109 APPLICATION PROCESS SR 04-04, 05/04 (FSM-A)

To complete the application process, the applicant must do all of the following:

• complete an application;

• participate in an eligibility interview, if required; and

• provide all required verification within timeframes.

Individuals have the right to:

• apply for assistance;

• file an application on the same day the District Office has been contacted; and

• have an eligibility decision made on their application for assistance.

Advise individuals that they may file the application before an interview is conducted.

Requesting an Application

An individual may request an application by contacting any District Office. Give paper Form 800, Application for Assistance, to anyone requesting it.

Pure SSI households may apply for food stamps at the Social Security Administration office nearest them.

Completing an Application

* A completed application must, at minimum, contain the applicant’s name, address, signature, and type of assistance requested.

The application may be completed in the District Office or may be mailed to the individual if the individual contacts the District Office by telephone, mail, or fax and does not want to come to the office to file an application on the same day. The application must be mailed to the individual the same day of the request.

If an individual is a recipient of another program and applies for Food Stamp benefits during the in-office redetermination interview for the other program, Form 800HR, HEIGHTS-generated Application for Assistance, is used.

Application Filing Date

The official Filing Date for applications completed in the District Office is the date when the application is completed as described above. This date is stamped onto the official application, and entered onto the "coversheet" of the Form 800 before the coversheet is returned to the applicant for reference.

The official Filing Date for applications arriving via mail is the day that the completed application is received by the District Office (also see Section 109.01, Filing an Application).

Eligibility Interview

Most applicants are required to also participate in a detailed interactive Application Entry (AE) eligibility interview with a Family Services Specialist (FSS). See PART 127, INTERVIEWS.

Required Verification

All applicants must provide verification of information related to benefit eligibility and allotment amount that the individual provided on the application or to the FSS during the interview. See PART 129, PENDING INFORMATION.