The Application Interview

Overview

Applications are received in a variety of ways: in person, drop-off, mail-in, fax, web, or telephonic. You must offer every client the opportunity to have a telephone interview, unless the client is applying in person and could be interviewed in-person on the day of application, or the client requests an in-person or virtual interview regardless of the method of application.

Any client, including a client who applies in person at the TAO, may be eligible for expedited benefits. However, an expedited screening cannot occur until an application interview is conducted first. Entering answers to the expedited questions from a SNAP application without speaking to the client does not qualify as an expedited screening. To conduct a proper expedited screening, you must review the household’s income, assets and expenses with the client.

Each application for benefits includes a question that clients must answer about whether they have a disability that interferes with their ability to meet certain Department requirements. Clients will be screened for an Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation at every application to offer options for. For procedures on accommodation requests, please see Recognizing an ADA Accommodation Request.

Cold Call Attempts

If you receive an action to process a SNAP application you must cold call the client to try to conduct an interview and expedited screening.

At least two cold calls must be performed before an interview is scheduled for a SNAP application. With a limited number of daily slots to schedule interviews and the need to issue expedited benefits as soon as possible to qualified applicants, performing a cold call is crucial. You must perform cold calls during DTA operating hours if that is the action you have pulled.

Important: If you are transferred to the Processing or Phone queue during the course of the day based on business need, you must perform the cold call if that is the action you have pulled.
If you pull an action for an application that needs an interview but the appointment is on a future date, you must perform the cold call, regardless of the action type. If the call is successful, you must conduct the interview. If the call is unsuccessful, you must annotate this in the narrative, update the Phone page to indicate that a cold call was attempted.

If the cold call attempts are unsuccessful, see Scheduling Interviews section below.

Scheduling Interviews

When pulling down a web application or entering an RFA, if both cold calls are unsuccessful, you must schedule an interview to take place at least 4 calendar days out whenever possible. This is to ensure the Department will be timely in the issuance of expedited benefits if the client is found to be eligible.

Example: On 11/8, a FAW receives an action to process a SNAP application. The cold calls are unsuccessful. The FAW generates an interview letter that same day with a scheduled interview date of 11/12. This interview date is 4 days from the date of the application being put on BEACON and the cold calls being made, and it is scheduled to occur before day 7.

If you do not complete or schedule an interview, then an overnight batch will automatically schedule an interview at least 4 calendar days into the future. For more information on automatic interview scheduling, see Scheduling/Cancelling Interviews.

The client will receive a reminder call 24 hours before his/her scheduled appointment.

Voicemail Messages

When you conduct a cold call to a client and the call is unsuccessful, you must leave the following voicemail message:

“This is the Department of Transitional Assistance calling regarding your application, we will be calling back in the next minute or so to complete your interview. If you are available, please pick-up. If we do not reach you, we will send you an appointment for an interview. To complete the interview earlier, you can call the Assistance Line at 877-382-2363 (or your case manager at XXX-XXX-XXXX). Thank you.”

You must also leave a narrative in the ECF summarizing the results of the cold calls.

Expedited Screening

Expedited screening must occur as part of the application interview. If you reach the client through a manual cold call, you must attempt an application interview. If the client is available for the application interview, you must also conduct an expedited screening. If the client states that they are not available for the interview and screening at that time, you must schedule an interview to occur as soon as possible.

Important: As a rule, you must schedule the application interview to be conducted by telephone unless the client requests a face-to-face or virtual interview or the client does not have telephone service.

Note: You cannot complete the Immediate Needs questions until an interview is held and the Interview page is updated.

Scheduling the Appointment in BEACON for the SNAP Application Interview

click the Schedule Appointment icon in the BEACON Tools tab: . The Client field will be prefilled with the client’s name.
select the type of appointment you are scheduling from the drop-down box, either Application Telephone: SNAP or Application In-Office: SNAP.
for Additional Free Form Narrative, you may enter any notes pertinent to the upcoming interview
in the Start field, enter or select the date of the interview from the calendar pop-up icon
for Start time, enter the start time for the interview
for End time, enter the time the interview will end
for Print location, select Local or Central; and
click Save.

The SNAP Application Appointment Letters are also available as manual forms for use in instances when BEACON cannot be accessed, or when the RFA cannot be completed for the client.

Conducting the SNAP Application Interview

When the interview occurs, remember that the three main purposes of the interview are to:

clarify the household’s situation and determine what must be verified;
screen the household for special circumstances, such as eligibility for expedited benefits; and
explain the program requirements to the household.

