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IMA POLICY MANUAL
PART III: APPLICATION PROCESSING
CHAPTER 1: FILING AN APPLICATION
Filing an Application/Accessing Benefits on Behalf of Another Individual or Group 1.6.2
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A person may file an application on behalf of another person if:
- The applicant is unable to come into the office,
- The applicant signs the application, (unless the applicant is unable to sign the application), and
- The individual acting on the applicant's behalf has sufficient knowledge of the applicant's circumstances to present them factually and completely.
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| TANF |
A protective payee can apply for benefits on behalf of a group (see Chapter 11: Restricting TANF Payments in Part VIII).
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| GC |
All GC applications are filed by an unrelated individual exercising parental control over the child.
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| FS |
In cases in which the head of the household, spouse, or other responsible household member cannot apply for the household, an adult non-member of the household may be designated by any responsible member of the household as the 'authorized representative' to act on behalf of the household in applying for program benefits. In addition to filing an application for a household, an authorized representative may be given access to the household's FS benefits for the purpose of purchasing food for the household, provided the authorized representative has the consent of the household. The person who serves as an authorized representative to file an application, however, does not have to be the same person who is authorized to purchase food for the household. A private, nonprofit organization or institution managing a drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation center may also serve in this capacity.
When an authorized representative applies on behalf of the household, the SSR must verify the identity of the authorized representative and the head of the household.
It is important that the head of the household, or the spouse prepare or review the application whenever possible, even though another household member or the authorized representative will actually be interviewed. The SSR must emphasize to the household that it will be held liable for any overpayment which results from erroneous information given by the authorized representative.
If an individual does not have sufficient information i.e. knowledge of SSN, date of birth, residence address, etc., she/he cannot act as an authorized representative.
Both an authorized representative authorized to purchase food for the household and the head of the household will be issued an EBT card. The name of the authorized representative and the head of the household will appear on both EBT cards.
The following persons cannot serve as authorized representatives.
- Department employees who are involved in the certification and/or issuance processes and retailers authorized to accept FS benefits unless they have the specific written approval of the FS Certification Office after it has been determined that no one else is available to serve,
- Entities that provide meals for homeless recipients, or
- Individuals disqualified for intentional program violations (IPV) during the period of disqualification unless the SSR has determined that no one else is available to obtain benefits and/or purchase food regularly with the benefits.
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Filing an Application for the Deceased/Death of a Group Member 1.6.3
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An application may be filed by an authorized representative on behalf of a deceased individual within three months of his/her death. Eligibility covers the month of application and three months prior.
If death occurred during the month of application and before the date of application or if death occurs during the period of pending disposition, eligibility is determined for the prospective period. Eligibility begins on the first day of the month of application and ends in the month of death. Eligibility is processed for a retroactive period if a need has been indicated on the application form.
If an individual dies before completing the application process, the application may be denied as an abandoned application if no authorized representative completes the application. The deceased individual's authorized representative may complete the application process or withdraw the application.
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| TANF |
If the head of the household dies before completing the application process and there is no other parent in the household, deny the application and inform the family members when possible that another family member may file a new application for the surviving household member(s).
If a surviving spouse is in the home and that spouse agrees to continue with the application, continue to process the application. Similarly, if a group member other than the head dies while the application is pending, continue processing the application.
To determine eligibility and benefits for the month of application, include the deceased person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day from the date of application to the end of the application month. For the month following the month of application, consider the person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day of the month following the month of application.
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| GC |
If the adult caretaker of a child applying for GC dies and there is another adult in the household who intends to continue to care for the child, continue processing the application (see Section 5.6: Caretaker in Part IV). If another adult caretaker is not willing to continue the application, or the child is not going to remain in the home, deny the application.
If a child in a GC unit dies and there are no other children in the unit, deny the application. If there are other children in the unit, continue processing the application.
To determine eligibility and benefits for the month of application, include the deceased person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day from the date of the application to the end of the application month. For the month following the month of application, consider the person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day of the month following the month of application.
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| FS |
If a person in a one-person unit dies prior to completing the application process, deny the application.
If a person in an assistance unit of more than one dies, continue processing the application. To determine eligibility and benefits for the month of application, include the deceased person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day from the date of application to the end of the application month. For the month following the month of application, consider the person in the unit if s/he was in the unit at least one day of the month following the month of application. Certify the household for ongoing benefits based on the unit not including the deceased individual.
| The Johnsons, an elderly couple, apply for FS on January 15th. Mrs. Johnson dies on January 25th. When determining eligibility and benefits for January, include Mrs. Johnson in the assistance unit. When determining eligibility and benefits for February, do not include her in the unit. | |
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