WAC 388-406-0015 Can I get Basic Food right away?

1. When the department gets your Basic Food application, we look at your circumstances at the time you applied to see if you can get benefits within five calendar days.  This is called "expedited service."  

2. To get expedited service, you must provide proof of who you are and meet one of the following conditions:

   1. Have gross monthly income, before taxes, minus exclusions as defined in 388-450-0015, of under one hundred fifty dollars and have available cash one hundred dollars or less; or     

   2. Have gross monthly income, before taxes, minus exclusions as defined in 388-450-0015, plus available cash of less than your total shelter costs (rent or mortgage and the utility allowance you are eligible for under WAC 388-450-0195); or

   3. Be a destitute migrant or seasonal farm worker household, under WAC 388-406-0021, and your household's available cash is one hundred dollars or less.

3. If you are eligible for expedited service and are not required to have an office interview under WAC 388-452-0005, you can have a telephone interview and still get benefits within five days.

4. If you are applying for Basic Food, "day one" of your five-day expedited service period starts on the:    

   1. Day after the date you filed your application; or

   2. Date you are released from a public institution; or

   3. Date of your interview if you:

      1.     

      2. Waive your expedited interview and we decide you are eligible for expedited service during your rescheduled interview; or

      3. Were screened as ineligible for expedited service and we later determine you are eligible for the service during your interview.

5. If you get expedited service, we only require verification of your identity to provide your first benefit issuance within five days. Other required verifications may be postponed.

6. All postponed verification must be provided for your ongoing eligibility to be determined and any additional benefits to issue. If you applied;

   1. On or before the 15th of the month, we issue one month’s benefits and you have up to thirty days from the date of application to give us any postponed verification; or

   2. On or after the 16th of the month, we issue two months’ benefits and you have until the end of the second month to give us any postponed verification.

7. If we can determine ongoing eligibility at your interview and do not need to postpone any required verifications, we will assign you a regular certification period as described in WAC 388-416-0005.

8. If you have received expedited service in the past, you can get this service again if you meet the requirements listed in subsection (2) above and you:

   1. Gave us all the information we needed to determine ongoing eligibility for your last expedited service benefit period; or

   2. Were certified under normal processing standards after your last expedited certification.

9. If you reapply for benefits:

   1. Before your certification period ends, you are not eligible for expedited service;

   2. After your certification period ends, your five-day expedited service period is the same as a new application;

   3. While you receive Transitional Food Assistance as described in chapter 388-489 WAC, you are not eligible for expedited service.

10. If you are denied expedited service, you can ask for a department review of our decision.  We review the decision within two working days.