When conducting the interview, you must:

Begin by telling the applicant what they should expect during the interview e.g., how long it will take, that you will be asking various questions about household circumstances, etc.
Review the previous information on BEACON, if any; read the narrative and summary tabs to see if there is prior information that may impact the applicant’s current eligibility, such as external matches or program violations.
Check available external databases, based on the information provided by the client. Sources include RMV, the Work Number, BENDEX, SDX, EMT, MobiusView, and SAVE, if applicable. For more information on which databases to review at application, see External Databases.
Enter a narrative listing the data sources that were reviewed.
Follow the SNAP application workflow when asking standard eligibility questions; this will help you determine what to discuss and what to record.
Enter information into BEACON and resolve inconsistencies with the applicant based on responses to questions, information on the application, and/or prior data.
Discuss any incomplete sections of the application and explain any complex rules to which the applicant may be subject (e.g., ABAWD Work Rules). Also, be sure to go over the applicant’s rights and responsibilities.

At the conclusion of the interview, you must:

Summarize the interview to check both your and the applicant’s understanding of what transpired and what will happen next.
Emphasize the importance of submitting verification, advise the applicant of ways to obtain the verification, and inform them of their verification submission options.
Write a detailed narrative, consistent with the procedures in Completed BEACON Narratives.

Below are some other important things to remember as you complete an interview:

1. Gather Demographic Information

To confirm the identity of the person you are interviewing and the accuracy of the information on the application, you must be sure to ask for the following information:

the grantee’s first and last name, and last four digits of their SSN;
the grantee’s address and phone number; and
if applicable, demographic information of all other household members, including each person’s:
- name,
- date of birth, and
- last four digits of SSN if they are known to the system, or full SSN if they are not known to the system.

2. Check Household Composition

When filing a SNAP application, many applicants do not list everyone in the household because they are unsure who must be included. To prevent future errors, you must ask the applicant if anyone else lives in the household, even if the applicant listed no one else on the application.

If the applicant says yes, you must ask about each member’s relationship to the applicant, whether they purchase and prepare meals together, and whether they have any countable income or expenses.

3. Ask Open-Ended Questions

When asking interview questions to the applicant, you must ask them as open-ended questions rather than as leading, yes-or-no questions. The problem with yes-or-no questions is that clients may answer them carelessly and unintentionally provide misinformation. Open-ended questions are more free-form and thought-provoking, and they allow the client to provide more detailed (and likely accurate) information.

Examples of Open-Ended Questions

How much do you pay in rent?
What utilities are you responsible for paying?
Who lives in your household?
What sources of income do you have?
What kinds of medical expenses are you responsible for paying?

Examples of Leading Questions (avoid)

Is your rent $750?
You pay for heat, correct?
I have you, Joey, and Susan listed in the house, correct?
You have no income?
Do you have any medical expenses?

4. Ask Follow-Up Questions

In addition to asking open-ended questions, it is important to ask follow-up questions if the applicant provides information that is questionable or vague. Remember that clients do not always understand SNAP rules and they might interpret their financial situation differently than DTA. For example, if an applicant says that their earnings are only $200 per week, you should follow-up by asking whether $200 is their gross or net amount because the applicant may be declaring net earnings due to not knowing that DTA generally counts gross earnings.

Follow-up questions tend to be less open-ended because they are for clarifying specific information. Additional examples of follow-up questions include:

The applicant listed no other household members on the application but says during the interview that someone else lives in their household. The appropriate follow-up questions would be: “What is your relationship to this other person?” and “Do you purchase and prepare your meals together?”
The applicant says during the interview that their rent is subsidized, but the application lists a rent amount that is greater than 30% of their income. The appropriate follow-up question would be: “What portion of the rent listed on the application are you responsible for paying?”
A mother files a SNAP application for herself and her newborn. She provides a birth record to verify that she applied for her child’s SSN at the hospital. The birth record shows that the child’s father lives at the same address as the applicant. The appropriate follow-up question would be: “The birth record shows that the father of your child lives at your address. Is this information still true?”

5. Engage in Client-Friendly Communication

When speaking with the applicant, give them an opportunity to provide feedback. Ask them if they understood what you just told them. Also, ask for clarification from the client anytime you do not understand what they are trying to say, and restate what they told you to make sure you are correctly understanding what they meant. If you are paraphrasing what they just said, use the client’s own words as much as possible without adding additional details.

When they are speaking to you, show that you are listening by responding with phrases such as “I see,” “go on,” or “I understand.” Avoid making judgments about what you hear.

Make sure you avoid agency-specific language and acronyms that likely only DTA staff would know. While DTA staff are well-versed in DTA programs, many clients are not.

As a case manager, it may be helpful to standardize your script and plan your talking points with the aim of making the application process simpler for the client.

If you have a client whose primary language is not English, or have a communications related ADA, take the extra time to ensure equitable access and adherence to department procedures.

6. Notify Clients About Other Resources

During the interview, you may learn that the client will benefit from other resources besides DTA benefits. Below is a list of some resources that might be helpful:

The SNAP Application Interview Workflow

To help you complete the interview, the SNAP application workflow in BEACON will automatically direct you to some of the pages that capture information that you must discuss with the applicant. For example, if BEACON directs you to the Earned Income page, this is your queue to discuss earned income with the applicant.

