TO:	  Commissioners; FS Directors; Income Maintenance Directors; Employment Coordinators; TOP Coordinators; Fraud Directors; FEDS Directors; Staff Development Coordinators

FROM:	Russell Sykes, Deputy Commissioner, Center for Employment and Economic Supports

SUBJECT:	Categorical Eligibility for Food Stamps

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2008	

CONTACT PERSON: Sandy Borrelli (518) 473-0401	

The purpose of this GIS message is to inform all local districts about the expansion of categorical eligibility for the Food Stamp Program and the effects of this expansion on policy and procedures.  This expansion will have an impact on the processing of both TA and FS cases.

Three conference calls have been scheduled for Tuesday, December 18, 2007 giving all districts the opportunity to obtain answers to their questions on the policy and systems implications of the categorical eligibility expansion.  

A limited number of lines are available for each of the conference calls, so we ask that each county call only at their designated time.  If the time assigned to a local district is inconvenient for key staff, please contact Sandy Borrelli at 518-473-0401 to request an alternate time.  We recommend that each district have critical program staff; including TA and FS, participate in the call. If you have multiple staff attending, due to the limited number of lines available, please call from a phone with conference call capabilities.  We invite you to submit questions prior to the call.  Questions may be e-mailed in advance to Sandy.Borrelli@otda.state.ny.us before December 18, 2007.

The first call on December 18, 2007 is scheduled for 9:30 – 10:30 AM.  The conferee code is 9948044# and the following counties may call at this time: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Orange, Putnam, Saratoga, Schenectady, St. Lawrence, Ulster, Warren and Washington.

The second call on December 18, 2007 is scheduled for 11:00 AM -12:00 noon.  The conferee code is 9948044#, and the following counties may call at this time: Cayuga, Chenango, Delaware, Genesee, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Schoharie, Seneca, Wayne and Yates.

The final call on December 18, 2007 is scheduled for 1:30 – 2:30 PM.  The conferee code is 9948044# and the following counties may call at this time: Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Cortland, Erie, Nassau, Niagara, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schuyler, Steuben, Suffolk, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Westchester, and Wyoming.

We invite your participation and your questions.

The conference toll-free call-in number is 866-266-3697.  
(The local number is 518-408-1500).  The conferee code for all participants is 9948044#.