Ohio Administrative Code|Rule 5101:4-2-09 | Food assistance: verification procedure.

                                                
(A)  What is verification?
Verification is used to support and document what
		  was reported on the JFS 07200, "Application for Cash, Food, or Medical
		  Assistance" during the application process and to provide clarification on
		  any questionable information. The county agency shall allow assistance groups
		  at least ten days to provide required verification.
(B) Whose responsibility is it to provide
		  verification?
(1) The assistance group
			 has primary responsibility for providing verification to support its statements
			 on the application and resolve any questionable information. An assistance
			 group may supply verification in person, through the mail, by fax,
			 electronically, or through an authorized representative. The county agency
			 shall not require the assistance group to present verification in
			 person.
(2) The county agency
			 shall assist the assistance group in obtaining verification provided the
			 assistance group has not refused to cooperate as specified in rule 5101:4-2-01
			 of the Administrative Code. If it would be difficult or impossible for the
			 assistance group to obtain verification in a timely manner, or the county
			 agency can obtain the verification faster, the county agency shall offer
			 assistance in obtaining the verification.
(3) The county agency is
			 not required to assist an assistance group in obtaining verification of alien
			 status except when the documentation is unclear and the county agency receives
			 the applicant's permission to contact the U.S. citizenship and immigration
			 service (USCIS). The county agency is also not required to assist the
			 assistance group in obtaining verification of shelter costs for an unoccupied
			 home when verification would have to be obtained from sources outside of the
			 county.
(C) What are the mandatory verifications
		  for expedited service certifications?
(1) Identity is the only
			 verification required prior to the authorization of expedited benefits. All
			 other verifications can be postponed when they cannot be submitted within the
			 expedited timeframe. When an authorized representative applies on behalf of the
			 assistance group, the identity of both the authorized representative and the
			 assistance group name shall be verified.
(2) The county agency
			 shall require the applicant to register for work when an exemption is not met.
			 The agency may attempt to register other assistance group members, but it shall
			 not prevent the authorization of an eligible expedited assistance
			 group.
(D)  What verification is necessary for
		  normal application processing?
 Assistance groups certified under normal
		  processing standards (as opposed to expedited processing standards) shall
		  provide verification of all the following items:
(1) Gross
			 income.
(2) Rent or mortgage
			 payment. Homeless assistance groups claiming shelter expenses shall provide
			 verification of their shelter expense to qualify for the homeless shelter
			 deduction. When a homeless assistance group has difficulty in obtaining
			 traditional types of verification of shelter costs, the county agency shall
			 obtain alternate types of verification that accurately verify the
			 expense.
(3) Utility and shelter
			 expenses.
(4)  Non-reimbursable
			 medical expenses. Non-reimbursable medical expenses only apply to assistance
			 group members who are age sixty or over, or who meet the definition of disabled
			 as defined in rule 5101:4-1-03 of the Administrative Code.
(5) Dependent care
			 expenses.
(6)  Eligible alien
			 status as defined in rule 5101:4-3-07 of the Administrative Code.
(7)  Social security
			 numbers (SSN). Providing a SSN for each assistance group member is voluntary.
			 However, failure to provide a SSN will result in the denial of supplemental
			 nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits for that individual. SSNs provided
			 will be used in accordance with rule 5101:4-3-22 of the Administrative Code.
			 When a SSN has been verified, the county agency shall document the information
			 in the assistance group's file to prevent the unnecessary re-verification
			 of the SSN in the future. The county agency shall accept that a SSN is verified
			 when it was already verified through the OWF or medicaid programs. A verified
			 SSN shall be re-verified only when the identity of the individual or the SSN
			 becomes questionable.
(8) Residency. Residency
			 shall be verified except in unusual cases such as homeless assistance groups,
			 some migrant farm worker assistance groups, or an assistance group just moving
			 into the county where verification of residency cannot reasonably be
			 provided.
(9)  Identity. Identity
			 applies to the person making the application. Where an authorized
			 representative applies on behalf of an assistance group, the identity of both
			 the authorized representative and the assistance group name shall be verified.
			 Identity may be verified through readily available documentary evidence or,
			 when unavailable, through a collateral contact. Any documents reasonably
			 establishing the applicant's identity must be accepted, and no requirement
			 for a specific type of document may be imposed.
(10) Disability. The
			 county agency shall verify an assistance group member is disabled as defined in
			 rule 5101:4-1-03 of the Administrative Code.
(11) Student income.
			 Student income shall be verified in accordance with rule 5101:4-4-13 of the
			 Administrative Code.
