Applications and Eligibility August 11, 2011

Applications and Eligibility August 11, 2011 Child Nutrition Distance Learning Karen Franklin, SNS

Application Forms and Letters • Use the Forms and Letters packet on the Forms page of the Child Nutrition website: http://cnn.k12.ar.us • Errors in the packet sent to the school district as part of the Renewal Agreement in May • Very important to use the corrected forms from the website

Application • Application document in Word format on website • Download to your computer • Bold wording in the document should be changed to the specific school district information • All four pages of the application packet MUST be given to students

Take Time to Read • PLEASE, take a few minutes and READ all of the application document as well as all of the letters in the forms and letters packet. Know what you are telling people to do.

Application Packet • Four page document: • Letter to household with the frequently asked questions and answers • Instructions on completing the application • Application • Reduced price income guidelines, Privacy Act Statement and Non-Discrimination Statement MUST GIVE ALL FOUR PAGES !!!!

Application • If the district makes any changes to the four page application packet (other than adding the district contact information) the application packet MUST be approved by ADE, CNU prior to distribution to the households. • This includes ALL scanned applications. • These are usually sent with Renewal of Agreement and Policy Statement

Eligibility Determination • Determining Official – person or persons at the district that have the responsibility of making the eligibility determination of students for free or reduced price meal benefits • Must sign or initial each application (even denied) • Reported to ADE, CNU with Renewal Policy Statement each year

Eligibility Determination • Must follow the FEDERAL regulations in making free or reduced price eligibility determinations. • Use the Eligibility Manual for School Meals under the Guidance button of the CNU website, published February 2010 • Changes to Eligibility Manual instructions are published in Commissioner’s Memos

Foster Children Now Categorically Eligible for Free Meals • FIN-12-016 Foster Children are now categorically eligible for free meals without completing an application • A foster child is a child age 18 and under whose care and placement is the responsibility of the State or who is placed by a court with a caretaker household. • Does not apply to informal arrangements that may exist outside the state or court system

Foster Children • Foster children no longer have an application by themselves as a household of one • Foster children may be entered on application with other household members if the household desires (increases number of HH members therefore more likely to make other students eligible)

Foster Children List • The District APSCN SMS person can create an advanced query or create a Cognos report to pull the foster students from Demographics using the person living with code of T (foster parents) • All students on this list are categorically eligible for free meals based on being on the list • List must be maintained by Determining Official • List should be updated regularly

Foster Children Applications • Foster children may be on an application with the household they reside • Foster check box should be checked (by the household) when completing the application • Children with box checked will be free • Other students in households eligibility based on the other information on application

Foster Child Applications • Applications that include foster children should include the foster child’s personal income (for instance part time job income) • The household income for caring for the foster child IS NOT counted as income to the household application • May have dual eligibility in same household if some in household are foster and some are not

Foster Child Applications – Dual Eligibility • If an application has both foster children and non-foster children listed: • Foster children are free • Non-foster children would be determined by the face value of the application • SNAP case number • Income information

Foster Children • Q&A link on FIN-12-16 discusses foster children eligibility in more detail • If the foster child moves back in with their family are they still free? Yes – eligibility determination good for entire school year plus up to 30 days in new school year • Does foster family retain their original eligibility if foster child moves out? Yes

Social Security Number • FIN-11-087 Adult household member signing the Income Application (only time needed) must provide ONLY the last four digits of their social security number • May check box on application indicating they do not have a Social Security number • Social Security numbers are NO LONGER required for adult household members when application pulled for verification

Application Material Changes • Letter to household • Question #3 regarding foster children changed to reflect the current regulation • Question #4 wording changed to give more information and district contact information regarding homeless, migrant and runaway students • Question #10 changed to give specific example of when a household may reapply during school year (i.e.: someone becomes unemployed)

Application Material Changes • Letter to household • Question #13 regarding who to include on application gives better explanation of economically independent households. “If you live with other people who are economically independent (for example, people who you do not support, who do not share income with you or your children, and who pay a pro-rated share of expenses), do not include them.” • See page 44 of Eligibility Manual

