TO:	Commissioners, TA Directors, FS Directors, Staff Development Coordinators

FROM:	Richard McElroy, Acting Deputy Commissioner, Division of Temporary Assistance

SUBJECT:	Follow-up to GIS 04 TA/DC005: Shortening 24-Month FS Certification Periods

EFFECTIVE DATE:  July 6, 2004

CONTACT PERSON:  Eastern Regional Team at 518-473-1469

This is to provide districts with additional information on the procedure for shortening 24-Month FS Certification Periods.  GIS Message 04 TA/DC005 provided districts with procedures to follow when a food stamp (FS) household that has been assigned a 24-month certification period no longer qualifies for the 24-month certification period.  Step 1.a. of those procedures directed districts to use CNS code Z75 to send a recertification call-in notice to the household without actually shortening the certification period at that time.  Districts were further instructed to close the case if the household failed to respond to the Recertification Call-In notice.

Some districts inquired about the proper way to prevent issuance of food stamp benefits beyond the “potential case closing date” (worker filled as part of CNS transaction) cited in the Recertification Call-In notice.  To prevent continued issuance of food stamp benefits beyond the case closing date when a household fails to respond, districts should (in addition to the procedures detailed in 04 TA/DC005) shorten the TO DATE on the food stamp benefit payment line on WMS Screen 6 to coincide with the potential case closing date cited in the Recertification Call-In notice.  However, districts must take care to process the recertification in a timely manner to prevent an interruption of benefits if the household does recertify.

Example 1 – 10 Months Have Already Elapsed (as given previously in 04 TA/DC005)
A 24-month household reports in the 18th month (June 2004) of its certification period that it has gained a non-elderly/disabled adult with unearned income.  This new household situation would normally be assigned a 12-month certification period by the district.

1.	In the 18th month (June 2004) send the Recertification Call-In notice (CNS code Z75) with a worker entered “potential case closing date” of the end of the 19th month (July 31, 2004).  At the same time, shorten the TO DATE on the WMS Screen 6 payment line for ongoing food stamp benefits to the end of the 19th month (July 31, 2004).
2.	If the household recertifies timely and remains eligible, recertify the household for uninterrupted benefits (beginning August 1 in this example), and transition the household to a 12-month recertification cycle by assigning the new, shorter certification period and associated payment line (August 1, 2004 – July 31, 2005 in this example).  It is very important that workers process the recertification in a timely manner because the shortened payment line will result in food stamp benefits stopping unless replaced by a new payment line associated with the new authorization.

3.	If the household responds to the Recertification Call-In notice and is now ineligible, close the case effective the end of the 19th month (July 31st) using the appropriate CNS FS closing reason code.  If the household fails to respond to the Recertification Call-In notice, close the case effective the end of the 19th month (July 31st in this example) using CNS FS reason code Y10.

For previous information on the recently approved 24-month FS certification periods, please see:
GIS 04 TA/DC005
GIS 03 TA/DC028
11/14/03 WMS/CNS Coordinator letter, Att. I, Page 2
03/08/04 WMS/CNS Enhancements Letter, Att. III, Page 1