ACL 08-32: Food Stamp Waiver Of Face-To-Face Interview And Non-Assistance Food Stamp Household Recertification (7/14/08)

The letter transmits state regulations and provides implementation instructions on waiving the face-to-face interview for Quarterly Reporting (QR) households at county option, and for households with elderly or disabled household members. Based on a 2 year FNS waiver (also attached). &nbsp. No change in the info needed at recert. 

Counties 1) MUST do face-to-face at application (unless hardship); 2) MAY conduct a telephone interview at recertification process without documenting a hardship (but counties waiving in person interviews for QR households must do it county-wide); 3) A face-to-face interview MUST still be conducted at recertification if: requested by the household or AR; when the county determines it is necessary to verify conditions of eligibility; or if the household has not complied with Statewide Fingerprint Imaging System (SFIS) requirements.

For Public Assistance Food Stamp (PAFS) households and mixed households, a face-to-face interview may still be required by another program. Therefore, the FSP recertification interview will be conducted in conjunction with the other program’s interview.

For households in which elderly/disabled all members are elderly/disabled, counties may conduct a telephone interview in place of a face-to-face interview at application, as well as at recertification, without documenting hardship. [Download]