Original Notice.

     Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 05-21-095.

     Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 388-400-0005 Who is eligible for temporary assistance for needy families?, 388-400-0025 Who is eligible for general assistance unemployable?, 388-400-0040 Am I eligible for benefits through the Washington Basic Food program?, 388-418-0007 When do I have to report changes in my circumstances?, 388-418-0011 What is a six-month report, and do I have to complete one in order to keep getting benefits?, and 388-418-0020 How does the department determine the date a change affects my benefits?

     Hearing Location(s): Blake Office Park East, Rose Room, 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503 (one block north of the intersection of Pacific Avenue S.E. and Alhadeff Lane. A map or directions are available at http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/msa/rpau/docket.html or by calling (360) 664-6097), on June 6, 2006, at 10:00 a.m.

     Date of Intended Adoption: Not earlier than June 7, 2006.

     Submit Written Comments to: DSHS Rules Coordinator, P.O. Box 45850, Olympia, WA 98504, delivery 4500 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, e-mail fernaax@dshs.wa.gov, fax (360) 664-6185, by 5:00 p.m., June 6, 2006.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Stephanie Schiller, DSHS Rules Consultant, by June 2, 2006, TTY (360) 664-6178 or (360) 664-6097 or by e-mail at schilse@dshs.wa.gov.

     Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The proposed changes are to clarify department policy regarding eligibility for benefits, update references to other department rules, and streamline the process for individuals and families who receive benefits from more than one program and must complete a six-month report.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: The changes will be to more clearly state department eligibility policy and to reduce the need for households to complete multiple mid-certification reviews when they receive benefits from more than one program. Currently, someone receiving benefits from more than one program could receive multiple six-month reports.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090.

     Statute Being Implemented: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090.

     Rule is necessary because of federal law, 7 C.F.R. 273.12.

     Name of Proponent: Department of social and health services, governmental.

     Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation and Enforcement: John Camp, 1009 College S.E., Lacey, WA 98504, (360) 725-4116.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. This proposed rule does not have an economic impact on small businesses, it only affects DSHS clients by outlining the rules clients must meet in order to be eligible for the department's cash assistance or food benefit programs.

     A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. These amendments are exempt as allowed under RCW 34.05.328 (5)(b)(vii) which states in-part, "[t]his section does not apply to...rules of the department of social and health services relating only to client medical or financial eligibility and rules concerning liability for care of dependents."

April 26, 2004 [2006]

Andy Fernando, Manager

Rules and Policies Assistance Unit

     (a) Can be in a TANF/SFA assistance unit as allowed under WAC 388-408-0015 through 388-408-0030;

     (b) Meet the citizenship/alien status requirements of WAC 388-424-0010;

     (c) Live in the state of Washington. A child must live with a caretaker relative, guardian, or custodian who meets the state residency requirements of WAC 388-468-0005;

     (d) Do not live in a public institution unless specifically allowed under RCW 74.08.025;

     (e) Meet TANF/SFA:

     (i) Income requirements under chapter 388-450 WAC;

     (ii) Resource requirements under chapter 388-470 WAC; and

     (iii) Transfer of property requirements under chapter 388-488 WAC.

     (f) Assign your rights to child support as required under WAC 388-422-0005;

     (g) Cooperate with the division of child support (DCS) as required under WAC 388-422-0010 by helping them:

     (i) Prove who is the father of children applying for or getting TANF or SFA; and

     (ii) Collect child support.

     (h) Tell us your Social Security number as required under WAC 388-476-0005;

     (i) Cooperate in a review of your eligibility as required under WAC 388-434-0005;

     (j) Cooperate in a quality assurance review as required under WAC 388-464-0001;

     (k) Participate in the WorkFirst program as required under chapter 388-310 WAC;

     (l) Report changes of circumstances as required under WAC 388-418-0005; and

     (m) Complete a ((six-month report)) mid-certification review and provide proof of any changes as required under WAC 388-418-0011.

     (2) If you are an adult, you must have an eligible child living with you or you must be pregnant and meet the requirements of WAC 388-462-0010.

     (3) If you are an unmarried pregnant teen or teen parent:

     (a) Your living arrangements must meet the requirements of WAC 388-486-0005; and

     (b) You must attend school as required under WAC 388-486-0010.

