NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
December 15, 2006

IM 4997

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

FROM:	Blaine Nordwall, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	Simplified Reporting – IVES Alerts & Pended TANF Applications

PROGRAMS:	Food Stamp Program

EFFECTIVE:	January 1, 2007

RETENTION: 	Until Manualized

IVES Alerts:

Effective with any IVES alerts received from Job Services for unemployment benefits January 1, 2007 or later, the alert is considered primary source information for ALL food stamp cases. These alerts must be acted on regardless of whether they result in an increase or decreased in benefits for simplified reporting households.  

Any other IVES alert received for a food stamp only case can be cleared and is not acted on. For combination cases, if verification is obtained for Medicaid and/or TANF, the worker must use the verification to determine whether or not there is a claim.

Pended TANF Applications:

Effective January 1, 2007 any household applying for food stamps and TANF, including Diversion Assistance where the food stamp application is processed and the TANF application is pended, the household will be a change reporting household rather than a simplified reporting household.

If the TANF application is denied, the food stamp household becomes a simplified reporting household effective the first of the following month.

For ongoing food stamp cases that are simplified reporting and the household applies for TANF, including Diversion Assistance, the household becomes a change reporting household the first of the month following approval of the TANF application.

If you have questions, please contact your Regional Representative.