Interviews 430-05-35-30

(Revised 07/01/18 ML3528)

View Archives

 

 

All households, with an interview required at review, including those submitting applications for review by mail or electronically, must have an interview with a worker prior to review.

 

A telephone interview may be conducted instead of an office interview. The county must provide a face-to-face interview if requested by the household or authorized representative. A telephone interview does not exempt the household from verification requirements. Special procedures may be used to permit the household to provide verification and obtain its benefits in a timely manner, such as substituting a collateral contact in cases where documentary verification would normally be provided.

 

A face to face interview must be conducted at the SNAP office or other mutually acceptable location (including a household’s residence – this must be scheduled in advance).

 

The primary purpose of interviewing a household is to obtain and furnish information. The interview must be conducted as an official and confidential discussion of household circumstances. The individual’s right to privacy must be protected during the interview. Facilities must be adequate to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of the interview.

 

The individual interviewed may be the applicant, spouse, any other responsible member of the household, or an authorized representative. The worker must document who was interviewed and the date the interview was completed. In addition, the worker must review the information that appears on the application for review, explore and resolve inconsistent and incomplete information.

 

Households must be advised of their rights and responsibilities during the interview, including the appropriate processing timeframes and the household’s responsibility to report changes.

 

Households that are applying for or receiving TANF must be advised that time limits and other requirements that apply to TANF do not apply to SNAP. These households must also be advised that they may still be eligible for SNAP if they are no longer receiving TANF because they have reached the TANF time limit, have begun working, or for other reasons.

 

Workers, during the interview, must inquire about any changes in household circumstances between the time the application for review was completed and the time of the interview.

 

Any changes received or reported prior to the review being processed, must be acted on.

  1. The worker must also:
  1. Document the date the application for review was filed by recording the date it was received by the county.
  2. Document the date the interview was conducted and the name of the individual interviewed on the application.
  3. Examine and explore each section of the application for review with the household or its authorized representative.

(1)  If it is incomplete, assist the household in completing the form.

(2)  Ensure that the application for review is completed and signed.

  1. If the household has not designated an authorized representative, explain to the household the functional capacity of the authorized representative and allow them the opportunity to designate someone.
  2. The worker must remain flexible, avoid biases, be sincerely interested in people, and be sensitive to their individual circumstances.
  1. The worker must keep in mind an interview is not:
  1. a criminal investigation.
  2. a counseling session.
  3. an interrogation.