     (4) In addition to rules listed in subsection (1) of this section, a child must meet the following rules to get TANF:

     (a) Meet the age requirements under WAC 388-404-0005; and

     (b) Live in the home of a relative, court-ordered guardian, court-ordered custodian, or other adult acting in loco parentis as required under WAC 388-454-0005; or

     (c) If the child lives with a parent or other adult relative that provides care for the child, that adult cannot have used up their sixty-month lifetime limit of TANF or SFA cash benefits as defined in WAC 388-484-0005.

     (5) You cannot get TANF if you have been:

     (a) Convicted of certain felonies and other crimes under WAC 388-442-0010; or

     (b) Convicted of unlawful practices to get public assistance under WAC 388-446-0005 or 388-446-0010.

     (([(6) If you are a client in a household which is eligible for a tribal TANF program, you cannot receive state and tribal TANF in the same month.])) (6) If you are a client in a household which is eligible for a tribal TANF program, you cannot receive state and tribal TANF in the same month.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-14-100, § 388-400-0005, filed 6/30/05, effective 7/31/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and 2004 c 54. 04-23-027, § 388-400-0005, filed 11/8/04, effective 12/9/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-400-0005, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.057, 2000 2nd sp.s. c 1. 01-03-121, § 388-400-0005, filed 1/22/01, effective 3/1/01. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 74.04.510. 00-05-007, § 388-400-0005, filed 2/4/00, effective 3/6/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-400-0005, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]

     (a) Are incapacitated as required under WAC 388-448-0010 through 388-448-0120;

     (b) Are at least eighteen years old or, if under eighteen, a member of a married couple;

     (c) Are in financial need according to GAU income and resource rules in chapters 388-450, 388-470 and 388-488 WAC;

     (d) Meet the general assistance citizenship/alien status requirements under WAC 388-424-0015(2);

     (e) Provide a Social Security number as required under WAC 388-476-0005;

     (f) Reside in the state of Washington as required under WAC 388-468-0005;

     (g) Undergo a treatment and referral assessment as provided under WAC 388-448-0130 through 388-448-0150;

     (h) Assign interim assistance as provided under WAC 388-448-0210;

     (i) Report changes of circumstances as required under WAC 388-418-0005; and

     (j) Complete a ((six-month report)) mid-certification review and provide proof of any changes as required under WAC 388-418-0011.

     (2) You cannot get GAU benefits if:

     (a) You are eligible for temporary assistance for needy families (TANF) benefits;

     (b) You are eligible for state family assistance (SFA) benefits unless you are not eligible under WAC 388-400-0010;

     (c) You have the ability to, but refuse to meet a TANF or SFA eligibility rule;

     (d) You are eligible for supplemental security income (SSI) benefits;

     (e) You are an ineligible spouse of an SSI recipient; or

     (f) ((You were denied benefits or your benefits were terminated by the)) Social Security Administration (SSA) denied your application for benefits or terminated your benefits for failing to follow a SSI program rule or application requirement.

     (3) ((The)) We determine who is in your assistance unit ((will be established)) according to WAC 388-408-0010.

     (4) ((You may be eligible for GAU if you reside in a public institution.)) A "public institution" is an institution that is supported by public funds, and a governmental unit either is responsible for it or exercises administrative control over it. ((Your eligibility will depend upon)) If you live in a public institution, you may be eligible for GAU depending on the type of institution you are in.

     (a) If you reside in a public institution and are otherwise eligible for GAU, you may be eligible for general assistance if you are:

     (i) A patient in a public medical institution; or

     (ii) A patient in a public mental institution and are:

     (A) Sixty-five years of age or older; or

     (B) Twenty years of age or younger.

     (b) You are not eligible for GAU when you are in the custody of or confined in a public institution such as a state penitentiary or county jail including placement:

     (i) In a work release program; or

     (ii) Outside of the institution including home detention.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510 and 2004 c 54. 04-23-027, § 388-400-0025, filed 11/8/04, effective 12/9/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-400-0025, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 00-15-017, § 388-400-0025, filed 7/10/00, effective 9/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-400-0025, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]

     (1) When you apply for Basic Food, we decide who is in your assistance unit (AU) based on the requirements under WAC 388-408-0034 and 388-408-0035.

