401 Application/Intake Process

Child Care - ARW, Chapt. 1, Purchase of Service SNAP - 7 CFR 273.2, .14; ARW, Chapt. 1, Section 3 POWER - ARW, Chapt. 1, Section 3, W.S. 42-2-103 - 111; W.S. 20-3-101

A. Understand that the following are acceptable types of applications:

 

1. A DFS 100 Application for Benefits; or

2. A DFS 100S (Spanish) Application for Benefits.

B.  Give, fax, or mail an application on the date of request.

C. Require a separate application for each assistance unit. 

D. For Child Care and SNAP, during regular business hours, accept and date stamp upon receipt a signed application when delivered by hand, by mail or by fax from the applicant or applicant’s authorized representative:

1. In the county of residence; or

2. In the county of choice for SNAP;

a. Date stamp an application for SNAP regardless of the DFS-FO of receipt; and

b. Fax the application to the county of residence on the date filed when the SNAP application is filed in another DFS-FO. 

3. In the DFS-FO closer to the client’s residence when approved by DFS-SO.

E. Consider all electronic documents received on a weekend or holiday as received on the first working day following the weekend or holiday.

F. Require the application to be complete:

 1. A SNAP application (including expedite) requires only the name and address of the applicant and signature of the applicant or authorized representative.

G. Screen and process applications for expedited SNAP following the procedures in Sections 405-406.

H. Understand an enrolled Tribal member who is a resident of Fremont or Hot Springs County and who is applying for the Tribal TANF program may have the application for benefits processed at the appropriate Tribal TANF office.

I. Conduct an interview and act upon the application within the specified time frames:

1. Within five calendar days authorize the benefits to allow the applicant to receive the SNAP within seven calendar days for expedited services;

2. Within seven working days, issue a DFS 205 to the provider for 30 days of Child Care assistance when:

a. The assistance unit appears to be eligible based on the statement of the parent/caretaker on the initial application;

b. The parent/caretaker has chosen a licensed provider who is currently registered on the eligibility computer system; and

c. The assistance unit has not received benefits due to presumptive eligibility within the previous 12 months;

d. Continue to process the application and approve or deny as appropriate.

3. Within 30 days for Child Care (see Section 1202):

a. Understand licensing of a provider may take up to 60 days;

b. Notify the client the application processing time will take longer than 30 days when the licensing process is not completed within the 30 day Child Care application processing time;

c. DO NOT deny the application in 30 days for this situation.

4. Within 28 calendar days authorize benefits for SNAP to meet the 30 calendar day application processing time limit;

a. The processing time limit begins the first calendar day following the day the application is received in a DFS-FO.

5. After meeting the initial performance requirements for POWER (see Section 1208);

6. DO NOT delay Child Care or SNAP benefits due to delays in other program eligibility determinations/requirements.  

J. Act on changes in circumstances, reported or known, which occur between the date of application and the date of authorization.

1.  Eligibility is determined from the date the application is filed.

2. Any changes in assets, which occur and are reported after the interview, must be disregarded in determining eligibility for the month of application for SNAP benefits.

3. See Section 1500 for treatment of changes that have become known or are reported after the interview and prior to the date of authorization.

K. Inform applicants of their rights and responsibilities as detailed in Sections 402 and 404.

L. Applicants for Child Care and SNAP benefits must be given a reasonable opportunity of at least 10 days from the date of a notice requesting verification to provide valid documentation of their immigrant status:

1. DO NOT delay, deny, reduce or terminate an immigrant’s eligibility for SNAP when the DFS-FO fails to provide an immigrant applicant with a reasonable opportunity to provide verification of immigrant status within 30 days following the date of application;

a. The DFS-FO must provide the household with benefits no later than 30 days following the date of application, provided the household is otherwise eligible.

2. DO NOT delay, deny, reduce or terminate the individual’s eligibility for Child Care, pending verification of immigrant status when the DFS-FO did not provide a reasonable opportunity as of the 30th day following the date of application to provide verification;

3. DO NOT authorize POWER without valid documentation;

M. Accept an application, or a written request from a POWER recipient, within 30 days of the childcare need, but the beginning date of the authorization cannot be prior to:

1. The date of the Child Care application;

2. The date the approved activity began (see Section 701); or

3. The date the child first entered childcare, whichever is later.

N. Require the parent(s)/caretaker(s) to submit a completed DFS204 to verify the provider meets health and safety standards.

