Certification Periods - Basic Food
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Certification Periods - Basic Food

Revised October 28, 2007

Purpose: This section explains: What a certification period is for Basic Food; The longest certification period we can give people based on their Assistance Unit's situation; and When ACES will set a certification period to match the review end date of other programs.
WAC 388-416-0005How long can I get Basic Food?

WAC 388-416-0005

WAC 388-416-0005

Effective November 1, 2005

WAC 388-416-0005 How long can I get Basic Food?

  1. The length of time the department determines your assistance unit (AU) is eligible to get Basic Food is called a certification period.   The department may certify your AU for up to: 

    1. Six months if your AU:

      1. Includes an able-bodied adult without dependents (ABAWD) who receives Basic Food in your AU and your AU does not live in an exempt area as described in WAC 388-444-0030;

      2. Includes a person who receives ADATSA benefits as described in Chapter 388-800 WAC;

      3. Is considered homeless under 388-408-0050; or

      4. Includes a migrant or seasonal farmworker as described under 388-406-0021.

    2. Twenty-four months if all adults in your AU are elderly persons or individuals with disabilities and no one in your AU has earned income.

    3. Twelve months if your AU does not meet any of the conditions for six or twenty-four months

  2. If you receive Transitional Food Assistance, we set your certification period as described under 388-489-0015.  

  3. If your AU is homeless or includes an ABAWD when you live in a non-exempt area, we may shorten your certification period.

  4. We terminate your Basic Food benefits when:

    1. We get proof of a change that makes your AU ineligible; or

    2. We get information that your AU is ineligible; and

    3. You do not provide needed information to verify your AUs circumstances.

This is a reprint of the official rule as published by the Office of the Code Reviser. If there are previous versions of this rule, they can be found using the Legislative Search page.

CLARIFYING INFORMATION

  1. Start date of a certification period:

We start the certification period on the date people's benefits start under WAC 388-406-0055, even if they do not receive benefits for the first month they are eligible.


EXAMPLE

David applies for Basic Food on October 31, 2005, and is eligible for $4. David does not receive benefits for October because his benefits in the first month are less than $10. His 12-month certification period starts October 31, 2005, and ends on September 30, 2006.


  1. Certification period defaults:

    ACES sets certification periods based on the circumstances of the AU and what other benefits they receive from us. The table below shows the certification period the system will set if not matching a review period to another program.

AU Circumstances / Other Programs Default Certification
Includes an ABAWD in a non-exempt area 6
Homeless 6
All adult members are elderly persons or individuals with disabilities & have no earned income 12
Associated with ADATSA 6
Includes a Migrant or Seasonal Farmworker 6
All other Basic Food AUs (including ABAWDs who don't receive Basic Food or ABAWDs in exempt areas) 12
Transitional Food Assistance 5

  1. Matching cash review periods and Basic Food certification periods:

    When possible, ACES will automatically match the cash review periods and Basic Food / TANF related family medical certification periods to minimize the number of reviews as described below:

    1. Basic Food approved first:

      1. If there are at least six months left in the Basic Food certification period, ACES sets the mid-certification review and eligibility review end dates for the new cash / medical benefit to match dates for Basic Food.

      2. If there are less than six months left in the Basic Food certification period, the system will not change the certification period end date for Basic Food. ACES sets a 12-month review period with the mid-certification review due at six months for the new cash / medical benefit.


NOTE: When the system does not automatically match the mid-certification review and review end dates because there are less than six months in the certification period, staff can match these dates by initiating a review for Basic Food.

  • If we do not initiate a review to manually match the certification / review periods, these mid-certification reviews and eligibility review periods will not match and will result in the household receiving more than one mid-certification review.

  • The system initiates a review for associated cases at the next ER or recertification. When we complete the review, the end dates and mid-certification review due date will match.

  1. Cash / Family medical approved first:

    1. ACES extends the current cash / medical review periods to match the certification period end date for Basic Food.

    2. ACES sends the mid-certification review for all programs that require a report in month five of the certification/review period. This mid-certification review is due in month six.


EXAMPLE

The Adams family receives TANF benefits only. TANF review period expires in February. In January, they apply for Basic Food benefits.

When we open the Basic Food case, they will be assigned a certification period of January through December. ACES will adjust both the TANF review period and mid-certification review due date to match the newly opened Basic Food benefits.

WORKER RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Extending certification periods:

    At application and recertification, extend a certification period beyond 12 months if:

    1. All adults in the AU are elderly or individuals with disabilities;

    2. No adults have earnings; and

    3. You do not expect their circumstances to change.

  2. Close Basic Food benefits when:

    1. You receive information that suggests that the household may be ineligible; and

    2. They do not clarify their circumstances.


EXAMPLE

You receive a call from an anonymous source that Stan is working and has income over the gross income standard. You send Stan a written request for him to give us proof of his income or deny the claim that he is employed.

If Stan does not respond within ten days, close his case with advance and adequate notice.

  1. Close benefits when you have proof of a change that makes an AU ineligible.


EXAMPLE

Dee calls to report that she is working. The income she reports is over the net income limit for TANF but is just short of the income limit for Basic Food. Dee's TANF terminated while she was in sanction for failing to cooperate with DCS. The household is not eligible for TFA.

Because Dee's worker is unsure of her eligibility for Basic Food, he adjusts the income in ACES to close TANF and asks for proof of her income to decide if she is still eligible for Basic Food.

If the proof shows that Dee is over income for Basic Food, her worker closes the case with advance and adequate notice.

ACES PROCEDURES

See Certification Periods

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Modification Date: October 28, 2007
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