NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA
January 26, 2010

IM 5090

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

FROM:	Tove Mandigo, Director, Economic Assistance Policy

SUBJECT:	Applications and Recertifications Filed with No Address

PROGRAMS:	All

EFFECTIVE:	Immediately 

RETENTION: 	Until Manualized

SECTIONS 
AFFECTED:	
SNAP – 430-05-20-15 – Application
SNAP – 430-05-35-05 – Recertification Application
Child Care – 400-26-35-10
TANF - 400-17-25-35 - Request for Benefits and TANF Statement of Facts 

SNAP
For new applications and recertifications, an incomplete application can be filed as long as it contains the applicant’s name, address and signature of a responsible household member or authorized representative.   The incomplete application must be registered to hold the application date and a pending notice and the interview scheduled if required.  Without an address, residential or mailing, it is not an application.
  
We have had some situations in which an applicant applies and provides a residential address but does not provide a mailing address.  The applicant is not able to get mail delivered to their residential address.  In these situations, the worker needs to explain to the household that they will not get information necessary to keep their case open such as recertification forms.  The case must be approved with General Delivery as the address if otherwise eligible.  If mail is returned with an unknown address, the case must continue until recertification as this does not meet the criteria to decrease benefits.

Medicaid, Healthy Steps, TANF, Child Care
Counties should review the contact information found on a mailing envelope, in a phone book, on a Motor Vehicle query, or using any other available resources for address information.

The application must be registered and if no mailing/residence address can be located, General Delivery must be used for the mailing address and applicable notice(s) sent.

If the notices are returned for insufficient address:
•	If the application has not been approved, it should be denied due to loss of contact and documented in the case file 
•	If the application has been approved, the case can be closed for loss of contact and documented in the case file.

LIHEAP
LIHEAP policy is silent on missing addresses (as opposed to signatures), but should it occur, following the lead of the other programs would be appropriate.  It’s less likely to be a problem with this program simply because applicants recognize that we need to know which place to heat.