NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
June 13, 2006

IM #4986

TO:		County Social Service Directors
Economic Assistance Policy Regional Representatives
Economic Assistance Policy Quality Control Reviewers

FROM:	Blaine Nordwall, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	Expedited Services

PROGRAMS:	Food Stamps	

EFFECTIVE:	July 1, 2006

RETENTION: 	Until Manualized

Policy Sections Affected by this IM:

430-05-20-05 – Opportunity to Participate
430-05-20-15 – Application
430-05-20-50-15 – Expedited Processing Standards
430-05-20-50-15-05 – Special Procedures for Expediting Services

Per a policy change issued by the National Food and Nutrition Services Office, effective July 1, 2006 for all new applications that are expedited, the applicant household must be interviewed prior to certifying the household.  

County application procedures must identify households eligible for expedited services at the time the household requests assistance by conducting a pre-screening.  Section one of the Application for Assistance must be used to screen for expedited services.  

Pre-screening Identifies Expedited Household
If pre-screening identifies a household as expedited, the 7-day processing timeframe begins the day following the date of application.  If a completed application is filed, the household is determined expedited and the applicant is unable to stay for the prescreening, the 7-day processing timeframe begins the day following the date of application.  If a complete application is mailed to the county office and the household is determined expedited, the 7-day processing timeframe begins the date the application is received at the county office.  The worker must schedule an interview as soon as possible in order to meet the 7-day processing timeframe.

If the interview is completed and identity is verified, benefits must be available to the household on the 7th day.  If the household does not have an EBT card, a card must be issued at the time of prescreening or interview.  If the household has an EBT card, the worker must ensure the account is active.  Benefits must be issued by the 6th day for deposit into the household’s EBT account to ensure they are available to the household on the 7th day.  

If the household does not show for the interview, the notice F018 – Notice of Missed Interview must be sent.  If the household reschedules the interview in time to meet the expedited timeframe, the interview must be completed, identity verified and benefits must be available to the household on the 7th day. If the household does not have an EBT card, a card must be issued at the time of prescreening or interview.  If the household has an EBT card, the worker must ensure the account is active.  Benefits must be issued by the 6th day for deposit into the household’s EBT account to ensure they are available to the household on the 7th day.  

If the household does not reschedule the interview in time to meet the 7-day processing time frame, the household loses its entitlement to expedited services and the application is processed within the 30-day processing time frame.  If the household makes no further contact, the application must be denied on the 30th day following the date of application for failure to complete the interview process.  

Pre-Screening Identifies Household as Not Expedited and Later Determined Expedited
If pre-screening identifies a household as not entitled to expedited services and it is later determined that the household is entitled to expedited services, the 7-day processing timeframe begins with the date the household is discovered entitled to expedited service.

Incomplete Application
If an incomplete application is submitted by mail or an incomplete application is filed and the household is unable to stay for the pre-screening, eligibility for expedited processing cannot be determined.  The worker must schedule an interview as soon as possible.  

If the interview is completed, identity is verified and the household is found eligible for expedited services, the 7-day processing timeframe starts with the date of interview.  Benefits must be made available to the household on the 7th day.  If the household does not have an EBT card, a card must be issued at the time of interview.  If the household has an EBT card, the worker must ensure the account is active.  Benefits must be issued by the 6th day for deposit into the household’s EBT account to ensure they are available to the household on the 7th day.  

If the interview is completed and the household is not eligible for expedited services, the application must be processed within the 30-day timeframe.  

If the household does not show for the interview, the notice F018 – Notice of Missed Interview must be sent.  If the household reschedules the interview in time to meet the expedited timeframe, the interview is completed, identity verified and the household is found eligible for expedited services, the 7-day processing timeframe starts with the date of interview.  Benefits must be made available to the household on the 7th day.  If the household does not have an EBT card, a card must be issued at the time of interview.  If the household has an EBT card, the worker must ensure the account is active.  Benefits must be issued by the 6th day for deposit into the household’s EBT account to ensure they are available to the household on the 7th day.  

If the household does not reschedule the interview in time to meet the 7-day processing time frame, the application is processed within the 30-day processing time frame.  If the household makes no further contact, the application must be denied on the 30th day following the date of application for failure to complete the interview process.

Other Policies
Waiver of Office Interview policy at 430-05-20-45-05 continues to apply to all household processed under expedited or 30-day processing standards.  Postponed Verification found in Special Procedures for Expediting Services at 430-05-20-50-15-05 continues to apply to expedited households.  

Expedited Service Notices
The language in Food Stamp notices F101 – Expedited FS Application Waived Interview/Verifications and F105 – Expedited FS Application – Migrants will be updated to remove reference to the interview effective July 1, 2006.  If processing an expedited application from June after July 1, 2006 with a postponed interview, the postponed interview will need to be included in the information needed section which is a worker fill section.  

If you have any question, please contact your Regional Representative.