Change Reporting – Recertification

SNAP clients are required to recertify periodically to redetermine eligibility. This involves the completion of the Recertification form or a telephonically-signed recertification, an interview (if applicable) and verification of eligibility factors.

Steps in the Recertification Process

The Recertification form is mailed to client 45 days before the end of the certification period.
Client returns the Recertification form to the Document Processing Center or to the TAO, submits the Recertification electronically via DTAConnect.com or the DTA Connect mobile app calls the DTA Assistance Line (or if a combo case, their designated case manager) to recertify telephonically, or completes one at a TAO.
A cold call is attempted to conduct an interview. If the client is unavailable, an interview is scheduled.
An interview is conducted to discuss household circumstances, available resources and outstanding verifications.
If the client is not available, a NOMI is sent by batch for SNAP-only cases. Combo cases must have a NOMI sent manually.
The case manager reviews all available data sources.
A Verification Checklist (VC-1) is sent for any outstanding item.
The case is authorized and if still eligible, is approved for a new certification period.
If a Recertification form is submitted, but the client does not complete the recertification process, they will receive a Notice of Benefits Ending.

Interview

A Recertification interview is required for all households on Change Reporting. The interview is an important opportunity to ask clients questions about their household circumstances, to determine which verifications may be required and to make an accurate eligibility determination. Interviews can identify additional supports the client may need, such as an ADA Accommodation or an Assisting Person. The interview is also a valuable opportunity to address other services and options available to the client, such as Domestic Violence, Voter Registration, SNAP Path to Work, DTA Connect, and whether they wish to block access to online services

Important: You must use the submitted Recertification and information available in the case record to conduct interviews and/or request verifications. There are several components of SNAP eligibility that are not asked on the form because verification is always required. This applies to PA and NPA SNAP households.

Work Number

At recertification, if there is a Work Number match showing active employment with wages received in the last 30 days, you must review the information with the client during the interview.

If the client confirms the information is correct: pull the earned income in BEACON, make sure it is marked as Verified, and disposition the match.

If the client disputes the match information, you must send a VC-1 for earned income (or termination of employment, if applicable).

Households Denied After Recertification is Processed

When processing a recertification for a household that:

is eligible for a waived recertification interview; and
the household’s case will be denied after the recertification has been processed due to changes in household circumstances you must:

delete the wrap-up; and
conduct two cold calls to the household
if the cold call is successful, you must conduct a recertification interview
if the cold calls are unsuccessful, you must schedule a recertification interview

For more, see Conducting Cold Calls, Schedule Timely Appt. Action, Scheduled SNAP Telephone Appointments, and Scheduling/Cancelling Appointments.

Notice of Missed Interview (NOMI)

A NOMI must be sent to a client who does not keep a scheduled interview. This is important because the client may not have received the notice of scheduled interview due to USPS delays, issues with their smartphone, and/or other personal issues. Additionally, failure to send a NOMI is considered a negative error or an invalid case action for Quality Control purposes if the NOMI is not sent and the household is subsequently closed or denied.

The DTA Assistance Line places outbound calls to SNAP-only clients at the time of their scheduled telephonic interviews. When a SNAP-only client does not answer for their scheduled telephonic interview after two attempts, BEACON will update the Interview page with the status of Missed Interview, send a NOMI centrally. A batch narrative will be entered on the case that evening.

Important: When a combination cash/SNAP client misses their interview, the cash case manager must send the NOMI. BEACON will not automatically generate a NOMI for combo cases.

Reminder: SNAP-only clients can automatically reschedule their telephonic interviews using the DTA Connect mobile app and DTAConnect.com platforms. See Clients to Reschedule Appointments - SNAP.

Verifications

Income and expenses must be verified at recertification. Before you send a VC-1, you must determine whether the item(s) requiring verification:

is a permanent verification;
is available through a data source;
can be verified by a scanned document in the Electronic Case Folder.

If you cannot verify an item(s) based on the information available in the case record or via a trusted data source, you must issue the client a VC-1. Verified items must be marked by selecting the appropriate Documents of Evidence on the Verification tab.

In rare circumstances, clients may submit verification of income that indicates that their income never changes. An example of this is a pension letter indicating that the client receives a specific amount and it is not subject to any cost of living or other adjustment. In those limited circumstances, clients do not need to submit updated verification of that income source. Staff must still input the income in BEACON for the current period and mark it as Verified on the Verification tab.

Staff must review all information available in the case record to determine what verifications are necessary. Staff must be sure to check the income on record and request updates of the income situation at Recertification if the verification was not provided or it is not available to DTA.

Important: All data sources must be reviewed before processing a recertification. Sources include the Work Number, BENDEX, SDX, DUA, MobiusView, and SAVE if applicable. At recertification, an overnight request must be run for household members who are receiving or presumed to be receiving RSDI and/or SSI. For more information, see External Databases.

SAVE responses must be attached to the ECF. You must detail all data sources reviewed in the case narrative.

Recertifications must be processed without delay if the only outstanding verifications are optional. If a VC-1 issued at Recertification is only for an optional verification(s), you must review what the household’s benefit level will be if the expense(s) is not credited. Complete the reevaluation workflow without entering the unverified expense(s) and wrap up the case. If not counting the expense(s) results in a benefit level that is greater than zero, you must immediately process the Recertification.

If not counting the expense(s) results in a $0 benefit level or the case being denied for over-income, the recertification must not be processed at this time. Rather, you must follow these steps:

remove the authorization to process the case
create an Action to process the case on the BEACON Release Date that occurs right before the reevaluation end date
for more information on creating an Action, see Creating Follow-up Actions
if the optional verification(s) is received on or before the BEACON Release Date, enter the expense(s) and approve the Recertification
if verification is not received by the BEACON Release Date, process the case without entering the expense(s).

