Household Misfortune Procedures

Overview

SNAP policy allows for the replacement of food lost during a household misfortune, such as a fire, flood, loss of electricity, equipment malfunction (refrigerator or freezer) or other disaster. Replacement is limited to the value of the food lost, not to exceed the total monthly benefit amount.

SNAP clients may request replacement benefits because of a misfortune that has occurred in their household only or because of a more widespread misfortune that has impacted a town, county, state or region. In the event of a presidential declaration of disaster resulting in the activation of the Disaster-SNAP (D-SNAP) Program, existing SNAP clients affected by the disaster will have SNAP benefits replaced under household misfortune rules. Applicants, however, will be issued benefits under either a (D-SNAP) program if one is activated for the disaster area, or under regular SNAP.

Eligibility Requirements for Household Misfortune

When food purchased with SNAP benefits is destroyed due to a household misfortune or disaster, the household will be eligible for replacement of the actual value of the loss, not to exceed one month's allotment if:

the loss is reported orally or in writing within 10 days of the incident;
within 10-days of the report of the loss, the client submits a completed SNAP-9B (with a wet signature or telephonic signature) or a signed written self-declaration attesting under the penalties of perjury to:
- the monetary value of the food purchased with SNAP benefits that was lost due to the household misfortune,
- the date of the household misfortune, and
- the date of the food loss; and
  - Note: If a client submits a completed SNAP-9B form or a written attestation within 10 days of the loss of food, without prior report of loss, the SNAP-9B form or the written attestation of loss that covers the criteria above will satisfy both the report of loss and the signed statement of loss (this includes telephonic signature).
- the household misfortune is verified.

Telephonic Signature for SNAP-9B

Telephonic signature may be used to complete the Statement of Loss/Request for Replacement Food Due to a Household Disaster or Misfortune (SNAP-9B). If a client calls to report an outage, staff must inform the client that the SNAP-9B may be signed telephonically. If the client agrees to provide a telephonic signature, staff must complete the telephonic signature process as outlined in the Online Guide under Telephonic Signature. If the client provides the telephonic signature, the case manager must write a narrative detailing the information of the reported loss including:

The date the misfortune/disaster occurred;
The date the loss of food occurred;
The dollar value of the amount of food lost purchased using SNAP benefits; and
That the client provided a telephonic signature for the SNAP-9B Form under pains and penalties of perjury.

Important: If a client declines to provide a telephonic signature, staff must send the client a SNAP-9B Form via the Letter Request tab in BEACON. Staff must also explain that there is an advantage to signing telephonically, as there are strict timeframes associated with claiming household misfortune.

When issuing the SNAP-9B form, staff must not issue a VC-1 as the VC-1 will provide a due date that is 20 days, but the SNAP-9B has a due date that is 10 days to return the form. By using the Letter Request to generate the SNAP-9B form, we eliminate the issue of conflicting due dates.

Note: If a client calls the DTA Assistance Line or calls their case manager to report food loss due to a household misfortune, you must tell the client about the telephonic signature option and attempt to complete the SNAP-9B form and have it signed telephonically. Remind the client that the procedures necessary to claim and file for household misfortune have strict timeframes that need to be met, so utilizing telephonic signature will save time.

Reporting Household Misfortune by IVR System

Clients have the option to report a household misfortune via the DTA Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system by following these steps:

Dial 877-382-2363.
Select Language
Press 5 at the Main Menu for the Other Options menu.
Press 1 at the Other Options menu to report a household misfortune.
Enter authentication information (e.g., SSN, APID). If authenticated, the IVR line will play a recorded message explaining the household misfortune. (If not authenticated, the client will be sent back to the Assistance Line menu.)
Press 1 to indicate household misfortune.
Enter 2-digit month, 2-digit date, and 4-digit year of loss.
If the date is less than 10 days ago, the IVR line will play a recorded message thanking the client for reporting the loss and that they need to submit a replacement request form to complete the process. (If the date is more than 10 days ago, the IVR line will play a recorded message advising the client that DTA is unable to issue the replacement benefits and that they can press 0 to speak with a worker.)

