During periods of eligibility, groups experience changes that can affect their eligibility for benefits or the level of benefits they receive. Each program has different rules as to what changes groups must report and when they must report them. Within each program, different subgroups may have different rules. In general, every change that DHS discovers must be acted on, whether the change is reported by a customer or discovered through other means. If a customer reports a change for one program, the agency must redetermine eligibility for all programs in which the customer and his/her household participates.

 

It is important to record the date a change reports is made, since this can determine if the report is timely. The date a change is reported also can have an effect on what supplemental benefits the household may receive. The initial date of reporting a change is the date the group first made the request, whether by telephone, facsimile, mail or during an office visit.