If the verification(s) is subsequently provided, a supplement may be owed.

Notice of Benefits Ending

A Notice of Benefits Ending is sent to SNAP households when their Recertification form is returned but a timely case closing occurs at the end of the certification period because the recertification process was not completed. A SNAP client would receive one of the following, based on the applicable situation:

Recertification Form Returned but Mandatory Verifications are Missing. The household submitted a Recertification form timely, and was interviewed, but the recertification is not authorized due to outstanding mandatory verifications. A VC-1 was sent with a due date on or before the closing date.
Recertification Form Returned but No Interview Completed. The household submitted a Recertification form timely, had a cold call attempted, and an interview scheduled, but the household missed the scheduled interview.
Recertification Form Is Returned Too Close to the Closing Date. The household submitted a Recertification form after the apply-by-date, but before the closing date. The notice acknowledges receipt of the Recertification form and informs the client that other requirements in the recertification process need to be completed.

The BEACON Recertification Process

Staff will receive Recertifications through the Process Online Recertification Action, the Process Scanned Recertification Action, or the Reevaluations Due View.

The Reevaluation workflow is used to initiate, complete and submit a recertification.

You must start the Recertification process in the following situations:

You are speaking with the client within the 45-day period and able to complete the interview and workflow.
A signed form is returned to the Department. This will be assigned to FAW staff as a Process Scanned Recertification Action. Economic Assistance case managers will see the form availability on the Available/Reviewed Scanned Documents View.
The Recertification is submitted online (BEACON will initiate this automatically). This will be assigned to FAW staff as a Process Online Recertification Action. Economic Assistance case managers will see the form availability on the Reevaluations Due View.

Starting the Recertification Process

enter the Reevaluation workflow
go to the Reevaluation Initiate/Reinitiate page
click the SNAP program on the page and select the case needing to be recertified
if the case is not already initiated, click the Initiate check box
click Save
go through the applicable steps related to cold calls, interviews, and verification requests as outlined above. After all client-involved steps are completed, you will be able to submit the Recertification.
make sure all available pages within the Reevaluation workflow have been reviewed and updated
click Application/Reevaluation Print
select Reevaluation from the drop-down box
click Generate
click Print. If a signed Recertification form or telephonic signature has already been received, the BEACON-generated form does not need to be signed.
go to the Reevaluation Submit page
click Submit (The reevaluation type and date will be prefilled by BEACON. The type or date may be changed, if necessary.)
go to the Interview Wrapup page
click Selection
click the applicable checkboxes pertaining to the reevaluation
click Finish
click EBC Results
click Calculate
select the record in the page for the case being reevaluated on the Updates Tab. The Benefit Effective Date is automatically populated but can be changed if Proration is needed.
click Save
click Finish
review the calculation
write a detailed Narrative.

If the household is still eligible for SNAP, it will be assigned a newly calculated benefit amount, certification type and certification period.

When Recertification Occurs Before the Last Cyclical Month of the Current Certification Period

If a client completes the recertification process before the release date of their last month of benefits, BEACON will take the following steps:

apply all verified changes reported at recertification to the case; and
recalculate the household’s benefits.

Note: BEACON will not assign the household a new eligibility period until the end of the current certification period.

Reinstating Untimely or Incomplete Recertifications

BEACON will close a case if the recertification process is not complete by the BEACON release date (a few days prior to the end of the certification period). If a client submits a Recertification form after the BEACON release date but before the certification end date, you must:

reinstate case and enter the Form Received date to initiate the recertification. If the client comes to the TAO, and does not provide a form but signs the form that is generated from BEACON based on the interview, the Form Received date would be the date of that in-office interview
click Save
complete all required pages and follow procedures for a timely recertification

Note: If a Recertification form is returned after the certification end date, but within 30 days of the certification end date, you must use the form to create a Request for Assistance (RFA). If the Recertification form is returned more than 30 days after the certification end date, the client must reapply through the normal application process.

If verifications are received prior to closing, the Benefit Effective Date field will be blank on the Interview Wrap up page. Fault will not be determined because although late, the recertification requirements were met by the closing date. Enter the client’s next cyclical issuance date (day after closing date) as the Benefit Effective Date and wrap up the case.

If verifications are received after the closing, the Benefit Effective Date field on the Interview Wrap up page will be set based on the BEACON fault reason. The Fault Reason and Classification will be displayed in Interview Wrap up.

The Verification Received field will be enabled only for reinstatement of cases closed/denied for one of the following reasons:

Failed to keep appointment for review
Your certification period has ended
Initiated but Failed to Recertify
Fail to submit the required verifications

Extended Reinstatement Period

In limited and extenuating circumstances, a case can be reinstated up to 3 months after the recertification closing date if one of the following is true:

A scanned SNAP prefilled Recertification form with a DTA received date between the SNAP notice sent date and the recertification closing date is available to be processed; or
A scanned verification with a DTA received date between the SNAP notice sent date and the recertification closing date plus 30 days is available to be processed.

Denying a Reinstated Recertification

If a reinstated recertification is not dispositioned by the 30th day following the closing date, BEACON will generate a notice to the client and deny for one of the following reasons:

You Did Not Complete the SNAP Recertification Process after Reinstatement.
You Did Not Submit the Required Verifications for Recertification after Reinstatement.

The case will not be eligible to be reinstated again. The client must reapply through the normal application process.