     (2) To be eligible for Basic Food benefits, your AU must meet the eligibility requirements of the most current version of the Food Stamp Act of 1977.

     (3) To be eligible for federal Basic Food benefits, each AU member must meet the citizenship or alien status requirements for federal benefits as described under WAC 388-424-0020.

     (4) An AU member who is not eligible for federal benefits may be eligible for state-funded Basic Food benefits if they meet the requirements described under WAC 388-400-0045.

     (5) To be eligible for federal or state Basic Food benefits, each AU member must:

     (a) Be a resident of the state of Washington as required under WAC 388-468-0005;

     (b) Meet the citizenship or alien status requirements of either WAC 388-424-0020 or 388-424-0025;

     (c) ((Provide)) Give us their Social Security number as required under WAC 388-476-0005;

     (d) ((Provide)) Give us proof of identity as required under WAC 388-490-0005;

     (e) Participate in the food stamp employment and training program (FSE&T) as required under chapter 388-444 WAC; and

     (f) Meet the eligibility criteria for strikers as described under WAC 388-480-0001.

     (6) To be eligible for Basic Food, your AU must:

     (a) Have countable income at or below gross and net income standards as described under WAC 388-478-0060;

     (b) Have countable resources at or below your AU's resource limit under WAC 388-470-0005 unless your AU is categorically eligible under WAC 388-414-0001;

     (c) Report changes of circumstances as required under WAC 388-418-0005; and

     (d) Complete a ((six-month report)) mid-certification review and provide proof of any changes if required under WAC 388-418-0011.

     (7) If your AU has income under the gross income standard, we deduct certain expenses from your income under WAC ((388-450-0200)) 388-450-0185 before we calculate your Basic Food benefits.

     (8) If an eligible person in your AU is elderly or disabled, some rules may help your AU to be eligible for Basic Food or to ((get)) receive more Basic Food benefits. These include:

     (a) Resources limits and excluding certain resources under chapter 388-470 WAC;

     (b) An excess shelter deduction over the limit set for AUs without an elderly or disabled individual under WAC 388-450-0190;

     (c) A deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses for the elderly or disabled individual if they are over thirty-five dollars a month under WAC 388-450-0200; and

     (d) Being exempt from the gross monthly income standard under WAC 388-478-0060.

     (9) For Basic Food, elderly means a person who is age sixty or older;

     (10) For Basic Food, disabled means a person who:

     (a) ((Gets)) Receives SSI;

     (b) ((Gets)) Receives disability payments or blindness payments under Title I, II, XIV, or XVI of the Social Security Act;

     (c) ((Gets)) Receives disability retirement benefits from a state, local or federal government agency because of a disability considered permanent under section 221(i) of the Social Security Act;

     (d) ((Gets)) Receives disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Act under sections 2 (a)(1)(iv) and (v) and:

     (i) Meets Title XIX disability requirements; or

     (ii) Is eligible for Medicare.

     (e) Receives disability-related medical assistance under Title XIX of the Social Security Act;

     (f) Is a veteran and receives disability payments based on one hundred percent disability;

     (g) Is a spouse of a veteran and:

     (i) Either needs an attendant or is permanently housebound; or

     (ii) Has a disability under section 221(i) of the Social Security Act and is eligible for death or pension payments under Title 38 of the USC.

     (11) If a person in your AU attends an institution of higher education and does not meet the requirements to be an eligible student under WAC 388-482-0005, we do not ((consider)) count this person as a member of your AU.

     (12) If your AU currently receives food benefits under WASHCAP or lives on or near an Indian reservation and ((participates in)) receives benefits from a tribal food distribution program approved by Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), your AU is not eligible for food assistance benefits through the Washington Basic Food ((benefits)) Program.

