This letter transmits changes with a proposed effective date of March 1, 2011. If changes are made to any of the rules contained in this transmittal during the Joint Committee on Agency Rule review period, corrected rules will be sent in a future transmittal.

We are proposing changes to the initial application process to allow county agencies to conduct initial interviews by telephone without documenting the assistance group's hardship, and to no longer require the printing of the Printed Copy of Information (PCI). These changes will apply to both the cash and food assistance programs.

Background

These changes are being proposed to improve program access, ease program administration and alleviate transportation costs for assistance groups. Conducting more telephone interviews at initial certification will promote more efficient use of eligibility workers' time. Additionally, allowing telephone interviews will enable participants to more easily complete the certification process.

The United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) granted Ohio a waiver that allows county agencies to conduct telephone interviews without documenting hardship, as set forth at 7 CFR 273.2(e)(1) and (e)(2), effective March 1, 2011.

Proposed Policy

Currently, a face-to-face interview is required at each initial certification for cash and food assistance unless a hardship criteria is met and documented. The waiver approved by FNS will allow all county agencies to waive the face-to-face interview and conduct a telephone interview without documenting the assistance group's hardship; however, the county agency must conduct a face-to-face interview if one is requested. Time frames and procedures for completing the certification process for food assistance have not changed, and delayed processing requirements still apply. The Cash Assistance Program will align with the Food Assistance Program to ease administration and to improve program access.

The requirement to print and sign the PCI will also be eliminated. The budget information will be added to all approval and denial notices to ensure that applicants receive the information used to determine their eligibility.

CRIS-E

We are working with the Office of Information Services to implement changes to the CRIS-E client scheduling system to allow for telephone interviews at initial certification. Assistance groups' budget information will be added to all approval and denial notices in February. A Caseload View Flash Bulletin (CLVB) will be issued prior to the implementation date with more details.

Food Assistance

Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) Rule Changes

CHAPTER 2000

5101:4-2-01, "Food Assistance: Initial Application Process"

A five-year rule review has been completed on this rule, and it has been rescinded and filed as new. It was rewritten to clarify the policy regarding processing applications. Some of the information that is currently in this rule was previously in rule 5101:4-2-07. Assistance groups are no longer required to sign the PCI if they have signed the JFS 07200, the JFS 01846 or the JFS 07204. Assistance groups' budget information will be listed on their approval or denial notice, eliminating the need for county agencies to print the PCI.

5101:4-2-02, "Food Assistance: Categorically Eligible Assistance Groups"

This rule has been amended to update citations that changed with the revision of rules 5101:4-2-01 and 5101:4-2-07.

5101:4-2-05.1, "Food Assistance: Primary Information Person"

This rule has been amended to remove the requirement for assistance groups to sign the PCI. It also has been updated to change the words "food stamp" to "food assistance" and to spell out "assistance group" where the abbreviation was previously used.

5101:4-2-07, "Food Assistance: Initial Interview Process"

This rule has been rescinded and filed as new. It was rewritten to clarify the policy regarding the interview process. Some of the information that is currently in this rule was previously in rule 5101:4-2-01. County agencies are no longer required to document waiving the face-to-face interview at initial applications.

5101:4-2-09, "Food Assistance: Verification Procedure"

This rule has been amended to update citations that changed with the revision of rules 5101:4-2-01 and 5101:4-2-07.

5101:4-2-11, "Food Assistance: Timeliness Standard and Benefit Verification"

This rule has been amended to update citations that changed with the revision of rules 5101:4-2-01 and 5101:4-2-07.

CHAPTER 5000

5101:4-5-03, "Food Assistance: Establishing Certification Periods"

This rule has been amended to update citations that changed with the revision of rules 5101:4-2-01 and 5101:4-2-07.

CHAPTER 6000

5101:4-6-19, "Food Assistance: Determining Eligibility of Supplemental Security Income Assistance Groups"

This rule has been amended to remove the requirement for assistance groups to sign the PCI. The "Definitions" section was removed because the Food Assistance Certification Handbook has a definitions rule that defines the necessary terms used in this rule. The rule has also been updated to change "food stamp" to "food assistance," and "assistance group" was spelled out wherever the acronym was previously used.

5101:4-6-31, "Food Assistance: Sponsored Aliens"

A five-year rule review has been completed on this rule and it was rescinded and filed as new. It was rewritten to clarify the policy regarding sponsored aliens.

Instructions

The following chart identifies the material that should be removed from the Food Assistance Certification Handbook and the material that should be added.

Cash Assistance OAC Rule Changes

CHAPTER 1000

5101:1-2-01, The Application Process for Ohio Works First, Disability Financial Assistance, and Refugee Cash Assistance

This rule has been amended to eliminate the need for county agencies to document hardship criteria, to allow them to conduct telephone interviews at initial applications, and to eliminate the requirement that they print the PCI.

Instructions

The following chart identifies the material that should be removed from the Cash Assistance Manual and the material that should be added.