FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17000 - 17200 SUBJECT: DETERMINATION OF A DISASTER

DATE: 10-1-86

17000Disaster Procedures

17100Summary

The Food Stamp Act of 1977 authorizes the Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) to declare a need for temporary food assistance for victims of a disaster. Under the disaster certification procedures, a household must complete and submit an abbreviated application, be interviewed and provide limited verification.

This section covers the procedures used by DEMS when temporary food assistance is provided as the result of a disaster.

17200Determination of a Disaster

DEMS may make application to FNS for authorization to implement temporary food assistance when a storm, fire, flood, or other catastrophe has disrupted normal commercial channels of food distribution and affected so many households that the regular Food Stamp Program cannot respond to their temporary food needs. If the disaster has caused one or more of the following conditions, the condition will be considered a disruption of the normal commercial channels.

1.Community transportation to retail and wholesale food out-lets has been severely hampered.

2.Retail and wholesale food outlets are closed.

3.Delivery of commodities of food outlets has been significantly hampered.

4.The normal operating hours of food outlets have been significantly shortened restricting normal opportunities to purchase food supplies.

5.The normal opportunity to purchase food is significantly hampered by an unusually heavy demand on food outlets due to households replacing food supplies damaged or destroyed in the disaster.

6.A power failure has significantly restricted the operation of food outlets.

Commercial channels of food distribution must be restored prior to a disaster determination by FNS.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17200 - 17300 SUBJECT: THE APPLICATION PROCESS

DATE: 4-1-92

Commercial channels of food distribution will be considered restored when conditions have improved to the extent that households have reasonable access to food outlets.

Conditions under which disaster designations may be permitted, include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

1.The damage which has been caused is of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Disaster Relief Act of 1974.

2.Federal emergency assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts to save lives and protect property, public health and safety.

3.Alternative certification and/or issuance procedures, physical facilities, and/or sites are needed to provide service on a mass scale when such service is beyond the capability of normal certification and issuance procedures, physical facilities, and/or sites.

4.Additional certification and/or issuance staff are needed to timely handle the volume of applicants.

If the application for a disaster designation is approved, FNS will authorize DEMS to use disaster certification and issuance procedures. The counties, or parts of counties where such procedures are authorized will be specified. The period of time during which applications for disaster assistance may be made will also be specified. This will be called the designated disaster period. This authorization will be made in person or by telephone and will be followed by written information. Denials will be handled in the same manner. FNS approval will be obtained for any temporary certification and issuance arrangements proposed. If there is need for the assistance of a disaster relief agency in providing temporary food assistance during a disaster, FNS will authorize the disaster relief agency designated by DEMS, and will specify the functions which it may perform.

*Emergency allotments will also be provided to eligible households to replace food destroyed in a disaster. The emergency allotments for these households will be equal to the value of the food actually lost in such disaster but not greater than the applicable maximum monthly allotment for the household size.

17300The Application Process

DEMS personnel will determine eligibility for emergency food stamp assistance during a disaster. Volunteers and/or other State personnel may be designated by DEMS to assist with determining eligibility for affected households. Certification and issuance points will generally be the regular county offices. However, other sites may be designated if deemed necessary.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17310 - 17330 SUBJECT: HOUSEHOLD COOPERATION/

DATE: 10-1-86 INTERVIEWS

17310Filing an Application

To file an application for emergency food stamp assistance, a household must submit a completed SS-229, Application for Emergency Food Stamp Assistance, to a certification site in person or through an authorized representative. Designated personnel at the certification site will date stamp the application on the date it is received. The household must file the application during the period in which DEMS has been authorized by FNS to accept applications for disaster food stamp assistance. Households wishing to apply outside of this period will be processed in accordance with normal procedures (FSC 8000).

17320Household Cooperation

To determine eligibility, the application must be completed and signed, the household or its authorized representative must be interviewed, and certain information on the application must be verified as required in FSC 17354. If the household refuses to cooperate with DEMS in completing this process, the application will be denied at the time of refusal. Refusal to cooperate is fully defined and explained in FSC 8300.

17330Interviews

All applicants or authorized representatives will be interviewed. The interview will be an official discussion of household circumstances designed to quickly process the application. The interview may be conducted by certification workers, volunteers, or other non-State personnel such as representatives of an authorized disaster relief agency designated by DEMS. The individual interviewed may be the head of the household, spouse, any other responsible member of the household, or an authorized representative. The household may be accompanied to the interview by anyone it chooses. At the beginning of the interview, the interviewer will advise the applicant either orally or in writing of:

1.Its rights and responsibilities (See FSC 8120);

2.The civil and criminal provisions and penalties for violation of the Food Stamp Act (See FSC 16600);

3.The fact that the household may be subject to a post-disaster review; and

4.The availability of the regular Food Stamp Program.

