TO:	Commissioners; TA/FS Directors; WMS Coordinators; CAP Coordinators; MA Directors

FROM:  Russell Sykes, Deputy Commissioner, Division of Employment and Transitional Supports

SUBJECT:	NYSNIP Undercare and Worker Processed SDX Changes  

EFFECTIVE DATE:	Immediately

C CONTACT PERSON:	FS Questions – Food Stamp Bureau (518) 473-1469
	TA Questions-Temporary Assistance Bureau (518) 474-9344
Medicaid Questions-Local District Liaison:
	Upstate-518-474-8887; New York City-212-417-4500	

This release is designed to inform Upstate districts how to identify and process certain SSI case status changes for open NYSNIP cases.

The Undercare component of the NYSNIP was made available to local districts on August 1, 2005.  The Social Security Administration receives change information and forwards it to OTDA via the Statewide Data Exchange (SDX).  A number of changes are automatically processed on a daily basis based upon information received from the Statewide Data Exchange (SDX) which require no action by the local district.  These include the following:

•	Income (changes in benefit level will automatically be processed and affected households will automatically be notified through CNS)
•	Death – Case Closed
•	Moved out of State – Case Closed.
•	Moved from an Upstate District to NYC – Case Closed.
•	Moved from NYC to an Upstate District.- Case Closed
•	Moves within District. (The address is changed in WMS but the case will be carryover shelter information pending the new shelter/utility information.)

In addition to these automatically processed changes, the rules of the project also require local districts to process certain changes for open NYSNIP cases that are reported through the SDX.  As outlined in GIS 05 TA/WMS008, these reported changes in SSI case status are now included on the daily ASWISDX5 BICS Report.  These cases appear on the report as "Request for Contact (RFC)” cases subject to worker processing to determine continued eligibility for non-NYSNIP food stamp benefits.

Listed below are the circumstances which include NYSNIP Cases on the ASWISDX5 Report, including the corresponding exception code.

•	Changes in living arrangement (RLA or RRI) - Changes in living arrangement include households that are no longer coded as SSI code A/A - “Living alone in the community”, and may change to “living with others” or living in a medical or residential facility.  Households that remain eligible for non NYSNIP benefits must be returned to Regular FS. 

•	A loss of SSI income (RSI) - Indicates the NYSNIP household is no longer coded “C01-Active SSI Pay Status” and the new code will appear on the report.  District workers must determine if there is sufficient information to determine continued eligibility for non-NYSNIP FS benefits.  A Request for Contact (RFC) notice or Recertification Call-in notice must be provided to these NYSNIP households when their eligibility cannot be determined without further information from the household.  A Request for Contact (RFC) can be provided by using CNS reason code V19 with a 00 Transaction Type.  A Recertification Call-in notice must be provided to NYSNIP households who have exceeded their maximum non-NYSNIP certification period.  Those households found to no longer be eligible for NYSNIP must be evaluated for non-NYSNIP Food Stamp eligibility.  (Note: NYSNIP cases in Suspended status are often quickly resolved.  If the action on the suspension is pending because the benefit issuance cycle has passed, the SDX should be reviewed prior to the next benefit issuance.)

•	NYSNIP households that move from one Upstate district to another (RDC) – The “from” district is obligated to close the case at the end of the month following the month of the SDX Report of Move.  The “to” District will open the case beginning the second month following the month of the SDX Report of Move.  Districts are encouraged to share new shelter and utility information if available.  Otherwise, the “to” districts must open the NYSNIP case using Shelter Type 97 (shelter type 98’s should remain the same) and adjust the case when the household or another primary source provides and verifies the new information.  The “to” district must also assign the appropriate certification period, not to exceed the 48 month period already established by the “from” district.

Also, as outlined in ABEL Transmittal 03-6, the ASWISDX5 BICS Report lists a number of “Exception” Cases.  These are active Food Stamp cases that have been identified as potentially eligible NYSNIP households but their individual circumstances indicate a system bypass or circumstances which would make inclusion in the program a disadvantage for the affected household.  These cases should be reviewed. Active NYSNIP cases have also been added to the “Exception” section.  These are generally those cases pending worker processing.  These can be identified in the “Exception” section by the provided Food Stamp Case Number.

Local Districts must also address information provided to them by a primary source.  Under no circumstances can a local district initiate a change based upon a non-primary source regardless of the reliability of that source.  NYSNIP participants are not required to report changes other than at their 24-month interim contact and at recertification.  NYSNIP households, however, are informed and encouraged at all scheduled contacts to report changes in shelter/utility expenses when those changes will make the client eligible for an increase in benefits.  Districts are reminded that Exceptions and RFC changes, as reflected on the daily ASWISDX5 BICS report, must be reviewed daily and changes processed within normal processing time standards.