O. Establish if the POWER applicant who is mandatory for the work program performance requirements has a child care need.

1. Send a copy of the request for child care to the work program case manager, when appropriate;

2. Consider the POWER assistance unit eligible for childcare benefits for up to 30 days during the POWER application processing period when the work program performance requirements are being met.

P. Terminate benefits within the first 30 days when the assistance unit was found presumptively eligible at initial application but is found ineligible during the application processing period.

Q. Understand an individual leaving an institution can apply prior to leaving and the date of application will be the date s/he is released.

R. DO NOT schedule a second interview if the assistance unit misses a scheduled interview:

1. Generate the appropriate notice to notify the assistance unit it is responsible to reschedule a missed interview;

2. DO NOT deny the application until the 30th day following the date of application for a missed interview.

S. DO NOT deny the application until the 30th day following the date of application unless the assistance unit is not eligible due to not meeting an eligibility factor or for missing verifications (does not include a missed interview).

T. DO NOT require a new application when:

1. The application was denied based on an eligibility factor; and

2. New information is provided, within the 30-day processing period, on the specific eligibility factor which caused the denial; and

3. The new information allows the assistance unit to be eligible for benefits.

4. Authorize benefits from the original date of application.

U. DO NOT require a new application when:

1. The application was denied based on an eligibility factor; and

2. The information is provided, within the 30-day processing period, on another eligibility factor (other than the eligibility factor which caused the denial); and

3. The new information allows the assistance unit to be eligible for benefits.

4. Authorize benefits from the date the new information is provided.

V. DO NOT delay an eligibility determination when jointly processing a POWER application and the assistance unit is eligible for SNAP.

W. Delay the SNAP eligibility determination up to 30 days if the assistance unit:

1. Appears to be categorically eligible; and

2. Is not otherwise eligible; and

3. Is not eligible for expedited services (see Sections 405-406).

X. Take the following actions when there is a delay in processing the SNAP application:

1. Fault of assistance unit:

a. Consider the assistance unit’s benefits forfeited for the month of application if, by the 30th day, no action can be taken on the application due to the fault of the assistance unit;

b. Send a notice of denial, giving the reason, on the 30th calendar day;

c. Reopen the case without requiring a new application if the requested action is taken within 60 calendar days of the initial application and prorate benefits from the date the action is taken or verification is received.

2. Fault of DFS:

a. Notify the assistance unit the application is pending no later than the 30th calendar day following the date of application;

b. Consider the assistance unit entitled to benefits back to the date of application if the assistance unit is determined eligible and DFS was at fault.

3. Require a new application after 60 calendar days.

Y. Inform the applicant of:

1. The Pay-After-Performance requirements which must be met before a monthly performance payment can be authorized; and

2. The penalties for noncompliance with pay-after-performance requirements.

Z. Begin payment as stated in Section 1208 unless the circumstances in AA. exist.

AA. Authorize a performance payment for the assistance unit after compliance has taken place for 30 calendar days:  

1. Verify no one in the assistance unit has within the 60 calendar days prior to the date of application and without good cause:

1. Refused a bona fide offer of employment or training for employment;
2. Voluntarily terminated employment;

c. Voluntarily reduced the number of hours of employment and/or rate of pay.

2. Require the mandatory applicant(s) to comply with the performance requirements immediately; and

3. Notify the work program action center case manager the case must remain open for a minimum of 30 days;

4. Verify, grant and document good cause only if one of the following exists:

a. The applicant was legally, physically or emotionally unable to perform the type of work involved or lacked the basic skills required to do the job;

b. Employment was reduced or terminated through no fault of the applicant;

c. The applicant was subjected to intimidation, abuse, discrimination, exploitation or harassment by the business management or the general public and the applicant exhausted all means available for resolution of the problem;

4. Unsafe or unsanitary working conditions existed and the applicant exhausted all means available for resolution of the problem;

e. The job did not pay the applicable state or federal minimum wage;

 f. The expenses of the employment exceeded the net income;

7. The job was not covered by Workers’ Compensation as required under state law and the applicant exhausted all means available to acquire coverage for an injury.
8. The job did not materialize.

i. The job created religious conflicts that could not be resolved.

5. See Section 1208 for authorization information.