If the household also wishes to file an application for the regular Program, the interviewer will advise the applicant of the address and telephone number of the appropriate county office.

NOTE:Group sessions may be used to initially screen applicant households under the eligibility criteria explained in FSC 17350-17355, to explain household rights and responsibilities, and to explain how to complete an application.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17330 - 17350 SUBJECT: PROCESSING STANDARDS

DATE: 10-1-86

The interviewer will review the information appearing on the application with the applicant. Any unclear or incomplete information will be resolved. Verification will be obtained as specified in FSC 17354. The household's eligibility and food stamp allotment will be determined using the guidelines in FSC 17350-17355.

Upon completion of the interview, the interviewer will advise the applicant orally and via SS-1, Notice of Action, of the disposition of the household's application. Each applicant found eligible will be advised of the proper use of food stamps as explained in FSC 120.

17340Processing Standards

Eligible households that complete the emergency assistance application process will be provided an opportunity to obtain food stamps the same day unless restrictions such as curfews make it impossible for the office to meet this standard. In these situations, eligible households will be provided an opportunity to obtain food stamps no later than the day after the date the application was filed. All disaster applications must be processed within the designated disaster period.

17350Determining Eligibility

Households who make application for emergency food stamp assistance during disasters must meet all of the following criteria:

1.The household must have resided within the geographical area authorized for disaster procedures at the time the disaster struck. Such a household may be certified for disaster issuance even though it presently is occupying temporary accommodations outside the disaster area.

2.The household must purchase food and prepare meals during the designated disaster period. (See FSC 17200 for an explanation of the disaster period.) A household residing in a temporary shelter which is providing all its meals would be ineligible.

3.The household must have experienced at least one of the following adverse affects of the disaster:

a.Loss or inaccessibility of income;

b.Inaccessibility of liquid resources; or

c.Disaster related expenses.

Loss or inaccessibility of income involves a reduction or termination of income or a significant delay in receipt of income. This could occur, for example, if a disaster has caused a place of

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17350 - 17352 SUBJECT: CALCULATING THE BUDGET

DATE: 10-1-86

employment to close or reduce its work days, or if pay checks or other payments are lost or destroyed. It could also occur if the work location is inaccessible due to the disaster.

Liquid resources are considered inaccessible when the financial institution in which the household has its funds is expected to be closed during most of the designated disaster period. Resources are also unavailable if the household will otherwise be unable to access its cash resources during most of the disaster period. For example, the household may be unable to reach the financial institution as a result of the disaster.

Disaster related expenses are those expenses resulting from the disaster which the household has paid or is expected to pay during the designated disaster period.

4.The household's take home pay for the designated disaster period added to its accessible cash resources (cash on hand and accessible funds in checking and savings accounts) must be less than or equal to the maximum income limits for its household size after disaster related expenses are deducted.

17351Calculating the Budget

Determine if a household is eligible under the disaster provisions by:

1.Determining the household's total income for the designated disaster period;

2.Determining the household's total accessible liquid resources;

3.Adding together the income and the household's total accessible liquid resources; and

4.Comparing the resulting figure to the maximum income limit for the appropriate household size. The household is eligible if this figure is less than or equal to the appropriate maximum income limit.

NOTE:Maximum income limit charts will be issued to all certification sites upon determination of a disaster by FNS.

17352Determining Income

Only income which the household has received or can reasonably expect to receive during the disaster period will be considered.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17352 - 17354 SUBJECT: DETERMINING LIQUID RESOURCES

DATE: 10-1-86

Income will include the following:

1.Take Home Pay - Consider only wages received by a household member after taxes or other deductions are withheld.

2.Self-Employment Income - Consider only self-employment income earned by a member during the designated disaster period. Exclude any personal and social security taxes paid as well as any allowable costs of producing the income. See FSC 5622 for an explanation of the allowable costs.

3.Other Income - Consider the net amount of income from any other source received by a household member.

17353Determining Liquid Resources

All liquid resources (cash on hand and all funds in savings and checking accounts) will be counted unless the county office determines that such funds will be inaccessible to the household for most of the disaster benefit period. See FSC 17350 for additional details.

17354Determining Allowable Disaster Related Expenses

Disaster related expenses are limited to:

.Expenses to repair damage to the household's residence;

.Expenses to repair damage to the household's property which is essential to the employment or self-employment of a household member;

.Expenses for temporary shelter if the household's residence is not habitable or the household cannot reach its residence;

.Expenses for moving out of an area evacuated due to a disaster;

.Expenses related to protecting property from disaster damage; or

.Medical expenses for disaster-related injury to a person who was a household member at the time of the disaster (including funeral and burial expenses in the event of death).

