On the application, IMA staff must document receipt of the application by date-stamping or manually recording the date the Department receives the application.

 

If an application for an SSI applicant/recipient was forwarded from an SSA Office, then the application will be considered filed for normal processing purposes when the signed application is received by SSA.  For purposes of determining the expedited processing timeframes, the date IMA receives the application is used (see Section 1.7:  Where to File in this Chapter).

For a resident of a public institution who applies for benefits prior to his/her release from the institution and is entitled to expedited service, the date of filing of his/her FS application is the date of release of the applicant from the institution.

An application is considered filed on the date that a signed application containing the applicant's name and address (unless homeless) is received at the designated IMA service center and a

face-to-face interview is completed.

If an applicant cannot read or write and the applicant does not wish to have another family member or acquaintance assist him/her with the application process, IMA staff are to fill out the application for the individual.  The SSR should explain to the applicant that s/he can have another individual such as a friend or family member assist with the application process or the individual can let the SSR help him/her fill out the application.  The choice should be left to the applicant.

Generally, the head of the group (the primary  informant (PI)) files the application for benefits and is the person to whom the Department directs correspondence and notices. The head of the group must sign the application and is responsible for the validity of the information provided on the application.  The three exceptions to this are:

 

In cases in which a child is receiving MA, the head of household is the parent or caretaker of the child (regardless of whether the parent or caretaker is receiving MA for him/herself).  In the case of a two-parent family, either parent may be designated as the head.  In cases in which no child is receiving MA, an adult recipient is designated as the head of the unit.  A child under the age of 21 may be the head of household if they are a pregnant, parenting, or an emancipated minor.

 

A parent or caretaker relative of the child(ren) receiving TANF must be designated as the head of the household.  The caretaker relative is designated as the head even if s/he is not included in the grant.  In the case of an eligible two-parent family, the principal wage earner (see Section 8.3: Determining Deprivation in Part IV) shall be designated as head of household.  In cases in which both parents meet the principal wage earner test, the household may choose who is to be designated as the head of household.

 

 A minor parent can be the head of a unit only if the following two conditions are met:

If the minor parent's parent or caretaker relative is receiving TANF or requests TANF for him/herself, the minor parent must be included in the same group as his/her parent or caretaker relative (see Section 1.11:  Multiple Generations in the Home in Part IV).  Similarly, if the minor parent lives with a sibling also receiving TANF, the minor parent and his/her children must be included in the same group with the minor parent's sibling (and any children s/he may have).

 

The adult in the household that exercises parental control over the child receiving GC must be designated as the head of the unit.

 

 

The adult that the household (or SSR) selects as the head should be designated as the PI in ACEDS.  If an adult other than the head needs an EBT card, the SSR should designate that additional adult as the authorized representative for issuance purposes.  If the household also wants mail addressed to the adult designated as the authorized representative for issuance purposes, that adult should also be listed as the authorized representative for application purposes.