16 Del. Admin. Code § 9000-9091
[273.14]
No household may participate beyond the expiration of the assigned certification period without a determination of eligibility for a new period. Households must apply for recertification and comply with the interview and verification requirements per DSSM 9030 and DSSM 9038.
The joint processing requirements in DSSM 9042 for TANF, RCA and / or General Assistance households continue to apply to applications for recertifications.
All households must be provided with a notice of expiration at the end of its certification prior to the start of the last month of its certification period.
When a household is certified for one month or when the certification action is not completed until the second month of a two-month certification, provide a notice of expiration at the time of certification. All other households must be provided a notice of expiration at least one day before the last month, but no earlier than the next to the last month of the certification period.
The form for notifying a household of the expiration of its certification must contain the following information:
Households certified for one month or certified in the second month if a two-month certification period shall be provided a notice of expiration at the time of certification. All other households must be provided a notice of expiration before the first day of the last month of the certification period.
The notice of expiration (Form 310) contains the following information:
All households must complete an application form in order for DSS to obtain all information needed to determine eligibility and benefits for a new certification period. A household's signature and date is required at all recertifications regardless of the type of application used. The type of application used can be updating the online version, completing a long version hardcopy, completing the short review form, or updating an initial long version hardcopy application. The recertification process can only be used for households which apply before the end of their current certification period except for the provisions under DSSM 9091.8.
A face-to-face recertification interview will be held with a member of each applying household or its authorized representative at least once every 12 months for households certified for 12 months or less. Face-to-face interviews can be waived per DSSM 9030. DSS will conduct a telephone interview or a home visit for households for whom the office interview is waived.
Schedule the Interview on or after the date the application was filed if the interview has not been previously scheduled, or the household has failed to appear for any interviews scheduled prior to this time and has requested another interview. Schedule the interview so that the household has at least ten (10) days after the interview in which to provide verification before the certification period expires. If a household misses a scheduled interview, send the household a notice of missed interview. If the household misses its scheduled interview and requests another interview, schedule a second interview.
Information provided by the household shall be verified according to DSSM 9038. Inform households of what required verification must be provided and of the date by which the verifications must be returned. The household must be allowed at least ten (10) calendar days to provide required verification. Households whose eligibility is not determined by the end of the current certification period due to the time period allowed for returning verifications shall receive their benefits for the full month, if eligible, within five (5) working days after the household submits the missing verification and benefits cannot be prorated.
A household submitting a timely application for recertification and meeting all other processing steps in a timely manner has a right to receive uninterrupted benefits.
Households reporting required changes in circumstances that are certified for one month or certified in the second month of a two-month certification period shall have 15 days from the date the notice of expiration is received to file a timely application for recertification.
Other households reporting required changes in circumstances that submit applications by the 15th day of the last month of the certification period shall be considered to have made a timely application for recertification.
For households consisting only of SSI applicants or recipients who apply for food stamp recertification at SSA offices according to DSSM 9043, an application shall be considered filed for normal processing purposes when the signed application is received by the SSA office.
Households which timely reapply do not lose their right to uninterrupted benefits for failure to submit any requested verification prior to the date the household submits a timely application for recertification.
Provide uninterrupted benefits to any household determined eligible after the household has:
Notify households that were certified for one month or certified for two months in the second month of the certification period and have met all required application procedures of their eligibility or ineligibility. Provide eligible households an opportunity to receive benefits no later than 30 calendar days after the date the household received its last allotment.
Other households that have met all application requirements shall be notified of their eligibility or ineligibility by the end of their current certification period. Provide households determined eligible an opportunity to participate by the household's normal issuance cycle in the month following the end of its current certification period.
Any household not determined eligible in sufficient time to provide for issuance in that timeframe due to the time period allowed for submitting any missing verification must receive an opportunity to participate, if eligible, within five (5) working days after the household supplies the missing verification.
If an eligible household files an application before the end of the certification period but DSS does not complete the recertification process within the 30 days after the date of the application, continue to process that case and provide a full month's allotment for the first month of the new certification period.
If the household files an application by the end of the certification period, but fails to take a required action, deny the application at the end of 30 days. The household has 30 days after the end of the certification period to complete the process and have its application treated as an application for recertification.
If the household takes the required action before the end of the certification period, reopen the case and provide a full month's benefits for the initial month of the new certification period.
If the household takes the required action after the end of the certification period but within 30 days after the end of the certification period, reopen the case and provide benefits retroactive to the date the household takes the required action.
If the household files an application within 30 days after the end of the certification period, the application shall be considered an application for recertification. Prorate benefits from the date of the application. If a household's application for recertification is delayed beyond the first of the month of a new certification period due to agency error, prorate the benefits from the date of the new application and then restore benefits back to the date the household's certification period should have started if not for the agency error.
Do not apply expedited service provisions of DSSM 9041 to households which apply for recertification before the end of its current certification period.
16 Del. Admin. Code § 9000-9091