119 JOINT APPLICATIONS SR 04-04 Dated 5/04 (FSM-A)

New applications for financial assistance, medical assistance, child care, or Food Stamp benefits are made on DFA Forms 800, Application for Assistance, or 800HR, New HEIGHTS-generated Application for Assistance. Individuals may apply for Food Stamp benefits at the same time they apply for other programs. If a current recipient applies for Food Stamp benefits or another program of assistance during the in-office redetermination interview for the other program, Form 800HR, New HEIGHTS-generated Application for Assistance, may be used rather than a separate paper DFA Form 800.

Determine the programs of assistance for which the individual wants to apply. Conduct one interview for all programs.

Exception: If necessary to meet the Food Stamp expedited processing time frames, finish the interview for the remaining programs at a later date.

When the same eligibility factors are involved in each program, verification provided to meet the verification requirements for one program of assistance is used to meet the verification requirements for all other programs of assistance requested, if the program’s verification requirements align. For example, if each program of assistance the individual has requested requires verification of citizenship and the individual provides a Birth Certificate, the Birth Certificate satisfies citizenship verification requirements for all the programs of assistance requested. However, each program has different eligibility policies which cannot be used for programs outside of the program for which the policy is written. For example, the Food Stamp Program allows shelter deductions. The TANF program does not have these deductions. Therefore, shelter and utility costs may be subtracted from income that is considered available to the household only when determining Food Stamp eligibility and benefit allotment, and not when determining TANF eligibility and benefit allotment.

Do not delay the eligibility decision in one program when all the required verification is provided for that program but not for the other(s).

Application processing time frames must be met for each program of assistance for which the individual has applied. If individuals are denied for one program while a decision is pending for other programs, they are not required to file a new application. Use the original application to determine eligibility for the remaining programs.

References: RSA 161:4-a,IV, 7 CFR 271.2, 7 CFR 273.2(j)(1)