     (13) If an AU member is ineligible for any of the following reasons, we count the ineligible person's income as described under WAC 388-450-0140:

     (a) Able-bodied adults without dependents who are no longer eligible under WAC 388-444-0030;

     (b) Persons fleeing a felony prosecution, conviction, or confinement under WAC 388-442-0010;

     (c) Persons who do not attest to citizenship or alien status as defined in WAC 388-424-0001;

     (d) Persons who are ineligible aliens under WAC 388-424-0020;

     (e) Persons disqualified for an intentional program violation under WAC 388-446-0015;

     (f) Persons who do not provide a Social Security number when required under WAC 388-476-0005; or

     (g) Persons who failed to meet work requirements under chapter 388-444 WAC.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-21-025, § 388-400-0040, filed 10/13/04, effective 11/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 04-15-057, § 388-400-0040, filed 7/13/04, effective 8/13/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-14-040, § 388-400-0040, filed 6/29/04, effective 7/30/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 03-05-028, § 388-400-0040, filed 2/10/03, effective 4/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-400-0040, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]

     (a) ((Requesting additional)) Asking for more information we need to determine your eligibility and benefits under WAC 388-490-0005;

     (b) Increasing your benefits when we have proof of a change that makes you eligible for more benefits; or

     (c) Reducing or ((terminating)) stopping your benefits based on the change.

     (2) If you are applying for benefits and have had a change:

     (a) After the date you applied but before your interview, you must report the change((at the time of)) during your interview; or

     (b) After you have been interviewed, you must report changes ((required to be reported by someone receiving benefits)) that we require someone who receives benefits to report as described under WAC 388-418-0005. You must report this change by the tenth day of the month following the month the change happened.

     (3) If you receive cash assistance, medical, or Basic Food, you must report changes required under WAC 388-418-0005 by the tenth day of the month following the month the change happened.

     (4) For a change in income, the date a change happened is the date you receive income based on this change. For example, the date of your first paycheck for a new job, or the date of a paycheck showing a change in your wage or salary.

     (5) If we require you to complete a ((six-month report)) mid-certification review, you must complete the ((report)) review to inform us of your circumstances as described under WAC 388-418-0011 in order to keep ((getting)) receiving benefits.

     (6) If you ((get)) receive TANF/SFA, and you learn that a child in your assistance unit (AU) will be gone from your home longer than ninety days, you must ((report this information to us)) tell us about this within five calendar days from the date you learn this information.

     (a) If you do not report this within five days, the child's caretaker is not eligible for cash benefits for one month((.)); and

     (b) We continue to budget the ineligible person's countable income as described in WAC 388-450-0162 ((while determining)) to determine the benefits for the ((remaining)) people still in the AU.

     (7) If you report changes late, you may ((get)) receive the wrong amount or wrong type of benefits. If you ((get)) receive more benefits than you are eligible for, you may have to pay them back as described in chapter 388-410 WAC.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, and 74.08.090. 05-11-074, § 388-418-0007, filed 5/17/05, effective 7/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-19-134, § 388-418-0007, filed 9/21/04, effective 10/1/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-21-028, § 388-418-0007, filed 10/7/03, effective 11/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 01-11-109, § 388-418-0007, filed 5/21/01, effective 7/1/01.]

     (2) If you receive ((benefits from any of the following programs, you must complete a six-month report)) cash assistance, family-related medical, or Basic Food benefits, you must complete a mid-certification review unless you meet one of the exceptions below:

     (a) ((Cash assistance unless you receive only refugee cash assistance as described under WAC 388-400-0030;)) You do not have to complete a mid-certification review for cash assistance if you:

     (i) Only receive Refugee Cash Assistance as described under WAC 388-400-0030; or

     (ii) Have a review period of six months or less.

     (b) ((Family-related medical; or)) You do not have to complete a mid-certification review for Basic food if:

     (i) Your assistance unit has a certification period of six months or less; or

     (ii) All adults in your assistance unit are elderly or disabled and have no earned income.

     (((c) Basic Food unless you meet one of the following conditions:

     (i) Your assistance unit has a certification period of six months or less. If you have a certification period of six months or less, you must complete a recertification under WAC 388-434-0010 in order to keep getting Basic Food benefits; or

     (ii) All adults in your assistance unit are elderly or disabled and have no earned income.))

