Change Reporting is based on prospective eligibility and budgeting (not monthly reporting). It is not mandatory for clients to submit a report in order to keep receiving benefits, information is coded for the entire redetermination period. Clients are informed of changes they are required to report, and are given a Change Report Form (AFS 943) to use for reporting.
A change is considered reported effective the date a client, authorized representative, or ineligible student reports the information to a branch office
SNAP clients who have income averaged, are only required to report when the income source changes or their rate of pay changes, causing the average to change by more than $25. Clients in other programs are required to report within 10 days all changes in income, resources, and circumstances that may affect their eligibility for benefits or the amount of benefits they receive.
If no changes are reported for the redetermination period, benefits are issued for the same amount each month. When clients report changes, because it is a prospective system, no action is taken on the case if it will not affect future benefits. For example, a client could win $5,000 (which exceeds their resource limit) on May 5, and report the change on May 12 with information that the money is already spent. Since the resource is already gone, there is no action to take on the case. Looking prospectively ahead to June, a reduction would be inappropriate.
When clients report a change that will affect future months, action is taken for the following month when benefits will increase. That is, a client could report on the last day of the month that someone joined their filing group. The new person's needs would be added for the following month's benefits. However, if they report the person will be joining the home next month, do not add that person's needs until the month following the month they actually move in.
For changes that cause benefits to decrease, action is taken depending on when the change is reported. Clients are legally entitled to a 10-day advance notice when benefits will go down, so that they have time to adjust their household budgeting to the new amount. Therefore, if the client reports on May 5 that someone left their filing group, the worker would remove the person from the benefits and send notice of the reduction for June. If the client reports on May 25 that someone left their filing group, the worker would remove the person from benefits and send notice of reduction for July (not for June).
Overview:461-170-0010
Reporting changes in averaged income: 461-170-0011
Prospective eligibility and budgeting: 461-150-0020,
461-150-0060
Effective dates for increases: 461-180-0020
Effective dates for decreases: 461-180-0030
Effective date for adding a person: 461-180-0010
For information on SRS and TBA (for the Food Stamp program), please refer to the Family Service Manual, SNAP WG 9.
A mass-change notice is a basic decision notice that informs the client of:
A mass-change notice may be used for the following purposes:
No decision notice is required when the Department makes the following mass changes:
