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Oklahoma Administrative Code (Last Updated: March 11, 2021) |
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TITLE 340. Department of Human Services |
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Chapter 50. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program |
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Subchapter 9. Eligibility and Benefit Determination Procedures |
SECTION 340:50-9-6. Procedures relating to food benefit certification renewals
Latest version.
- (a) Worker action. The worker completes the application process, approves or denies applications for certification renewal, and provides eligible households with an opportunity to participate in a timely manner. The worker cannot continue benefits to the household beyond the certification period until the worker recertifies the household.(b) Notice of expiration.(1) A computer-generated expiration notice titled, Continue My SNAP Benefit, is sent after deadline the month prior to the last month of the certification period. The notice informs households:(A) they must provide information to complete their certification renewal within a time frame or food benefits stop by a certain date;(B) of methods the household may use to supply certification renewal information including, but not limited to:(i) online at okdhslive.org;(ii) phoning the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) at the telephone number listed on the notice;(iii) mailing a completed and signed paper renewal form to the address listed on the notice; or(iv) faxing or hand delivering a completed and signed paper renewal form to a local DHS office;(C) how to obtain a paper renewal form;(D) DHS staff contacts the household when an interview is required;(E) proof of household income must be provided; and(F) proof of certain expenses is required before an expense deduction is given.(c) Timely certification renewals.(1) Timely certification renewals are processed within the periods described in (A) through (B) of this paragraph.(A) Prior certification of fewer than three months. A household with a prior certification period of fewer than three months who applies by the 15th day of the last month of the certification period is provided the opportunity to participate, if eligible, no later than 30 calendar days after the date the household last had an opportunity to obtain its food benefits.(B) Prior certification of three months or more. Certification renewals filed on or before the 15th day of the last month of the certification period are considered timely. If the household meets all of the requirements and completes all of the processing steps, the worker certifies or denies the application prior to the end of the certification period.(i) Any eligible household who renews benefits timely is provided an opportunity to participate by its normal issuance date in the month following the end of the current certification period.(ii) To retain this right to uninterrupted benefits, the household must have attended any interview and/or provided all required verification due on or after the deadline for filing timely certification renewals.(iii) Although a household loses its right to uninterrupted benefits, it retains its right to complete the process and receive benefits, when eligible, within 30 calendar days of the application date.(2) Households that timely renew, but due to worker error, are not timely determined eligible are certified immediately upon being determined eligible. When the delay in certification renewal extends into the following month, the certification is made retroactive to the first day of the month following expiration of the certification period.(3) A household applying for certification renewal in the last month of its certification period is not entitled to expedited services. When the certification renewal is teleprocessed on or before the last day of the month of the previous certification period, the subsequent month's benefit is issued on the second working day of the month.(d) Untimely certification renewal. A household that submits an untimely certification renewal, without good cause, loses its right to uninterrupted benefits and the worker has 30 calendar days to certify or deny the application. When a certification renewal is not received until after the certification period expired, the application is considered an initial application and benefits for that month are prorated. The household is entitled to expedited service when the household qualifies per Oklahoma Administrative Code(OAC) 340:50-11-1.(e) Good cause for failure to timely renew food benefits. When the household had good cause for its failure to submit a timely certification renewal or to otherwise complete the certification process and the household did not receive food benefits in the month following expiration of benefits, it is entitled to restoration of lost benefits per OAC 340:50-11-4. The worker determines good cause on a case-by-case basis. Good cause may include reasons, such as failure to receive timely notice of expiration or personal illness.