(12) Physical or mental
			 disability: student exemption. When a person claims to be physically or
			 mentally unfit for purposes of the student exemption contained in paragraph
			 (B)(2) of rule 5101:4-6-04 of the Administrative Code, verification may be
			 required. Appropriate verification may consist of receipt of temporary or
			 permanent disability benefits issued by governmental or private sources, or a
			 statement from a physician or licensed or certified psychologist. If the
			 individual's physical or mental disability is evident to the county worker
			 verification is not required but the disability should be noted in the case
			 record.
(13) Child support
			 payments. The county agency shall obtain verification of the assistance
			 group's legal obligation to pay child support, the amount of the
			 obligation, and the monthly amount of child support the assistance group
			 actually pays. Documents accepted as verification of the assistance
			 group's legal obligation to pay child support shall not be accepted as
			 verification of the assistance group's actual monthly child support
			 payments. County agencies are strongly encouraged to obtain information
			 regarding an assistance group member's child support obligation and
			 payments from child support enforcement agency files. The county agency shall
			 give the assistance group an opportunity to resolve any discrepancy between
			 assistance group verification and child support enforcement agency
			 records.
(14) Able-bodied adults
			 without dependents (ABAWDs): hours worked. For individuals subject to the SNAP
			 time limit in rule 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code who are satisfying
			 the work requirement by working, by combining work and participation in a work
			 program, or by participating in a work program that is not operated or
			 supervised by the state or county agency, the individuals' work hours
			 shall be verified.
(15) ABAWDs: countable
			 months in another state. For individuals subject to the SNAP time limit of rule
			 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code, the county agency must verify the
			 number of countable months an individual has used in another state when there
			 is an indication the individual participated in that state as defined in rule
			 5101:4-3-20 of the Administrative Code. The normal processing standards of
			 paragraph (A) of rule 5101:4-2-11 of the Administrative Code apply. The county
			 agency may accept another state agency's assertion as to the number of
			 countable months an individual has used in another state.
(16) Assistance group
			 composition: the county agency shall verify factors affecting the composition
			 of an assistance group only when questionable.
(E) What is the standard verification for
		  categorically eligible assistance groups?
(1)  For an assistance
			 group determined categorically eligible because of receipt of Ohio works first
			 (OWF), supplemental security income (SSI) or prevention retention contingency
			 (PRC), the following factors are waived and do not require verification as
			 described in paragraph (D) of this rule (gross and net income are waived
			 factors for benefit determination but still must be verified):
(a) Resources;
(b) Social security number;
(c) Sponsored alien information; and
(d) Residency.
(2) For an assistance
			 group determined categorically eligible because of the notification of the Ohio
			 careline services resources are waived from the benefit determination and do
			 not require verification as described in paragraph (D) of this rule. Net income
			 is a waived factor for benefit determination but still must be
			 verified.
(F)  When may an application be approved
		  without verification?
The county agency shall not delay the
		  certification for benefit issuance beyond thirty days:
(1)  To an otherwise
			 eligible assistance group to only verify the SSN of an assistance group
			 member.
(2)  To verify a claimed
			 but unverified expense as described in paragraph (J) of rule 5101:4-4-23 of the
			 Administrative Code. As soon as all other steps necessary to certify an
			 assistance group are completed, the county agency shall certify the
			 benefits.
(G) What should be done when questionable
		  information is received?
(1)  When the applicant
			 provides information that is questionable and may affect the eligibility or
			 benefit level, the county agency shall require verification. The information
			 may be determined to be questionable when what is reported on the JFS 07200 is
			 different from what the applicant reported during the interview, different from
			 the information the agency had already obtained, or different from what may
			 have been reported on a previous JFS 07200.
(2) An example of
			 something that may be determined questionable is when the applicant's
			 expenses exceed the assistance group's income. The county agency shall
			 request additional verification to determine how the expenses are being met.
			 When the applicant does not submit supporting documentation on how the expenses
			 are being met, that alone is not grounds to deny the application. The county
			 agency shall then explore if the applicant receives any additional income or if
			 there are resources from which they may be paying the expense. The agency shall
			 verify how long the applicant has been managing their finances in this manner
			 and then document the verification in the case file.
(H) What type of verification shall be
		  documented in the case file?
The county agency shall include all information
		  in the case file documenting and supporting the actions taken in determining
		  eligibility. All requests for additional verification shall be documented in
		  the case file. Any actions taken because of the additional verification shall
		  also be included.
(I) What are acceptable forms of
		  verification?
