PERMANENT RULES
SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
(Economic Services Administration)
Effective Date of Rule: July 1, 2010.
Purpose: The department is amending WAC 388-406-0055 related to the benefit start date for food assistance to comply with the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) federal regulations under 7 C.F.R. 273.2(h), FNS waiver 2010182, and FNS policy memo 88-4.
Under this amendment, if the department is unable to process an application for food assistance in the first thirty-day period due to the applicant's delay and the information was provided by the end of the second thirty-day period, the department would approve benefits starting the date the information was provided.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 388-406-0055.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010.
Other Authority: 7 C.F.R. 273.2(h).
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 10-06-118 on March 3, 2010.
Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: The adopted version adds a new subsection (4) that includes a reference to WAC 388-106-0045 When will the department authorize my long-term care services?
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: May 10, 2010.
Katherine I. Vasquez
Rules Coordinator
4179.2(1) Cash assistance, your benefits start:
(a) The date we have enough information to make an eligibility decision; or
(b) No later than the thirtieth day for TANF, SFA, or RCA; or
(c) No later than the forty-fifth day for general assistance (GA) unless you are confined in a Washington state public institution as defined in WAC 388-406-0005 (6)(a) on the forty-fifth day, in which case your benefits will start on the date you are released from confinement.
(2) Basic Food, your benefits start from the date you applied unless:
(a) You are recertified for Basic Food. If you are recertified for Basic Food, we determine the date your benefits start under WAC 388-434-0010;
(b) You applied for Basic Food while living in an institution. If you apply for Basic Food while living in an institution, the date you are released from the institution determines your start date as follows. If you are expected to leave the institution:
(i) Within thirty days of the date we receive your application, your benefits start on the date you leave the institution; or
(ii) More than thirty days from the date we receive your application, we deny your application for Basic Food. You may apply for Basic Food again when your date of release from the institution is closer.
(c) We were unable to process your application within
thirty days because of a delay on your part. If you caused
the delay, but submit required verification by the end of the
second thirty-day period, we approve your benefits starting
the ((first day of the month following the month you applied
for benefits)) date you provide the required verification. We
start your benefits from this date even if we denied your
application for Basic Food.
(d) We initially denied your application for Basic Food and your assistance unit (AU) becomes categorically eligible (CE) within sixty days from the date you applied. If your AU becoming CE under WAC 388-414-0001 makes you eligible for Basic Food, the date we approve Basic Food is the date your AU became CE.
(e) You are approved for transitional food assistance under chapter 388-489 WAC. We determine the date transitional benefits start as described under WAC 388-489-0015.
(f) You receive transitional food assistance with people you used to live with, and are now approved to receive Basic Food in a different assistance unit:
(i) We must give the other assistance unit ten days notice as described under WAC 388-458-0025 before we remove you from the transitional food assistance benefits.
(ii) Your Basic Food benefits start the first of the month after we remove you from the transitional benefits. For example, if we remove you from transitional benefits on November 30th, you are eligible for Basic Food on December 1st.
(3) Medical assistance, the date your benefits start is stated in chapter 388-416 WAC.
(4) For long-term care, the date your services start is stated in WAC 388-106-0045.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.08.060, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 2009 c 198. 09-20-031, § 388-406-0055, filed 9/29/09, effective 11/1/09. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, 74.08.090, and 74.08A.010. 05-19-060, § 388-406-0055, filed 9/16/05, effective 11/1/05. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510. 03-22-039, § 388-406-0055, filed 10/28/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.04.510, and 74.08.090. 02-14-023, § 388-406-0055, filed 6/21/02, effective 7/1/02. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057 and 74.08.090. 98-16-044, § 388-406-0055, filed 7/31/98, effective 9/1/98.]