Background:

On March 9, 2020 Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Ohio (Executive Order 2020-01D) to protect the well-being of the citizens of Ohio from COVID-19.  Additionally, on March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a national state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-127) became law on March 18, 2020 and provided states the ability to seek waivers to expand flexibility of programs to ease administrative burden of issuing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits while under a state of emergency.

As part of this effort, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) received waiver approval from the United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) to not require an interview to be conducted face-to face when this interview method is requested by the client.  In order to align the SNAP and OWF programs, the same procedure for interviews was implemented for OWF through Action Change Transmittal (ACT) No. 273 & 274. ODJFS must request an extension of the SNAP waivers month-to-month. 

Update:

Face-to-Face Interview

FNS has approved ODJFS to extend the SNAP waiver to not require an interview to be conducted face-to-face when this interview method is requested by the client through October 31, 2020. To maintain program alignment, ODJFS will not require county agencies to conduct an interview face-to-face when this method is requested by the OWF clients/applicants. The client will be serviced through other available interviewing methods during the pandemic.