If the client is able to complete each step and qualifies for replacement benefits based on the date they entered in Step 6, BEACON will automatically mail the SNAP-9B form and insert a narrative confirming the replacement request due to household misfortune.

Widespread Household Misfortune

There are times when storms and power outages are widespread and impacts the entire state or may be prevalent in certain counties, cities, or towns. When household misfortune is widespread the Department will utilize reports from local power companies and other trusted sources as verification and issue guidance as to which areas do not need to provide verification.

Important: If a certain county, city, or town is not identified in the guidance at the time of a widespread outage this does not mean that a client is not eligible for a replacement benefit. This means that verification is still required as outlined below.

Verification

The loss of food due to household misfortune requires verification by a third party, such as the Red Cross, fire department, utility company, appliance repair service, landlord, or Board of Health.

If the Department is able to verify the misfortune through news sources or other public information, then you must not request verification from the client. However, if the Department is unable to verify the misfortune, the client must be asked to provide verification.

You may assist the client in obtaining verification by establishing collateral contact, when possible. If collateral contact is provided you must contact the person/company and if the information is verified, enter a narrative in BEACON explaining the action taken.

Note: A power outage valid for replacement benefits is defined as an outage that lasts four hours or more.

Examples

Example 1

Bradley’s house was impacted by a power outage due to a winter storm on January 27th. On January 31st, Bradley calls the DTA Assistance Line to report that they were without power from the evening of January 27th through the afternoon of January 28th, and the food in their refrigerator spoiled on January 28th due to the extended outage. The worker informs Bradley that a completed SNAP-9B form or a signed attestation of the loss is required and asks Bradley if they would like to complete one over the phone; Bradley agrees and provides a telephonic signature for the SNAP-9B form. The worker is able to verify that Bradley resides in an impacted area, based on correspondence from Central Office, Bradley resides in a County for which no additional verification is required. The worker issues a related benefit due to Household Misfortune and writes a narrative regarding the details of the Household Misfortune reported and the telephonic signature provided.

Example 2

Lorraine’s house was impacted by a power outage that occurred on October 1st. On October 3rd, Lorraine calls the DTA Assistance Line to report their loss of food purchased with SNAP benefits. Lorraine states that their refrigerator and freezer kept their food cold through October 2nd despite the power outage, but by the afternoon of October 3rd their milk and meat products had spoiled as power had not yet been restored. Lorraine’s reported date of loss is October 3rd. The worker advises Lorraine that the SNAP-9B form can be completed telephonically. Lorraine declines to provide a telephonic signature for the SNAP-9B. The worker informs Lorraine that to be eligible for replacement SNAP benefits, the SNAP-9B or a signed written self-declaration must be completed and submitted within 10-days of reporting the loss. In case Lorraine chooses to submit a written self-declaration in lieu of the SNAP-9B form, Lorraine must be informed of the items to include on the self-declaration. The worker must also use the Letter Request tab in BEACON to send a SNAP-9B. The SNAP-9B form or written self-declaration must be returned by October 13th. Verification of the misfortune is also required.

Example 3

Hilda’s house was impacted by severe flooding on December 2nd, and they lost food purchased with SNAP benefits. Hilda submitted a signed statement on December 14 attesting to the food loss, the date of the household misfortune and the date of the food loss. Hilda reported that the misfortune occurred on December 2nd and the loss of the food occurred on December 4. The worker was able to confirm that Hilda’s address was impacted by flooding through a news source on the internet. Seeing that the client provided a signed attestation within 10 days of the loss of food and the misfortune was verified, they are eligible for replacement benefits.

