Hotline Focus 12/97

Q. I have an SSFSP household consisting of the husband who is a noncitizen on SSI, his wife who is a noncitizen working part time, and their two children who are citizens. Every month the wife's wages change, creating a different grant every month. Because this is a mixed household, does the income have to be prorated? Will the proration be done by the system automatically or will a manual calculation need to be done?

A. The system will not prorate this income automatically; a manual calculation must be done monthly.

Q. How do I issue expedited SSFSP benefits to a household containing SSFSP--only members?

A. To issue expedited SSFSP benefits, open the category 9 case with action reason 03 in block 33, status 0 in block 51, action reason 18 in block 53, code 30 in block 60 and the expedited SSFSP benefit amount in block 61. See Field Operations Memo 97-66 for further information.

Q. The noncitizen applicant reapplying for food stamps failed to provide verification of noncitizen status within the expedited time frame. Do I deny the request for expedited issuance?

A. You must determine eligibility for expedited benefits based on the applicant's statement regarding noncitizen status. You must always determine whether the household is entitled to expedited issuance in accordance with 106 CMR 365.800. See Field Operations Memo 97-66.

Q. Is there a residency requirement for all SSFSPS applicants and recipients?

A. Anyone applying for SSFSP benefits must provide verification of having lived in Massachusetts 60 days prior to the application. See 106 CMR 361.610(H) for a list of acceptable verifications.

Q. Is there a residency requirement for Supplemental TAFDC?

A. Yes, to be eligible for Supplemental TAFDC, the noncitizen must have lived in Massachusetts for at least six months before applying for benefits. If Supplemental TAFDC is denied due to the residency requirement, the noncitizen applicant(s) are not eligible for EAEDC family.