145.04 Special Reporting Requirements SR 17-17 Dated 05/17  (FSM-A)

Households are not required to report changes in:

• the amount of the household’s public assistance grant; and

• unearned income from a private source when that income was averaged over the certification period. For example, if a household received intermittent, fluctuating child support payments for several months prior to application and this unearned income was averaged and then used to budget for the upcoming certification period, the household is not required to report deviations from this averaged amount during the certification period.

Exception: Households receiving food stamps in addition to receiving cash or medical assistance from other assistance programs such as FANF, ANB, APTD, or OAA financial assistance, all categories of medical assistance, or NH Child Care Scholarship, must comply with the reporting and verification requirements of those programs. Workers must act on all changes for all programs according to policy. Reported changes acted upon for other programs must also be used to determine continuing Food Stamp eligibility. Households receiving EFS benefits will not have their allotment subsequently altered by changes acted upon for other programs in which the household participates. See FSM 249.05, Determining the Extended Food Stamp (EFS) Benefit Allotment.

Additionally, households certified for 4, 5, or 6 months or who are receiving Extended Food Stamp (EFS) benefits, have special reporting requirements.

Households certified for 4, 5, or 6 months:

• are only required to report changes in income that cause gross household income to exceed 130% of the current federal poverty income guideline for the household’s size. See Chapter 600, Table E, Food Stamp Maximum Monthly Income Limits;

• are required to report changes that cause gross household income to exceed 130% of the current federal poverty income guideline for the household size by the 10th day in the month after the month in which the household’s income actually rises above the 130% threshold.

Exception: Consider households who are eligible for the Food Stamp Program via the expanded categorical eligibility criteria and whose income exceeds the 130% threshold at the time of application, to have met the special 130% income reporting requirements; and

• are not required to report changes in any other case circumstances during the certification period, unless the certification period has been shortened or an early recertification interview has been scheduled. However, if the household does report changes in case circumstances within the 4, 5, or 6-month certification period, these changes must be verified and acted upon according to policy.

Example:

A household eligible for the regular Food Stamp Program whose income exceeds the 130% threshold during the household’s certification period, is required to report this change. The household has now met the special 130% income reporting requirements. If the household, upon reporting this change, continues to be eligible for the Food Stamp Program via the expanded categorical eligibility requirements which includes a 185% income limit, for Food Stamp Program purposes, the household does not additionally have to report any other changes in case circumstances during the remainder of the certification period, even if the household’s income subsequently exceeds the 185% income threshold.

Households receiving EFS are not required to report changes or provide verifications of changes in household circumstances during the EFS period. See FSM PART 249, EXTENDED FOOD STAMPS (EFS).

References: He-W 751.01, RSA 161:4-a,IV, RSA 167:17, 7 CFR 273.2(f)(5) & (8)(ii), 7 CFR 273.10(c)(3), 7 CFR 273.12(a)