Department of Human Services
Seniors and People with Disabilities Services
Human Services Building
Salem, OR 97301
SDSD Program Manual Letter: #17
Effective Date: October 1, 2002
Reference: Administrative Rules Manual Letter #23
Major Changes
Food Stamp Program
The OFSET program policies have been revised because the amount of funds available have been reduced. There is no longer a need to offer one kind of service to ABAWDs and another to non-ABAWDs. The program will no longer serve volunteers. Mandatory clients will be required to participate in OFSET activities 8 weeks every 12 months. This may be extended beyond the 8 weeks only if the client wishes to complete a component that was started during the 8-week period. OFSET forms have been revised to support the changes in the program. The revised forms will be sent to the local offices in September (AFS 1467, AFS 7280F, and AFS 7832F).
Removed the allowance of actual utility costs and the need to verify amounts due to implementation of the new utility allowances. Systems: Update the utility standard to the FUA for those households with utility costs greater than the STD and those coded with the STD $246, $224, $123, and $82. Give all other households with utility costs the LUA. Action: Local staff should review green bar reports that will be provided for clients that cannot be auto-updated. Also review the utility allowance on each case at recertification to assure that the household is receiving the correct allowance based on the payment of heating/cooling costs.
Effective November 1, 2002, two new reporting systems will be introduced for the FS Program. They are: Transitional Benefit Alternative for TANF-leavers (TBA) and Semi-annual reporting (SRS). Most clients that are served by CHS/AAA will not be enrolled in these systems. These changes will be in the January 1, 2003 SPD manual release. These are new reporting systems and do not replace existing systems. New coding and notices will be added to FSMIS to support TBA and SRS. The coding, notices and forms (DHS 854 & DHS 856) will be available on November 1.
Qualified noncitizens who meet the FS definition of disabled now meet the citizen/alien requirement for Food Stamps. Action: Review alien status at recertification and make qualified noncitizens who meet the food stamp definition of disabled eligible for FS (note, they are no longer NC2s).
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Manual |
Change |
Section/Item |
Rule Change (may not be updated immediately) |
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Added policy to count in-kind payments as income for a person who is a "principal" within a business. | |||
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Clarification on resettlement and placement grants for refugees. | ||
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Added a $10,000 limit to the average gross monthly income for self-employed OHP applicants. | ||
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Removed the allowance of actual utility costs and the need to verify. | |||
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Increased the income and payment standards. | ||
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Revised all work program requirements due to the changes in the OFSET program. | ||
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Revised policy on ineligibility and disqualification due to a job quit. | ||
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Removed the section on FS JOBS Plus as this program has ended for FS clients. |
D.27 | |
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The standard deduction is now based on the number in the benefit group. | ||
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A medical necessity approved by the Department is no longer considered an allowable deduction. | ||
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There are now two utility standards: FUA and LUA. | ||
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Definition of essential person changed. | |||
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A treating physician’s opinion has greater weight than the examining physician with regard to the client’s need to participate in a rehabilitation or medical treatment plan. | ||
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Increase in the amount that is used to calculate the length of a disqualification due to a transfer. | ||
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Rewrite of Overpayment Section. |
N/A | ||
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Add QMB to the policy on estate claims. | ||
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Removed the word "presumptive" from the valuation of an estate. | ||
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Added policy regarding estate claims for Native American Indians or Alaskan Native Village tribal members. | ||
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Changed definition of spouse. |
N/A | ||
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Added various acronyms. |
N/A |
N/A |
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Clarified who must be in the filing group and who is assumed eligible. | |||
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Removed the selection of a pharmacy as a requirement. | ||
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Clarifies that a premium arrearage will be canceled if the applicant has no income in the budget month and the 2 months prior and that an arrearage over 3 years old will be canceled. | ||
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Added a $10,000 limit to the average gross monthly income for self-employed applicants. | ||
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Increase in the amount that is used to calculate the length of a disqualification due to a transfer. | |||
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Added policy regarding the treatment of disabled widows. | ||
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Increase in the amount that is used to calculate the length of a disqualification due to a transfer. | |||
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Added footnote 16 to GA/OSIP to clarify that those in this category must meet SSI disability criteria. Revised footnotes 12, 15, 17, and 21 |
N/A | ||
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Increase in the amount that is used to calculate the length of a disqualification due to a transfer. |