     (3) ((If you must complete a six-month report, we send you the report with the most current information we have on your case. You can choose to complete the report in one of the following ways:

     (a) Complete and return the form to the department. For us to consider your six-month report complete, you must take all of the steps below:

     (i) Complete the report form, telling us about changes in your circumstances we ask about;

     (ii) Sign and date the report;

     (iii) Provide proof of any changes you report;

     (iv) If you receive family medical benefits, provide proof of your income even if it has not changed; and

     (v) Mail or turn in the completed form and any required proof to us by the due date on the report. This is the tenth day of the sixth month of your review or certification period.

     (b) Complete the six-month report over the phone. For us to consider your six-month report complete, you must take all of the steps below:

     (i) Contact us at the phone number we provide on the report form, telling us about changes in your circumstances we ask about;

     (ii) Provide proof of any changes you report. We may be able to verify some information over the phone;

     (iii) If you receive family medical benefits, provide proof of your income even if it has not changed; and

     (iv) Mail or turn in any required proof to us by the due date on the report. This is the tenth day of the sixth month of your review or certification period.)) When we send the review form:

If you must complete a MCR...	We send your review form...
(a) For one program such as Basic Food or Family Medical.	In the fifth month of your certification or review period. You must complete your review by the 10th day of month six.
(b) For two or more programs, and all program have a 12-month certification or review period.	In the fifth month of your certification or review period. You must complete your review by the 10th day of month six.
(c) For Basic Food and another program when either program has a certification or review period between six and twelve months.	In the fifth month of your Basic Food certification period when you receive Basic Food and another program. You must complete your review by the 10th day of month six of your Basic Food certification.

     (4) If ((your benefits change because of the information in your six-month report, the change takes effect in the seventh month of your certification or review period even if this does not provide you ten days notice before we change your benefits)) you must complete a mid-certification review, we send you the review form with questions about your current circumstances. You can choose to complete the review in on of the following ways:

     (a) Complete the form and return it to us. For us to count your mid-certification review complete, you must take all of the steps below:

     (i) Compete the review form, telling us about changes in your circumstances we ask about;

     (ii) Sign and date the form;

     (iii) Give us proof of any changes you report. If you report a change that will increase your benefits without giving proof of this change, we will not increase your benefits;

     (iv) If you receive family medical benefits, give us proof of your income even if it has not changed; and

     (v) Mail or turn in the completed form and any required proof to us by the due date on the review.

     (b) Complete the mid-certification review over the phone. For us to count your mid-certification review as complete, you must take all of the steps below:

     (i) Contact us at the phone number on the review form, telling us about changes in your circumstances we ask about;

     (ii) Give us proof of any changes you report. We may be able to verify some information over the phone. If you report a change that will increase your benefits without giving proof of this change, we will not increase your benefits;

     (iii) If you receive family medical benefits, give us proof of your income even if it has not changed; and

     (iv) Mail or turn in any required proof to us by the due date on the review.

     (c) Complete the application process for another program. If we approve an application for another program in the month you must complete your mid-certification review, we use the application to complete your review when the same person is head of household for the application and the mid-certification review.

     (5) If your benefits change because of what we learned in your mid-certification review, the change takes effect the next month even if this does not give you ten days notice before we change your benefits.

     (6) If you do not complete your required ((six-month report)) mid-certification review, we stop your benefits ((end)) at the end of the ((sixth)) month ((of your review or certification period)) the review was due.

     (((6))) (7) Late ((reports)) reviews. If you complete the ((report)) mid-certification review after the ((end of the sixth month of your certification or review period)) last day of the month the review was due, we process the ((report)) review as described below based on when we receive the ((report)) review:

     (a) ((Reports completed)) Mid-certification reviews you complete by the last day of the month after the month the ((report)) review was due: We determine your eligibility for ongoing benefits. If you are eligible, we reinstate your benefits based on the information in the ((report)) review.

     (b) ((Reports completed after the last day of the month after the month the report)) Mid-certification reviews you complete after the last day of the month after the month the review was due: We treat this ((report)) review as a request to send you an application. For us to determine if you are eligible for benefits, you must complete the application process as described in chapter 388-406 WAC.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-09-020, § 388-418-0011, filed 4/12/05, effective 6/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-19-134, § 388-418-0011, filed 9/21/04, effective 10/1/04.]

     (2) If you report a change that happened between the date you applied for benefits and the date we interview you under WAC 388-452-0005, we take this change into consideration when we process your application for benefits.