Procedures for Issuing Replacement SNAP Benefits

When a client reports a loss of food due to household misfortune, before you authorize replacement benefits, you must:

determine if a completed SNAP-9B form has been completed; or
ensure the client has provided a signed written self-declaration;
- If neither a SNAP-9B nor a signed written self-declaration has been received, staff must attempt to contact the client in an effort to complete a telephonic SNAP-9B Form. If there is no response, staff are to centrally print the SNAP-9B Form via Letter Request.
- Note: Staff must generate the SNAP-9B form via Letter Request. This is important because generating the SNAP-9B form from the Verification Checklist will cause the client to have conflicting due dates. The VC-1 will give a due date that is 20 days, but the SNAP-9B has a due date that is 10 days.
- If contact is made and the client states that they do not wish to provide a telephonic signature staff are to centrally print the SNAP-9B Form via Letter Request.
ensure that the loss of food is verified:
- Verification of the loss of food must be provided by the client. In some instances of widespread misfortune such as a power outage or a storm that has affected a large area, the Department will utilize reports from local power companies and other trusted sources as verification and issue guidance as to which areas do not need to provide verification.
- Verification may also be provided through a collateral contact
issue the replacement benefits on the Related Benefits page using the reason FSP Household Disaster if the client is eligible for household misfortune replacement benefits; or
deny the request using the SNAP Denial of Request for Replacement Benefits for Household Misfortune (SNAP-DHMB) if the client is ineligible for household misfortune replacement; and
annotate the BEACON Narrative tab with the action taken.

Waiver for Extension of Reporting Period

If the Department obtains a waiver from the USDA to extend the time limit to both report a household misfortune and/or to complete the signed written self-declaration or the SNAP-9B form, DTA staff will be notified of this development, which will include the terms of the waiver.

Waiver for Mass Replacement of Benefits

If the Department obtains a waiver to provide replacement benefits due to widespread household misfortune for a geographic area (e.g. city, town or county or specific zip codes), SNAP benefits will be automatically credited to the EBT accounts of eligible households impacted by the misfortune. Household verification may not be required in this instance. Staff would be notified of such a development and of the specific procedures required.

SSI/SSP Special Benefits

SSI/SSP Special Benefits are considered noncountable income for SNAP. If a client applies for replacement SNAP benefits under household misfortune, and the client is also an SSI/SSP recipient, the SNAP case manager should refer the client to apply for SSI/SSP Special Benefits through the Central Eligibility Processing Unit.

An applicant for SSI/SSP Special Benefits must utilize all available resources such as SNAP benefits and funds from relief agencies (e.g., the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross) before the Department can authorize payment. For more information on SSI/SSP Special Benefits, see SSI/SSP Special Benefits – Application (new link) and refer to 106 CMR 327.390.

If an applicant for SSI/SSP Special Benefits is determined to be ineligible, the Central Eligibility Processing Unit must:

issue a Notice of Approval, Denial or Termination for Emergency Assistance Or Other Financial Services (NFL-9) (E and S) denying the applicant; and
enter a narrative in BEACON explaining the action taken.

SSI/SSP Special Benefits Request Form (new link)

SSI/SSP Special Benefits – Application (new link)

Procedures for Processing SNAP Denial of Request for Replacement Benefits for Household Misfortune

The SNAP Denial of Request for Replacement Benefits (SNAP-DHMB) form must be completed when a client is found ineligible for replacement benefits. This form currently requires a two-level sign-off.

For staff working in-office, the case manager must:

Complete the fillable PDF of the SNAP-DHMB form;
Print the form locally;
Sign the “Department Representative Signature”;
Give the form to a supervisor to sign the “Supervisor’s Signature”; and
Mail form locally to the client.

While staff continue to work remotely, offices may work within their local TAO to develop a system to complete the SNAP-DHMB Form. For staff working remotely:

The case manager must complete the fillable PDF of the SNAP-DHMB form;
The case manager must email their supervisor regarding the required DHMB and attach the completed document (pending signatures);
The supervisor will then contact local Duty Supervisor/Reception Coordinator (this may vary from office to office);
At this time, with work from home, the Duty Supervisor/Reception Coordinator must sign both the “Department Representative Signature” and the “Supervisor’s Signature”;
The Supervisor/Reception Coordinator must mail the form locally to the client.

Note: Regarding the process for getting this form signed and mailed when staff are working remotely, offices are free to adjust the process described above to best suit their operational needs.