There are four types of verification: documentary
		  evidence, collateral contacts, client statements and home visits. When
		  documentary evidence is not able to be obtained a collateral contact should be
		  acceptable when available. In the event a collateral contact is not available a
		  client statement or home visit may be used. A client statement or home visit
		  should be a county agency's last option; however, when determining
		  benefits the best available information should be used. Further information
		  explaining each verification is below:
(1) Documentary
			 evidence
(a) Documentary evidence can be used as a primary source of
				verification. Documentary evidence consists of a written confirmation of the
				applicant's circumstances. Examples of documentary evidence include but
				are not limited to: pay stubs, rent receipts, utility bills, etc. When the
				agency uses pay stubs and they are not included in the case file, the agency
				must include the name, address, dates, and gross amounts listed on the pay
				stubs in the case file.
(b)  Although documentary evidence shall be a primary source of
				verification, acceptable verification shall not be limited to any single type
				of document. The verification may be obtained through the applicant or another
				source. When documentary evidence cannot be obtained or when what was obtained
				is insufficient to be able to make a determination, the county agency shall
				pursue a collateral contact.
(2) Collateral
			 contact
(a)  A collateral contact is an oral confirmation of the
				assistance group's circumstance by a person not included in the assistance
				group. The confirmation could be made in person or over the phone. The contact
				cannot be limited to any one particular person but may be anyone who can
				provide an accurate third-party verification.
Examples of acceptable collateral contacts
				include but are not limited to: employers, community action groups, migrant
				service agencies, landlords, social services agencies, neighbors of the
				applicant, or other persons not included in the assistance group.
(b)  When the county agency is attempting to obtain information
				from a collateral contact they shall only disclose the necessary information in
				order to obtain the verification without disclosing the applicant has applied
				for SNAP. The agency cannot disclose any information the applicant provided nor
				can there be any information provided to the collateral contact suggesting that
				the applicant provided any incorrect information.
(c)  The county agency shall rely on the applicant to provide the
				name for a collateral contact. The county agency may select a collateral
				contact when the applicant fails to select one. A signed release is not
				required. The applicant may request assistance in selecting a collateral
				contact. The county agency is not required to use the collateral contact
				provided by the applicant if there is reason to believe they will be unable to
				provide accurate third party verification. The county agency may request an
				alternate collateral contact from the applicant, select an alternate collateral
				contact themselves, use another method in obtaining the necessary verification,
				or conduct a home visit.
(3) Client
			 statement
(a) On a case-by-case basis client statement may be acceptable
				verification when no other verification is available.
(b) When client statement is used as verification, it must be
				documented in the case record.
(4)  Home
			 visits
(a)  Home visits may be used on a case-by-case basis as
				verification only when documentary evidence is insufficient, a collateral
				contact is unavailable and the client statement is insufficient or
				questionable.
(b)  The home visit must be scheduled in advance with the
				applicant.
(c)  When the assistance group's circumstances appear to be
				error prone, that alone does not mean a home visit is the most appropriate
				method of verification.
(J) How are discrepancies in information
		  handled?
(1)  When the agency
			 receives unverified information from a source other than the assistance group,
			 the agency shall allow the assistance group a reasonable opportunity to resolve
			 the discrepancy prior to taking any action on the case.
(2)  The county agency
			 may attempt to verify the information with a third party and contact the
			 assistance group only when the agency cannot obtain the
			 verification.
(3)  When the county
			 agency is notified of information by the income eligibility verification
			 system, the county agency may obtain verification from a third party as
			 specified in rule 5101:4-7-09 of the Administrative Code.
(K) What verification is required at
		  recertification?
At recertification the county agency does not
		  have to verify unchanged information unless the information is questionable.
		  The county agency shall verify:
(1)  Income when the
			 source has changed or the amount has changed by more than fifty
			 dollars;
(2)  Utility expenses
			 when they were not verified previously;
(3)  Medical expenses
			 when they were not reported and verified previously, or when the amount changed
			 by more than twenty-five dollars. The county agency is not required to verify
			 medical expenses when the source has not changed and the amount has changed by
			 twenty-five dollars or less since the last time they were
			 verified;
(4)  Newly obtained
			 social security numbers;
(5)  Any changes in the
			 legal obligation to pay child support, the obligated amount, and the amount of
			 legally obligated child support a household member is ordered to pay to a
			 non-household member;
(6)  Work hours for
			 individuals subject to the SNAP time limit of rule 5101:4-3-20 of the
			 Administrative Code who are satisfying the work requirement by working, by
			 combining work and participation in a work program, or by participating in a
			 work program that is not operated or supervised by a state or county
			 agency.
(L) What verification is needed for
		  reported changes?
Changes reported during the certification period
		  shall be subject to the same verification procedures that apply at initial
		  certification.


Last updated September 1, 2021 at 8:30 AM