Application Material Changes • Letter to the household • Question #17 “My family needs more help.Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for SNAP or other assistance benefits, call or go to the Department of Human Services (DHS) office in any county and ask for an application form. The application is available for printing online at http://www.arkansas.gov/dhs/dco/OPPD/ change to following: • https://access.arkansas.gov/Welcome.aspx

Application Changes • Part 1 – Foster child check boxes • Part 2 – Household indicates that someone receives SNAP benefits. Must give the name of one person on SNAP and the nine digit SNAP case number (not 16 digit card number) • If has SNAP name and case number, only other information required on application is the names of the students and the signature of an adult household member. No income information required.

Application • All applications must have an adult household member signature in order to be approved for meal benefits. Why? Attesting Statement: • “I certify (promise) that all information on this application is true and that all income is reported. I understand that the school will get Federal funds based on the information I give. I understand that school officials may verify (check) the information. I understand that if I purposely give false information, my children may lose meal benefits, and I may be prosecuted.”

Application Processing Timeframe • Applications MUST be processed, determination made, and households notified within 10 working days from receipt of application. See page 25 of Eligibility Manual

Student Names on Applications • Student names MUST be listed in both Part 1 and Part 3 of the income application – not required for SNAP applications • Cannot draw arrows from names in Part 1 to Part 3 • Student name must be listed in Part 3 of income applications due to USDA requirement that student income MUST be listed on application

Master Roster • The LEA MUST have a master roster that contains: • Name of student (or other identifier) • School • Grade • Eligibility Status (free, reduced or paid) • Date of Eligibility Status determination • Date of withdrawal or re-enrollment (if applicable)

Master Roster • The LEA MUST be able to show the source documents to verify the number of free and reduced price eligibles for any given day during the claim month. • If the master roster is on a computer then it must be printed each month as a source document for the claim form.

Master Roster • Must be able to show, for any given day, the students that were free, reduced and paid on that date. • Records must be kept for 5 years after the date of the last claim filed based on those documents, so must be able to show free and reduced for any day in last five years.

Computer Systems • Remember: Even if your district has a computer system that scans applications – the paper application is the SOURCE DOCUMENT and must be maintained. The paper application is the legal document allowing the students to receive meal benefits, not the computerized record. All changes must be noted on the source document, not just the computer system.

Master Roster, 30 Day, APSCN • All students should be coded PAID in APSCN at the beginning of the school year • APSCN was updated earlier this month to include students on the Direct Certification list. Those students should now be coded as free in APSCN. • APSCN is NOT the Child Nutrition Master Roster • As new eligibility determinations are made the Child Nutrition Master Roster AND APSCN should be updated

Master Roster & 30 Day Carryover • At the beginning of the school year use last years master roster for 30 day carryover of meal eligibility benefits • Update this roster with new application determinations and new categorical lists as received • May need to print this list daily at beginning of the school year to reflect accurate eligibility status of students

30 Day Carryover – REQUIRED • LEAs MUST carryover the eligibility status from the previous school year for all students for 30 OPERATING DAYS or until new application is processed • An operating day is any day that meals are served to students

30 Day Carryover The 30th operating day for districts that will begin school on August 15th and will take September 5th off for Labor Day will be Monday, September 26th.

30 Day Carryover • Carryover is discontinued only by the following: • New application submitted, eligibility determined and household notified • At end of 30 operating day carryover if no new application has been submitted and student’s name is not on a categorical list, then the student is moved to paid status

30 Day Carryover • School Districts DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION to discontinue the carryover of previous years eligibility status prior to the 30th operating day • The district MAY ask for applications to be returned earlier than 30 days, however • The district MAY NOT change the carryover status of students that do not have new determination prior to the 30th operating day

30 Day Carryover • The new eligibility determination supersedes the 30 day carryover • The district must allow the FULL 30 day carryover time frame for any student that has not had new determination (by new application or new categorical list) See page 25 of Eligibility Manual for more information

Income • Income is ANY money received on a regular recurring basis; occasional babysitting and lawn mowing jobs would not be reported as income • Must report GROSS income (before deductions for taxes, insurance, etc.) on the application

Current Income Current income means income received by the household for the current month, the amount projected for the first month the application is made or the month prior to the month the application was completed. See Special Situations on Page 44of Eligibility Manual for guidelines.

