PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
(Division of Assistance Programs)
Date of Adoption: June 19, 2000.
Purpose: WAC 388-406-0060, the rule includes the federal requirement to send a second letter giving clients a final opportunity for follow through on their application, even though they failed to appear for an initial food stamp appointment. The rule is also rewritten with the intention to be clearer for clients.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-406-0060.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057.
Other Authority: C.F.R. 273.2(h1d), waiver October 10, 1984.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 00-10-093 on May 2, 2000.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.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.
June 19, 2000
Marie Myerchin-Redifer, Manager
Rules and Policies Assistance Unit
2713.3
(1) ((An application will be denied
only when the department has not been able to establish the
applicant's eligibility.
(2) An application cannot be denied solely because the applicant failed to provide requested information within a reasonably allowed period.
(3) For medical and cash assistance:
(a) An application cannot be denied based on a delay in obtaining medical information if the delay in obtaining the information is beyond the control of the applicant and the department;
(b) A decision to deny an application will be delayed for good cause as specified in WAC 388-406-0045; and
(c) An application for medical benefits will not be denied based on a failure to meet a spenddown obligation until at least thirty days after the end of the base period.
(4) If an applicant requests a fair hearing to contest the department's decision to deny an application because eligibility cannot be established based on information provided by the applicant, the issue in the hearing is whether the applicant can provide evidence to establish eligibility.
(5) Assistance will be denied to an entire assistance unit only when:
(a) Information required to establish eligibility for the entire assistance unit is not available to the department; or
(b) Circumstances which cause ineligibility affect all assistance unit members.
(6) An applicant will be notified of the department's decision to deny an application following notice requirements in WAC 388-458-0005.
(7) When an applicant for food assistance has not provided requested information within ten days:
(a) The application will be denied immediately if an application for TANF, SFA or SSI is not pending; or
(b) The denial decision may be delayed for up to thirty days from the date of application if an application for TANF, SFA or SSI is pending.
(8) A food assistance application which is not denied within the initial thirty-day period will be denied at the end of the second thirty-day period when:
(a) An eligibility decision could not be made based on information available to the department; and
(b) The applicant fails to provide requested information necessary to determine eligibility)) The department will deny your application when we cannot decide your eligibility based on the information we have.
(2) If we ask you to provide information and you do not provide it by the due date, we will not deny your application unless this information is needed to decide your eligibility.
(3) We will deny your application for everyone in the assistance unit when:
(a) You do not provide information that is required to decide eligibility for everyone in your assistance unit; or
(b) Your situation causes everyone in your assistance unit to be not eligible.
(4) We will tell you about our decision to deny your application by following notice requirements in WAC 388-458-0005.
(5) If we deny your application, you may request a fair hearing. If we deny your application because we do not have enough information to decide that you are eligible, the hearing issue is whether you can provide the needed information.
(6) For medical and cash assistance applications:
(a) If getting medical information is slowed down beyond your and our control, we will not deny your application;
(b) If you have good cause under WAC 388-406-0045, we will wait to deny your application; and
(c) If you do not meet a medical spenddown obligation, we will not deny your medical application before thirty days after the end of the base period as defined in WAC 388-519-0110.
(7) For food assistance applications:
(a) If you do not keep your first scheduled appointment:
(i) We will send you a letter telling you to get in touch with us to schedule another appointment; and
(ii) We will deny your application on the thirtieth day after you applied if you do not schedule a new appointment.
(b) If you do not provide the requested information within ten days:
(i) We will deny your application right after the ten days if you do not have a pending application for TANF, SFA, or SSI; or
(ii) We may wait to deny your application up to thirty days from the date you applied if you have a pending application for TANF, SFA or SSI.
(c) If we do not deny your application within the first thirty-days from the date you applied, we will deny your application at the end of the second thirty-day period when:
(i) We could not make an eligibility decision based on the information provided to us; and
(ii) You did not provide the requested information that was necessary to decide eligibility.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-406-0060, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98. Formerly WAC 388-504-0485.]