Other expenses will not be considered.

The household must have paid or must expect to pay the expense during the designated disaster period. Such expenses are not deductible if the household has received or expects to receive full reimbursement for the expense during the designated disaster period. If partial reimbursement is expected during the designated disaster period, allow only the portion of the expense not covered by the reimbursement.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17354 - 17360 SUBJECT: VERIFICATION/CERTIFICATION

DATE: 10-1-86 PERIOD

If the reimbursement is expected but the household cannot be reasonably certain that it will be received during the designated disaster period, the full amount of the expense will be deductible.

17355Verification

To expedite certification of emergency assistance, the normal verification requirements will be waived. The procedures specified in this paragraph must be used.

The applicant's identity and his residence at the time of the disaster will be verified. Examples of acceptable verification include, but is not limited to, a driver's license, work or school ID, voter registration card or rent receipts and utility bills. Since these documents can be destroyed or inaccessible due to the disaster, residency may also be verified through sources such as telephone books or city directories when necessary. A collateral contact may be used as a source of verification if the household's identity and residency cannot be verified through documentary evidence or if the use of a collateral contact would expedite the household's certification. In some unusual situations (such as in the case of a household that arrived in the area just prior to the disaster), verification of residency may not be possible. If, in such situations, residency cannot readily be verified despite the efforts of the worker and the household, the household will not be denied solely for this reason.

Applicant households must provide estimates of income, cash resources, and allowable disaster-related expenses. The household will be requested to itemize individual expenses as well as the different sources of income and resources.

17360Certification Period

Certification periods will coincide with the designated disaster period (one month or one-half month). If the disaster period is one month, then income over this full month period will be counted, disaster-related expenses that are paid or expected to be paid over this full month period will be deducted, and the monthly food stamp maximum income limit for the appropriate household size will equal the disaster eligibility limit. If the disaster benefit period is for one-half month, income over the half-month period will be counted, disaster related expenses paid or expected to be paid over this period will be deducted, and the disaster eligibility limit will be one-half of the monthly food stamp maximum income limit. The Office of Economic Services will advise county offices of the length of the benefit period whenever disaster procedures are to be applied.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17370 - 17500 SUBJECT: BASIS OF COUPON ISSUANCE/

DATE: 10-1-86 TRANSITION TO REGULAR PROGRAM

17370Basis of Coupon Issuance

Households meeting the eligibility criteria will receive the full food stamp allotment for their household size as authorized by the basis of issuance tables unless currently certified under the regular program (See FSC 17510). Food Stamp allotments will be issued as a half-month or full month allotment, whichever coincides with the designated disaster period. Proration will not apply. See FSC 17600 for issuance procedures during a disaster.

17380Notices

An SS-1, Notice of Action, will be issued to the household. The SS-1 will specify the household's eligibility or ineligibility. Eligible households will be notified of the food stamp allotment.

17390Identification Cards

The county office will issue an identification card (SS-236) marked "disaster" to households certified for disaster food stamp issuance.

17400Fair Hearings

Households denied disaster benefits may request fair hearings. Households requesting fair hearings will be offered immediate supervisory reviews of their cases due to the time that is likely to pass before a fair hearing decision can be rendered. The supervisory review will not replace the fair hearing.

17500Transition to the Regular Food Stamp Program

Households which are issued emergency food stamps and are subsequently determined eligible as new participants in the ongoing Food Stamp Program will have their emergency food stamp allotment applied against their allotment under the regular Program if the disaster certification period and the certification period overlap.

Calculate the food stamp allotment to be issued under the regular Program according to the following procedures.

1.Determine the number of days which overlap between the disaster certification period and the regular certification period.

2.Prorate the disaster allotment over the number of days in the disaster period to determine the daily amount of emergency food stamps issued.

3.Offset the amount of the food stamp allotment to be issued under the regular Program against the amount of overlapping disaster benefits determined in (2) above.

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17500 - 17510 SUBJECT: HOUSEHOLDS CERTIFIED UNDER

DATE: 10-1-86 REGULAR PROGRAM

4.Offset the amount of the food stamp allotment to be issued under the regular Program against the amount of overlapping disaster benefits determined in (2) above.

For example, a household which has been certified for emergency assistance from May 5th through June 4th and is certified as a newly participating household in the regular food stamp program for June would have the emergency food stamps for the overlapping days (June 1st through 4th) subtracted from its regular June allotment prior to issuance via Daily Issuance. Accomplish this by adjusting the date of application to June 5th so food stamps will prorate to the correct amount.

