Section 702.160 - Time Standards for Applications(A)Completed Verifications. For those applicants who provide all required verifications within 22 calendar days of the date of application, the determination of eligibility shall be completed so that the initial benefits are provided or a notice of denial is mailed within 30 calendar days of the date of application.(B)Extensions. Applicants who have not provided verifications by the 22nd calendar day from the date of application shall receive an eight calendar day extension to provide the required verifications. At the time the eight day extension is granted, the worker shall send the applicant a list of all outstanding eligibility factors to be verified and the alternative verifications allowed for those eligibility factors. The worker shall advise the applicant that help is available to obtain such verification. An additional 15 calendar day extension may be granted to applicants who make a written request for such an extension and who have a reasonable explanation for not having provided all verifications. The applicant's written request for an extension must be received by the office by the 30th day following the date of application. Reasonable explanations for granting an extension include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) the verification is dependent on a third party and the applicant has taken all necessary steps on his or her part to obtain it;(2) demonstrated serious illness or incapacity of the applicant or other family member has delayed providing the required verifications. The worker shall make a determination of eligibility so that the initial benefits are provided or a notice of denial is mailed within eight calendar days of the receipt of all verifications.
If, by the last day of the initial eight day extension period, the applicant fails to either submit all verifications or request an additional extension, the worker shall deny the application for lack of verification required to make a determination of eligibility.
If an additional extension is requested and granted and by the final day of the 15-day-extension period the applicant fails to provide all verifications, then the worker shall deny the application for lack of verification required to make a determination of eligibility.
If the applicant subsequently submits all required verifications within 30 calendar days of the date of the denial notice and if the only reason for denial was the lack of verification required to make a determination of eligibility, the worker shall make a second eligibility determination based on the date of application so that the initial benefits are provided or a notice of denial is mailed within eight calendar days of receiving all verifications.
Amended by Mass Register Issue 1360, eff. 3/9/2018.