DTA Connect: Updating Shelter and/or Utility Expenses

Overview

Active clients of any DTA program can use the DTA Connect My Info page to update and self-declare their shelter and/or utility expenses.

DTA Connect will display the shelter/utility expenses on record, including the type, amount, and frequency of the shelter cost on record. Active clients can edit, delete, or add new entries.

Prompts Based on Updates to Residential Address

DTA Connect will prompt (but not require) a client to enter shelter and utility expense information whenever they use DTA Connect to update their residential address.

Reminder: If the client is only updating their mailing address, DTA Connect will update the information in BEACON and not prompt the client to update their shelter and utility expenses.

Question About Subsidized Housing

When entering new rent, DTA Connect will ask the client if they are in subsidized housing.

The client’s response will trigger BEACON to automatically select Yes or No for the Subsidized Housing radio button in the Shelter Expense page.

Reminder: TAFDC, EAEDC, or Combo Cases must be reviewed to make sure that private or public housing is accurately coded to ensure the cash benefit amount is correct.

Rules/Procedures for TAFDC, EAEDC, or Combo Cases

At any time, if a TAFDC, EAEDC, or combo client uses DTA Connect to update shelter and/or utility expense(s), they will appear on the Client Info Update DTA Connect view (My Office > Views > Daily Priority Actions).

If the updates are not considered questionable or contradictory, are clear and make sense with the case as a whole, you must visit the required BEACON windows and consider the update(s) self-declared. Then, mark the update(s) as verified in the verification tab, and wrap-up the case.

Note: Please make sure to thoroughly review the ECF, including any new information provided recently in EDM that would clarify any potentially questionable information. For example, a new source of income would clarify a drastic increase in rental amount or a copy of a new lease would clarify household composition.

If the information is considered questionable or contradictory, or is unclear and does not make sense with the case as a whole, follow these steps:

Attempt two cold calls to the client.

If one of the calls is successful, confirm the questionable information, consider the update(s) self-declared, verify the information in the verification tab and wrap up the case.

If both cold calls are unsuccessful, send an optional VC-1 for the reported change that appears questionable. If the client does not follow up with verification(s), the record cannot be updated. The case manager must document in the narrative that the client did not follow-up.

Note: If there is no item on the Verification tab because the client reported on DTA Connect that the item no longer applies to them (e.g., they no longer pay for utilities), enter a detailed narrative.

Rules/Procedures for SNAP-Only Cases

Autowrapping

During case maintenance, if an active SNAP-only client uses DTA Connect to add/edit only their shelter and/or utility expenses, BEACON will autowrap these changes. In these instances, on the Standard Utility Allowance page in BEACON, the Number of AUs Sharing field will default to “1.” BEACON will also correctly apply the standard utility allowance (SUA) that the household is eligible for.

Note: Updates via DTA Connect to shelter and/or utilities will not impact existing credits for H-EAT or LIHEAP.

Action: DTA Connect – Optional Shelter SUA VC-1

If the client uses DTA Connect to report a residential address change without updating their shelter and/or utility expenses, BEACON will clear the existing shelter and utility expense information and create the Action: DTA Connect – Optional Shelter/SUA VC-1. If you receive this action, you must follow these steps:

Attempt to cold call the client two times.
If one of the calls is successful, ask the client for their current shelter and utility costs.
Ask the client to telephonically self-declare their shelter and utility expenses, and update the BEACON record accordingly.
Disposition the action and wrap the case.
If both cold calls are unsuccessful, send an optional VC-1 for shelter and utility costs. To ensure that the client knows specifically what you are requesting on the VC-1, select Additional Verification for Element and type the following for Document(s) of evidence:

“You reported on DTA Connect that your address changed. Please tell us your new housing costs and what utilities you pay for. You can do this on DTA Connect, by calling us or sending a written statement. If you do not provide the updated costs your SNAP benefits may change.”

Disposition the action and wrap the case without crediting the client with shelter and SUA. (However, if the client was already credited with H-EAT or LIHEAP, they will retain those credits and continue getting the Heating/Cooling SUA.)

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

Remove the authorization to process the case.
Create an Action to process the change the day after the VC-1 Due Date (for more information on creating an Action, see Creating Follow-up Actions).
If the optional verification is received, enter the expense and recalculate the benefits.
If verification is not received process the case without entering the expense(s).

If the client subsequently follows up with verification, the FAW who receives the Action to review the documents must add them to the BEACON record and recalculate the benefits. If necessary, FAW must issue a related benefit (see Department Responsibility to Take Timely Action for more information).