Reclassification of SNAP Benefits When Cash Closes
Many clients receiving cash benefits (TAFDC or EAEDC) also receive SNAP benefits at the same time. Due to differences in program eligibility rules, a household on cash may lose their eligibility for cash benefits and remain eligible for SNAP benefits. When this occurs, the SNAP certification type may need to be adjusted in accordance with the certification rules for SNAP-only cases.
Reclassification Rules
BEACON will automatically convert a SNAP case from a PA case on Change Reporting to an NPA (non-Public Assistance) case on Simplified Reporting if the SNAP household:
- had an associated TAFDC or EAEDC that just closed,
- remains financially and non-financially eligible for SNAP, and
- does not qualify for TBA SNAP benefits (former TAFDC cases only).
This reclassification will not change the existing certification end date for the SNAP case.
Note: SNAP cases that were already NPA when the cash benefits were active do not get reclassified. For example, a SIMP-12 or EDSAP case is already an NPA SNAP case. Therefore, if the household is SIMP-12 or EDSAP and the cash case closes, their associated SNAP case will not be reclassified.
If the closed TAFDC or EAEDC case is subsequently reinstated and approved, the SNAP case will go back to being a PA case on Change Reporting.
BEACON will convert qualified TBA households to the certification type: Transitional Benefit Alternative (which displays as “Recertification” in BEACON, while “TBA” displays on the AU Composition Results and Interview Wrapup EBC results pages). See TBA Overview for the TBA eligibility rules.
Simplified Reporting Type
If the household is on Change Reporting and does not qualify for TBA SNAP benefits, BEACON will convert the certification to the generic Simplified Reporting type.
This means that the Simplified Reporting type will not have the “12 Months” qualifier. BEACON will only display it as “Simplified Reporting.”
Reclassifying these households to generic Simplified Reporting instead of Simplified Reporting – 12 Months will avoid confusion over the months remaining in the certification period (for example, calling it “SIMP-12” when there are less than twelve months left).
Interim Reporting
Reclassified Simplified Reporting SNAP households will be subject to the Interim Report (IR) requirement if the reclassification occurs more than 45 days before the midpoint of their SNAP certification period. In this case, they would not receive an IR, and their next reporting period would be recertification.
Reclassification Notice
SNAP households that are reclassified from PA Change Reporting to NPA Simplified Reporting will receive a reclassification notice.
Below is a sample of the notice: View/HideView/Hide
