SNAP Prescreening Guide

A household is only authorized eligible for SNAP benefits for a specified, limited period of time, called the certification period. At the end of that period, the SNAP case is automatically closed unless the LDSS authorizes a new certification period.

6-month certification period:

• Households with income that changes frequently

12-month certification period:

• Most households with income
• Households with no income
• Homebound individuals
• Group home residents receiving SSI/SSD
• People who are homeless

36-month certification period:

• Elderly Simplified Application Program (ESAP) households, where all members are a senior or disabled and there is no earned income
• NYS Combined Application Project (NYSCAP) households—SSI recipients with live-alone status who receive SNAP automatically

48-month certification period:

• NYS Nutrition Improvement Project (NYSNIP) households (sunsets December 1, 2024)—SSI recipients with live-alone status who receive SNAP automatically

Before the end of the certification period, the household will receive a recertification packet with documents to be submitted and information on their recertification interview. If the household does not send back the updated recertification packet and complete an interview in the time frame designated, the case will close at the end of the certification period.

During the recertification process, existing SNAP participants must complete an additional interview to determine continued eligibility. The interview can be by phone, or the participant can request to have it in person. Households should return their completed recertification application as soon as possible. The SNAP office will not make contact or go through with the scheduled interview if the household has not sent in their signed recertification form.

The interview time is included with the recertification packet, however, the SNAP office may attempt to call up to three times to try to complete the interview before the scheduled date.

In New York City, SNAP households can call 1-800-SNAPNOW (or 718-762-7669) to access an on-demand telephone recertification interview without needing a scheduled interview time.

If the household sends in their recertification form, but the SNAP office cannot reach them for their interview, a “notice of missed interview” will be mailed. This notice advises the household to contact the SNAP office immediately to reschedule their interview if they wish to have their recertification application processed. See Notice of Missed Interview.

In addition to participating in the recertification process, SNAP households must follow detailed reporting rules.

Any failure to report required information may result in an overpayment. The SNAP office will try to recoup the overpayment from future benefits or through a claims process, which can result in the overpaid amount being taken from tax refunds.

Households with Six-Month Reporting Rules:

The only thing these households must report during the six-month period is a change in income that causes the household to be over 130% FPL. If this happens, they must report it immediately.

Households with Certification Periods Longer than Six Months:

• Will receive a change report form to be filled out at the six-month point of their SNAP certification; the change report form is mailed at the end of the fifth month of certification;
• Should complete the form and return it to the local SNAP office to continue receiving benefits.

These households must do the following under reporting rules:

• Return the six-month report form;
• Report any change in household income above 130% of poverty.

These households do not have to report any other changes in circumstances until their next SNAP recertification interview.

Some households are required to report almost all changes in household information by the tenth day of the month following the month of the change.

Ten-day reporting households include:

• Households with unearned income where all the adults are elderly or disabled
• Group home residents receiving SSI/SSD
• Households with no income
• Migrant workers
• Homeless households
• Households with a certification period of less than four months

These households do not have to report certain changes in between certification periods. For example, it is not necessary for elderly households to inform the SNAP office when their Social Security benefits increase each January, as long as the increase is less than $50 per month.

04-INF-25 is a helpful source of information on reporting rules.

This waiver enables SNAP offices to reinstate SNAP benefits during the certification period, for households that reestablish their eligibility.

Households can accomplish that by:

• Reporting and verifying any change in circumstances, and/or
• Complying with an unfulfilled program requirement within 30 days of the date their SNAP case was closed.

Households that reestablish their eligibility in such a manner are not required to file a new SNAP application or to complete an eligibility interview.

A common situation where case reactivation is used: a household’s SNAP case is closed for failure to submit or complete a periodic report, but the household then provides the needed information.

How Households Can Be Reinstated Under the Case Reactivation Waiver
Affected households must do the following within 30 days of their case closing:

• Report and verify all changes in circumstances that have occurred,
• Provide any outstanding information that may be missing, and
• Continue to meet SNAP eligibility rules.

Upstate Counties: households should have at least three full months remaining in their certification period following the date of fulfilling all the above requirements for reactivation.

NYC: households should have at least four full months remaining in their certification period following the date of fulfilling all the above requirements for reactivation.

These time frames are necessary due to the requirements districts must follow for generating timely recertification notices and scheduling and completing recertification interviews.

OTDA reserves the right to permit exceptions to that last requirement and permit reactivation during the last three or four months of the certification period if case circumstances merit the exception.

When the Case Reactivation Waiver Cannot Be Used
Case reactivations are not re-applications for SNAP. Therefore:

• Consideration for expedited processing is not part of the reactivation process;
• Households that provide missing information or comply with eligibility requirements 30 days or more after their SNAP certification end date must file a new SNAP application.

Most households that leave TANF are now automatically eligible for transitional SNAP benefits, called the Transitional Benefits Alternative (TBA).

Households that are eligible for TBA:

• Newly employed households
• SNAP households with children who leave TANF or Safety Net Assistance (SNA). For more information on this policy change see 09-ADM-22.

Households that are not eligible for TBA:

• Temporary assistance households without children who leave SNA. Note: These households may be eligible for regular SNAP benefits.
• Households that miss their TANF/SNAP recertification interview.
• Households that have their SNAP case closed due to a violation.

When the TANF case is closed, if a household is eligible for TBA, the caseworker will:

• Authorize TBA for five months—even if a household had less than five months left in its SNAP certification period.
• Freeze the TBA benefit at the SNAP benefit level issued prior to the TANF case closing. There is no income “cap” for TBA; even households with gross incomes above 130% of poverty are eligible.

The household is not obligated to report any change in income, resources, or household composition during the TBA period.

Before the TBA period expires, households are sent a recertification notice to allow them to certify for ongoing SNAP benefits.

To “unfreeze” the SNAP benefits during the five-month TBA period—for example, if a household’s income dramatically decreases or a new member joins the household—the household would have to undergo early recertification.