Income Conversions • Income all received at same frequency: • For example, all income listed is received on a weekly basis • Add all income together and look at the Income Eligibility Guidelines • Make determination based on household size and weekly income

Income Conversions • Income all received at different frequencies: • For example: some income received weekly and some received monthly • Must convert all income to YEARLY income • Look at IEGs for household size and yearly income to make determination

Income Conversions • Only convert income to YEARLY income when all reported income is not received at the same frequency • USDA requires that if a conversion is needed that all income be converted to YEARLY income • See page 29 of Eligibility Manual for more information on income conversion

Special Situations • Joint Custody – If: • Child changes residences based on joint custody • Both households apply for meal benefits • Different eligibility statuses result THEN: • Child receives the greatest benefit level regardless of which home he is living in at the time of the meal service See page 41 of Eligibility Manual

Special Situations • Foreign Exchange Student – does not get special treatment in our program. Must be on application of the household in which they reside. See page 45 of Eligibility Manual • Seasonal workers – when income fluctuates from one month to another the household may project its annual rate of income and report this amount as current income; prior year information may be used if it is accurate for the current year.

Adopted Children • Adopted Child – does not get special treatment in the Child Nutrition program. Treated as any member of the household (must be on application or be on a categorically eligible list). Adoption assistance is included as income on applications.

Income Exclusions • Please see Page 48 of Eligibility Manual for Income Exclusions, a list of income sources that are excluded from consideration in our program. For example: • Payments for care of foster children • Student financial assistance, grants, scholarships • Loans that must be repaid • In kind compensation • Occasional earnings received on an irregular basis

Income Exclusions For a list of federal program income sources that are excluded from consideration see Question 2 on Page 50 of the Eligibility Manual Regularly check the website listed on Page 53 of Eligibility Manual for changes to this excluded income list http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/416/416-ap01.htm

Special Income Situations • Self Employed – credited with net income and not gross income • Net income determined by subtracting business expenses from gross receipts (see page 47 of Eligibility Manual for details) • May use last year’s income unless current net income provides more accurate information • A negative number is reported as Zero income (not temporary in this circumstance) If household receives income from wages AND self employment –both must be listed separately on the application – the wages received ARE NOT reduced by business loss.

Military Personnel • Any benefits received in cash, such as housing, food or clothing allowances, are considered income. • In-kind benefits where no cash is provided to the household are excluded from income (i.e. Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance – FSSA). • Deployed Service Members – Only the income that is available for the households use is listed as income on the application. Deployed Service Members may be counted as a member of the household on the application. • Combat Pay – FIN-11-029 combat pay is not included as income for meal benefit determination.

Military Personnel • Combat Pay defined as: • Received in ADDITION to the service member’s basic pay • Received as a result of the service member’s deployment to or service in an area that has been designated as a combat zone; AND • Not received by the service member prior to deployment to or service in the designated combat zone.

Public Assistance Payments • General Assistance payments • General Relief payments • Welfare benefits • SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits are not counted as income to the household and should not be listed on the application See page 48 of Eligibility Manual

Pensions, Social Security, SSI, Retirement, VA benefits • Pensions or veteran’s benefits • Social Security benefits • Supplemental Security Income (must be blind, disabled or over 65 to receive) • Disability benefits (permanent disability benefits – not worker’s compensation) See page 46 of Eligibility Manual

Examples of Other Income • Rental income (net) • Interest • Cash withdrawn from savings • Regular contributions from persons not living with household (i.e. money from parents or grandparents, etc.) • Estates, trusts, investments • Any money that is available to pay for children’s meals See page 46 of Eligibility Manual

Applications and Eligibility August 11, 2011