SNAP:
Recertification Interview Waiver Rescinded

Effective immediately, Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) case managers must no longer waive the interview requirements when recertifying SNAP eligibility for elderly/disabled households without earned income. Case managers are now required to interview all elderly /disabled households at recertification. Interviews will be conducted by telephone unless the household requests a face-to-face interview.

In November of 2009 DTA had announced that they had received a waiver from USDA that would allow DTA case managers to waive SNAP interviews for households where all members are elders and/or disabled and without earned income. This change was part of “a continuing effort to improve customer service, increase efficiency and relieve the burden on case managers”.

The Field Operations Memo did not give a reason why the interview waiver was rescinded.

-From SNAP Operations Memo 2010-51, DTA Transitions, November 2010 (full memo at http://www.masslegalservices.org/system/files/FO%20Memo%202010-51.pdf) and DTA Field Operations Memo 2009-64, November 6, 2009, http://www.mcoaonline.com/content/pdf/FieldOps2009-64-Elder-Disabled-NOInterview.pdf, retrieved 11/16/10.

 

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