HAR §17-647-38. Length of certification periods

(a) Certification periods shall conform to calendar months. The month of application shall be the first month in the certification period for initial applications, even if the household's eligibility is not determined until a subsequent month. If the household submits an application in January but the application is not processed until February, a six-month certification period shall include the months of January through June. A recertification shall begin with the month following the last month of the previous certification period. §17-647-38 647-51 (b) Households in which all members are recipients of financial assistance and which are eligible for joint application procedures shall have its members' food stamp recertifications, to the extent possible, at the same time they are redetermined for financial assistance provided the food stamp certification periods do not exceed one year. (c) Households in which all adult members are elderly or disabled shall be certified for twenty-four months. The branch shall have at least one contact with each certified household every twelve months. (d) Households which are subject to prospective budgeting shall be assigned the longest certification periods possible based on the predictability of the household's circumstances. However, the certification period shall not exceed twelve months. (1) Households shall be certified for at least three months with the following exceptions: (A) A household eligible for a certification period of three months or less shall, at the time of certification, have the certification period increased by one month, if the certification process is completed after the fifteenth day of the month of application and the household's circumstances warrant the longer certification period. For example, if a household which is eligible for a three- month certification period submits an application in June and is not certified until late June or early July, the certification period would include June through September; (B) A household shall be certified for one or two months, as appropriate, when the household cannot reasonably predict what its circumstances will be in the near future, or when there is a substantial likelihood of frequent and significant changes in income or household status. §17-647-38 647-52 (2) Households shall be certified for up to six months if there is little likelihood of changes in income and household status; for example, households with a stable income record and for which major changes in income, deductions, or composition are not anticipated; (3) Households consisting entirely of unemploy- able or elderly persons with very stable income shall be certified for up to twelve months provided other household circumstances are expected to remain stable. (e) Households which are subject to monthly reporting and retrospective budgeting shall be certified for not more than twelve months with the following exceptions: (1) If the applying household is determined eligible for the month of application but ineligible for the subsequent month, then the household shall be given a one-month certification only; and (2) Zero income households shall be assigned a six-month certification period. (f) At the expiration of each certification period, entitlement to food stamp benefits shall end. Further eligibility shall be established only upon a recertification based upon a newly completed applica- tion, an interview, and verification, as required. Under no circumstances shall benefits be continued beyond the end of a certification period without a redetermination of eligibility. [Eff 3/19/93; am 10/16/95; am 10/28/96 ] (Auth: HRS §346-14) (Imp: 7 C.F.R. §§273.10(f), 273.21(b); Pub. L. No. 104-193 (1996)) §