17510Treatment of Households Certified Under the Ongoing Food Stamp Program

The following rules will apply to households certified under the regular program which request emergency assistance:

1.Households currently certified for the ongoing Program may also be eligible for temporary emergency food stamp assistance during disasters. These households will be allowed to apply for disaster food stamp assistance and their eligibility will be determined in the same manner as would be done for any other disaster victim. To the extent possible, the worker will reduce the disaster coupon allotment issued to currently certified households by the amount of food stamps issued to the household under the ongoing Program for any part of the designated disaster period.

Exception:If the household's food or food stamps have been damaged by the disaster and the household must replace the food, then the disaster food stamp allotment will not be reduced by the allotment issued under the ongoing program.

When it is not practical to determine, verify or otherwise take into account ongoing Program benefits, DEMS may, with the approval of FNS, issue full disaster allotments to households who are certified under the ongoing Program.

2.Households requesting a replacement of food stamps received under the ongoing Program which were subsequently destroyed in the disaster, or a replacement of food purchased with food stamps which was destroyed will be referred to the county office to be handled in accordance with FSC 14372. Households will not be given replacements if they have received or will receive disaster food stamp assistance for the same period.

3.Households certified under regular Program procedures who report changes as required in FSC 11200 during the application process

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17510 - 17600 SUBJECT: CONTROLS TO MINIMIZE DUPLI-

DATE: 10-1-86 CATE PARTICIPATION/ISSUANCE

for emergency assistance will be referred to the county office. The household is responsible for reporting the required information directly to the office which handles its regular case.

17520Controls to Minimize Duplicate Participation During Disasters

The county office will maintain a separate file of yellow SS-230's (flimsies) of cases certified for emergency participation. This file should be checked prior to certification of a household to prevent duplicate participation.

17600Issuance Procedures

When a disaster has been declared by FNS or a Presidentially declared disaster exists, food stamps will be issued manually to households certified under the disaster procedures. DEMS will arrange for the safe transport of food stamps from Central Mail Issuance (CMI) to the disaster site. DEMS will also be responsible for ensuring the safe storage of the food stamps at the disaster site.

The caseworker will prepare a green SS-230 (HIR Card) on each household certified for emergency participation. The word "Disaster" will be entered at the top of the HIR Card. Any SS-230's received from the Central Office for use in the disaster operation must be inventoried on the SS-240, Inventory Control Record, for blank SS-230's. Each SS-230 completed by a caseworker must be entered on the SS-241, Certification Worker Individual Control Sheet. The SS-230 will then be forwarded to the issuance site. Issuance personnel will issue food stamps according to the information contained on the SS-230. Food Stamp issuances will be recorded on the following forms:

1.SS-251, Food Stamp Issuance Tally Sheet

2.SS-252, Food Coupon Issuance Report

3.SS-253, Food Coupon Issuance Daily Report

Local disaster issuance sites will make daily telephone reports to Food Stamp Accounting at 371-3507. The items to be reported are:

1.The number of households to which food stamp allotments were issued;

2.The total number of persons in these households; and

3.The total number of food stamps issued.

At the conclusion of the designated disaster period, each affected county will prepare two copies of form FNS-292 (Report of Coupon

FOOD STAMP CERTIFICATION MANUAL SECTION: DISASTER PROCEDURES

17600 - 17700 SUBJECT: PROGRAM MONITORING AND

DATE: 10-1-86 REVIEW

Issuance for Disaster Relief). One copy will be forwarded to Food Stamp Accounting and the other will be retained in the county files, Food Stamp Accounting will prepare a combined report for all affected counties and forward two copies of the FNS Regional Office.

At the beginning of disaster operations, county offices will determine which forms are needed for manual issuance. The needed forms will be requested.

17700Program Monitoring and Review

Supervisory personnel will closely monitor the disaster program, identify problem areas and take immediate corrective action. These include problems with crowds, work flow, physical facilities, media information and prevention of multiple issuance.

DEMS will conduct a post-disaster review of disaster certification activities by reviewing a sample of cases certified for disaster issuances. FNS will determine the number of cases to be reviewed on an operation by operation basis. The review will include a case record review, an interview with the recipient, verification of declared information, a determination of eligibility for disaster assistance and an analysis of errors. The Deputy Director of Economic Services will designate the unit to conduct such reviews.

Based upon case review information, DEMS will determine what, if any, corrective action should be taken to improve disaster certification procedures. Claims will be established against any household which received more disaster assistance than it was entitled to receive. Benefits will be restored to households that received less benefits than they were entitled to receive due to agency error.

All emergency disaster records will be maintained for the same period as other records and will be available for review and audit as well as for any other purpose specified by FNS.