Important: At this time, BEACON will continue to temporarily use a streamlined version of the SNAP application workflow. This streamlined workflow reduces the number of BEACON steps required to complete an interview.
Since it has been several years since DTA used the regular SNAP application interview procedures (which were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic), DTA will retain this streamlined workflow until further notice. This should make it easier for staff to transition to normal operations.

Certain pages will always require review and/or reedit; while others will require review and/or reedit based on prior data, information that the client provided while applying online, or what you key into BEACON during the interview. Most other pages will be available for review and/or reedit.

Do not overlook a BEACON page just because it does not require review or reedit. If this page captures information that happens to apply to the applicant, you must visit and/or reedit it.

The following table summarizes the streamlined Request for Assistance workflow for SNAP applications, including which pages will always require review and/or reedit.

Pages	Description
Request for Assistance (RFA) Workflow for Non-Web Applications Application Assessed Person – RFA Address – RFA Phone – RFA Email – RFA Program – RFA Assisting Person – RFA Domestic Violence – RFA Complete Request Signature	These pages will always require reedit (i.e., you must review them and enter information) if the SNAP application is NOT a web application.
Web Application RFA Workflow Assessed Person/Grantee Address – Web Application Additional Person Match Summary	These pages will require reedit if the SNAP application is a web application.
Other BEACON Pages for All Applications Household Apply For Assistance AU Mandatory/Responsible AU Composition Results Interview SNAP Work Rules Screening Page Disability Other Income Status Standard Utility Allowance Application/Reevaluation Print Interview Wrapup	These pages will always require reedit.
Prior Data or Web Application Response Any page that is normally activated based on a client’s response on the web application. Also, any page that used to be activated based on an entry in the Q and A Navigator.	These pages will require review and/or reedit if the household is known to BEACON and they have existing data from a prior case; or the client applies via web application and affirmatively answers the relevant questions.
Earned Income	This page will require reedit if the household includes any members age 16 or older.
Shelter Expenses	This page will require reedit if: the household’s address type is Private Housing or Public Housing, there is existing data from a prior case, or the client indicates on a web application that they have shelter expenses.
Medical Expenses	This page will require reedit if the household includes any members who are age 60 or older, or coded as Disabled.
Personal Relationships	This page will require reedit if you are adding household members.
Program Administration – Domestic Violence	This page will require reedit only if the SNAP application is a web application; or the case had Heightened Level of Security (HLS) when it last closed and Interview Held = Yes
Access Online Services	This page will require revisit or reedit if the case had HLS when it last closed and Interview Held = Yes.
Accommodation/Special Assistance – Request Note: If Interview Held = Yes and the Request page has not already been completed, BEACON will generate a pop-up message at the Interview page instructing you to visit the Request page. CAC Referral Screening Print Accommodation Medical Form Disposition Tracking	This page will require reedit only if the page had incomplete information from a previous application and/or Interview Held in the Interview page = Yes. These pages will require reedit only if Accommodation/Special Assistance – Request page = Yes.
AU Composition – Assessed Person	This page will require reedit only if the household has dependents.
Voter Registration	This page will require reedit only if Interview Held in the Interview page and US Citizenship in the Citizenship page = Yes.
Citizenship INS Designation Noncitizen Legal Permanent Resident	This page will require reedit if: a household member known to BEACON was previously coded as a noncitizen, or the client indicated on a web application that their household includes a noncitizen. These pages will require reedit only if US Citizenship in the Citizenship page = No. This page will require reedit only if US Citizenship in the Citizenship page = No and INS Designation = Legal Permanent Resident.
Program Change	This page will require review if Interview Held = No. This page will require reedit if a client applying via web application indicates that they want expedited benefits.
Deactivated Pages AU Composition Q and A Navigator Non-Financials Q and A Navigator Eligibility Limitations Q and A Navigator Income and Expenses Q and A Navigator Assets Q and A Navigator Family Cap Learnfare Intervention Deemor Vendor Payments	These pages have been deactivated from the application workflow. You cannot review or edit them.

Besides pages that have been deactivated, pages outside this workflow will be available unless disabled due to case circumstances.

This workflow does not apply to combo cases, including ones that closed within the past 30 days and remain outside the FAW model.

Notice of Missed Interview (NOMI)

Federal and state SNAP regulations require that a Notice of Missed Interview (NOMI) be sent to a client who does not appear for a scheduled interview. It is considered a negative error (aka “CAPER” error, which means “Case and Procedural Error Rate”) or an invalid case action for Quality Control purposes if the NOMI is not sent and the household is subsequently denied.

The DTA Assistance Line will automatically place outbound calls to SNAP clients with scheduled telephonic interviews. Clients who answer will be routed to the First Available Worker (FAW) to conduct the telephone interview. If a client does not answer for the scheduled telephonic interview after two attempts, BEACON will update the Interview page with the status of Missed Interview, send a NOMI, and write a case narrative that evening.

The NOMI is also available as a manual notice for use when BEACON cannot be accessed, or when the RFA cannot be completed for the client. The NOMI is available on Policy Online/Online Forms/SNAP.