     (3) If we learn about a change in your circumstances from another person, agency, or by matching with any number of systems, we determine the impact this change has on your benefits. We may request additional information under WAC 388-490-0005 or update your benefits based on this information.

     (4) For programs other than pregnancy medical and children's medical, if you report a change in your income that we expect to continue at least a month beyond the month when you reported the change, we recalculate the income we estimated under WAC 388-450-0215 based on this change. Changes in income during a certification period do not affect pregnancy medical or children's medical assistance.

     (5) When a change causes an increase in benefits, you must provide proof of the change before we adjust your benefits.

     (a) If you give us the proof within ten days from the date we requested it, we increase your benefits starting the month after the month you reported the change.

     (b) If you give us the proof more than ten days after the date we requested it, we increase your benefits starting the month after the month we got the proof.

     (c) If you are eligible for more benefits and we have already sent you benefits for that month, we provide you the additional benefits within ten days of the day we got the proof.

     (6) When a change causes a decrease in benefits, we reduce your benefit amount without asking for proof.

     (a) If you report a change within the time limits in WAC 388-418-0007, and you are not reporting this as part of a ((six-month report)) mid-certification review, we decrease your benefits starting the first month following the advance notice period. The advance notice period:

     (i) Begins on the day we send you a letter about the change, and

     (ii) Is determined according to the rules in WAC 388-458-0025.

     (b) If you do not report a change you must tell us about under WAC 388-418-0005, or you report a change later than we require under WAC 388-418-0007, we determine your eligibility as if you had reported this on time. If you received more benefits than you should, we set up an overpayment as described under chapter 388-410 WAC.

     (7) If we are not sure how the change will affect your benefits, we send you a letter as described in WAC 388-458-0020 requesting information from you.

     (a) We give you ten days to provide the information. If you need more time, you can ask for it.

     (b) If you do not give us the information in time, we will stop your benefits after giving you advance notice, if required, as described in WAC 388-458-0030.

     (8) Within ten days of the day we learn about a change, we send advance notice according to the rules in chapter 388-458 WAC and take necessary action to provide you the correct benefits. If you request a hearing about a proposed decrease in benefits before the effective date or within the notice period as described in WAC 388-458-0040, we wait to take action on the change.

     (9) If you disagree with a decision we made to change your benefits, you may request a fair hearing under chapter 388-02 WAC. The fair hearing rules in chapter 388-02 WAC do not apply for a "mass change." A mass change is when we change the rules that impact all recipients and applicants.

     (10) When you request a hearing and ((get)) receive continued benefits:

     (a) We keep giving you the same benefits you got before the advance notice of reduction until the earliest of the following events occur:

     (i) For Basic Food only, your certification period expires;

     (ii) The end of the month the fair hearing decision is mailed;

     (iii) You state in writing that you do not want continued benefits;

     (iv) You withdraw your fair hearing request in writing; or

     (v) You abandon your fair hearing request; or

     (vi) An administrative law judge issues a written order that ends continued benefits prior to the fair hearing.

     (b) We establish an overpayment claim according to the rules in chapter 388-410 WAC when the hearing decision agrees with the action we took.

     (11) Some changes have a specific effective date as follows:

     (a) When cash assistance benefits increase because a person is added to your assistance unit, we use the effective date rules for applications in WAC 388-406-0055.

     (b) When cash assistance benefits increase because you start paying shelter costs, we use the date the change occurred.

     (c) When a change in law or regulation changes the benefit amount, we use the date specified by the law or regulation.

     (d) When institutional medical assistance participation changes, we calculate the new participation amount beginning with the month your income or allowable expense changes.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090. 05-09-020, § 388-418-0020, filed 4/12/05, effective 6/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 2004 c 54. 04-19-134, § 388-418-0020, filed 9/21/04, effective 10/1/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-21-028, § 388-418-0020, filed 10/7/03, effective 11/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090, 74.04.057, and 74.04.510. 02-14-086, § 388-418-0020, filed 6/28/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.090 and 74.04.510. 99-23-034, § 388-418-0020, filed 11/10/99, effective 1/1/00. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-418-0020, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]

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