WSR 02-20-068

PERMANENT RULES

DEPARTMENT OF

SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)

[ Filed September 30, 2002, 9:42 a.m. ]

     Date of Adoption: September 27, 2002.

     Purpose: The Division of Employment and Assistance Programs is amending the rule to clarify utility allowance language in subsection (3)(a) and (b) and to delete language restricting expedited service start date to only SSI recipients in subsection (5)(c).

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-406-0015.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090.

     Other Authority: 20 C.F.R. 416.2130.

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 02-17-029 on August 12, 2002.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
     Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

September 27, 2002

Brian H. Lindgren, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

3151.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 01-18-036, filed 8/28/01, effective 10/1/01)

WAC 388-406-0015   Can I get food assistance right away?   (1) When the department gets your food assistance application, we look at your circumstances to see if you can get benefits within five calendar days. This is called "expedited service."

     (2) To get expedited service, you must provide proof of who you are and meet one of these three conditions:

     (a) You have available cash of one hundred dollars or less and have monthly income before taxes under one hundred fifty dollars; or

     (b) Your monthly income before taxes plus available cash is less than the total of your shelter costs such as your rent or mortgage and utilities; or

     (c) You are a destitute migrant or seasonal farm worker household, as defined in WAC 388-406-0021, and your household's available cash does not exceed one hundred dollars.

     (3) To determine the amount of utilities to use to decide if you can get expedited services, we allow:

     (a) The ((standard)) appropriate utility allowance (((SUA))) under WAC 388-450-0195, if you have heating or cooling costs and the ((SUA)) appropriate utility allowance is greater than the amount you pay; or

     (b) The amount you pay, if it is greater than the ((SUA)) appropriate utility allowance.

     (4) If you are eligible for expedited service and are not required to have an office interview, you can:

     (a) Have a telephone interview or a home visit; and

     (b) Still get benefits within ((five-days)) five days.

     (5) If you are an applicant, "day one" of your five-day expedited service period starts on the:

     (a) Day after the date your application is filed; or

     (b) Date of the rescheduled interview when you are screened as expedited service eligible but do not show up for your initial interview; or

     (c) Date you are released from a public institution ((if you are an SSI recipient)); or

     (d) Date of your interview when you:

     (i) Waive your expedited interview and are found eligible for expedited service during your rescheduled interview; or

     (ii) Are screened as ineligible for expedited service and later found eligible for the service during your interview; or

     (iii) Do not request expedited service on the application and are found eligible for the service during your interview.

     (6) If you get expedited service and are found eligible for food assistance, we give you benefits for no more than two months. If we give you benefits and we need additional information to decide if you are eligible for continued benefits, you have up to thirty days from the date ((of application)) you applied to give us the information.

     (7) If you have received expedited service in the past, you can get this service again if you meet the requirements listed in subsection (2) above and you:

     (a) Gave us all the information we needed to prove eligibility for your last expedited service benefit period; or

     (b) Were certified under normal processing standards after your last expedited certification.

     (8) If you reapply and request expedited service before your certification period ends, you are not eligible for expedited service.

     (9) If you reapply after your certification period ends and request expedited service, your five-day expedited service period is the same as a new application.

     (10) If you are denied expedited service, you can ask for a department review of your case. We review the decision within two working days from the date we denied you expedited service.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and 74.08.090. 01-18-036, § 388-406-0015, filed 8/28/01, effective 10/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.510 and Section 11 (e)(9) of the Food Stamp Act. 00-06-015, § 388-406-0015, filed 2/22/00, effective 4/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 99-16-024, § 388-406-0015, filed 7/26/99, effective 9/1/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-406-0015, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]

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