household receive or does it expect to receive less than $150 during the month of application. We see that they have less than $100 and not more than that. So they are eligible.
Scenario 4: The household's total gross income during October plus liquid resources are more than monthly rent/mortgage plus utility expense. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined? They would be ineligible according to Part Two Section B. Their income and resources exceed their expenses.
Scenario 5: The applicant is a migrant farm worker and has $100 in liquid resources; he lost employment and income on October 9. Eligible, Ineligible or Undetermined? That household is eligible according to Part Three: Migrant/Seasonal Farm Worker on the 3938.
OK, let's talk about Restrictions.
There is no limit to the number of times a household can receive expedited services IF:
However, a household can receive food stamp benefits only once during a month
There are some exceptions to this rule. Let's see what they are:
One of the exception is if a member of the HH entered a domestic violence shelter during the month of application for expedited service OR the household can prove disaster during month(s) of receipt of expedited benefits.Here we are talking about a misfortune such as a shut-off or food spoilage.
Matthew Green comes in to apply for Food Stamps on 11/3. He provides a driver's license as proof of identity. He received EFS benefits 8 months ago. Matthew also received on-going benefits for 6 months and then his case was closed.
Is Matthew eligible to receive EFS? The answer is YES, because he is already receiving on-going benefits under normal processing and there is no pending verification.
Let's look at a slightly different case study.
Matthew Green comes in to apply for Food Stamps on 11/3. He provides a driver's license as proof of identity. He received EFS benefits 8 months ago. However, Matthew did not receive on-going benefits because he failed to provide pending verification.
Is Matthew eligible for EFS? NO, he is not eligible.
What must Matthew do to receive benefits? Here we have a situation where until all previously pended verification has been submitted, Matthew is not eligible to receive expedited benefits. He must submit any pended verification to receive beneifts.
A note to supervisors: When reviewing a case for EFS, the supervisor should ensure:
Notice that the applicant has provided verification of identity in this scenario. We must determine if the application should be expedited.
Mr. Smith is applying for FS benefits for the first time. He is single and just lost his job.
During this month, he will receive his last paycheck for $770. He is not eligible for unemployment benefits.
His rent is $500 and he pays for heating. And he is entitled to the full heating/cooling allowance of $645. He also has $500 left in his checking account.
Is household already receiving Food Stamps benefits? NO. Does the household have $100 or less in liquid resources AND expect to receive less than $150 in income this month (the answer is NO according to our information) OR is the household income and liquid resources during the month of application less than the shelter expense? Again we have to answer NO in this scenario. So is Mr. Smith eligible for application expedited processing? NO. Why? because he does not meet the financial eligibility requirement. So we complete page 1, Part Four of the 3938 and indicate that the household is not qualified for application expedited processing. However the case may be eligible for Food Stamps benefits via regular processing.
We have another scenario to look at together. The applicant has verification of identity. So we need to determine if the application should be expedited.
The Kelleys are applying for FS benefits.
The Kelleys have $95 in their savings. John’s Unemployment ran out last month. Lisa is not employed. Their rent is $500 plus they are entitled to the full SUA of $645. They received expedited benefits six months ago but failed to certify/provide verification. So we ask:
Does HH have:
The answer in this case is YES.
Is the Kelley’s application eligible for expedited processing? YES.
Required action is to go to Page 1, Part Four and fill in that they qualify and then go to Page 2, Part Five and fill out the Eligibility interview information (complete Parts A, B and C).
Can the applicant’s identity be verified? YES they have verified their identity.
Has the household received Expedited Processing in the past? Again the answer is YES.
And three, has all past pended verification been received or has the household been certified for on-going benefits? The answer is NO.
If NO, the HH will only be eligible when verification received and we must allow 10 days for that. If documentation is received within 10 days then we have 5 days to issue benefits.
That brings us to the conclusion. But before we stop let's go back to our brain teaser and look at the correct answers. We had six questions.
So we have covered quite a bit of material in this course.We covered screening applicants for EFS by completing the 3938 accurately. We've explained the screening policy, including the same-day timeframe.We described three sets of eligibility criteria for EFS, we reviewed cases to ensure that an accurate EFS determination is made, and we identified appropriate documentation for EFS.