109 APPLICATION PROCESS SR 14-23 Dated  (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 by the program of assistance requested; 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.

Individuals can apply for assistance in 3 ways:

• Individuals can apply for assistance by visiting the following website and completing an application online: https://nheasy.nh.gov;

• Individuals can print an application from http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dfa/apply.htm and mail the completed application to the District Office; or

• Individuals can contact a District Office and request an application per the instructions below.

Pure SSI households may apply for Food Stamps at the Social Security Administration office nearest them.

Requesting an Application from a District Office

An individual may request an application by contacting any District Office. DFA Form 800, Application for Assistance, is provided to anyone requesting an application for assistance.

If the individual contacts the District Office by telephone, fax, or mail, direct the individual to the NH Easy website so that the individual can immediately complete the online application, or notify the individual of the availability of the application on the Department’s website, where the DFA Form 800 can be printed off immediately for the individual’s use. If the individual does not have access to a computer or the Internet, mail DFA Form 800, and associated application package forms, such as DFA Form 800A, DFA Programs & Services Guide, to the individual on the same day the request is received.

Completing an Application

To be considered “complete,” the application must, at minimum, contain the applicant’s name and address, and the signature of a responsible household member or the household member’s authorized representative. Completing all sections on the application that are applicable to the Food Stamp Program, however, will assist with a faster determination of eligibility.

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, New HEIGHTS-generated Application for Assistance, is used.

Application Filing Date

The official Filing Date for applications is the date when the application is completed as described above and received by the District Office. If a paper application is used, this date is stamped onto the official application, and entered onto the "coversheet" of DFA Form 800 before the coversheet is returned to the applicant for reference. For residents of an institution who are jointly applying for SSI and Food Stamp benefits prior to leaving the institution, the filing date of the application is the date of release from the institution. 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:

• eligibility factors and circumstances;

• information related to benefit allotment amount; and

• information the individual provided on the application or to the FSS during the interview. See PART 129, PENDING INFORMATION.

References: He-W 701.10, He-W 702.03, RSA 167:8,I, 7 CFR 273.2