Definitions 430-05-10

(Revised 12/01/08 ML3164)

View Archives

 

 

The following is a partial list of specialized words or phrases used throughout the SNAP Policy Manual. Each word or phrase is followed by an explanation.

 

Abuse Shelter

A public or private non-profit abuse shelter that serves abused individuals. If such a facility serves other individuals, a portion of the facility must be set aside on a long-term basis to serve only abused individuals.

 

Active Case Definition

Cases that receive SNAP benefits during a reporting month.

 

Adequate Notice

A written notice sent to a household informing them that their benefits will be reduced, suspended or terminated. The household must receive this notice no later than the date the household receives or would have received their benefit. This notice must be generated in the system by the third to the last working day of the month to allow for two days mailing time to the household.  Notices cannot be hand mailed.  

 

Adult

An individual age 18 and older.

 

Advance Notice

A notice that must be sent to a household at least 10 days before the effective date of an action that reduces, suspends or terminates a household’s benefit.

 

Alien

An individual who is still a subject or citizen of a foreign country and who has not been granted U.S. citizenship.

 

Allotment

The total value of SNAP benefits a household is authorized to receive.

 

Applicant

An individual who submits a written application.

 

Application

Filing a signed form SFN 405 - Application for Assistance to establish eligibility and assign a review period.

 

Authorized Representative

A responsible adult non-household member authorized in writing by the household to make application, receive SNAP benefits and/or purchase food for the household.

 

Base Month

The calendar month prior to the processing month.

 

BENDEX - Beneficiary Data Exchange

A system interface with the Social Security Administration that verifies social security benefits (not SSI) for North Dakota residents.

 

Benefit

The allotment authorized for use by a household for the purchase of eligible foods.

 

Benefit Month

The calendar month for which eligibility and benefits are computed.

 

BEST - Basic Employment Skills Training Program

A program intended to expose participating individuals to job seeking and retention skills.

 

Boarders

Individuals or groups of individuals residing with others and paying reasonable compensation for lodging and meals.

 

Capital Assets

Tangible property used in the operation of a business such as buildings, machinery, fixtures, furniture, equipment, livestock and chattel.  

 

Categorical Eligibility

TANF and SSI households are income and asset eligible. TANF Information and Referral Service households are asset eligible and must meet the net income test.

 

Categorically Eligible Households

Any household in which all members receive or are authorized to receive TANF Information and Referral Services (the household is notified that if eligible, the household is authorized by signing the application/application for review), or any household in which all members receive or are authorized to receive TANF and/or SSI.

 

Certification

Approval of a household to participate in SNAP.

 

Change

Information that is different from what is currently used to determine eligibility and/or benefits.

 

Collateral Contact

Knowledgeable individuals or sources who can support or verify information.

 

Commodities (Food Distribution Program)

A food distribution program for households on or near Indian Reservations.

 

Communal Dining Facility

An FNS approved public or non-profit private establishment that prepares and serves meals for elderly persons or for SSI recipients, and their spouses and federally subsidized housing for the elderly where meals are prepared and served to the residents (i.e. senior citizen center, elderly housing complex).

It also includes private establishments that contract with an appropriate State or local agency to offer meals at reduced prices to elderly persons or SSI recipients and their spouses.

 

Companion Household

The household the elderly and disabled household member lives with when they are unable to purchase and prepare their own meals.

 

Date of Entry

The date established by Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) as the date an alien was admitted to the United States.

 

Destitute Household

A migrant or seasonal worker household whose:

1. Income for the month of application was received before the date of application and was from a terminated source.
2. Only income for the month of application is from a new source and the new source income of more than $25 will not be received by the 10th calendar day after the date of application.
3. Terminated source income is received before the date of application and new source income of more than $25 will not be received before the 10th day after the date of application.

 

Disabled

A member of a household who meets one of the following criteria:

1. Eligible to receive SSI benefits, including presumptive SSI payments, or is eligible as a 1619B under SSI criteria.
2. Is determined disabled by SSA and in receipt of disability payments.
3. Is a recipient of disability related medical assistance under Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act). Eligibility to receive these benefits must be based on disability or blindness criteria, which is at least as stringent as SSI regulations.
4. Is in receipt of disability retirement benefits from a government agency because of a disability considered permanent under Social Security disability criteria.

Example:

In order to collect Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) disability benefits, the Social Security definition of permanent disability must be met.

5. Is a veteran with a service connected or non-service connected disability rated or paid by the Veteran's Administration (VA) at a 100% rate under Title 38 of the United States Code.
6. Is a veteran considered by the VA in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently house bound under Title 38 of the United States Code.
7. Is a surviving spouse of a veteran and considered by the VA in need of regular aid and attendance or permanently house bound or a surviving child of a veteran and considered by the VA as permanently incapable of self-support under Title 38 of the United States Code.
8. Is a surviving spouse or surviving child of a veteran and considered by the VA entitled to compensation for a service-connected death or pension benefits for a non-service-connected death under Title 38 of the United States Code and has a disability considered permanent.

Entitled refers to a surviving spouse and surviving children who are receiving the compensation or pension benefits stated or have been approved for such payments, but are not yet receiving them.

9. Is in receipt of a Railroad Retirement disability annuity and has been determined to qualify for Medicare.
10. Is in receipt of SSI optional or mandatory supplementation.

(North Dakota does not have SSI optional or mandatory supplementation. However, someone moving to North Dakota may have received this benefit from another state.)

11. Is in receipt of disability-based State general assistance benefits, provided that the eligibility to receive any of these benefits is based upon disability or blindness criteria established by the state they receive the benefit from, which are at least as stringent as those used under SSI regulations.

(North Dakota does not have disability-based State general assistance benefits. However, someone moving to North Dakota may have received this benefit from another state.)

 

Drug Addiction or Alcohol Treatment and Rehabilitation Program

Any drug addiction or alcohol treatment and rehabilitation program conducted by a private, non-profit organization or institution, which is certified by the North Dakota Department of Human Services, Substance Abuse Services Unit, for the administration of programs for alcoholics and drug addicts. Alcohol treatment and rehabilitation programs located on an Indian Reservation that are not certified by the Substance Abuse Services Unit may be approved to participate by FNS.

 

Drug Felon

An individual convicted of a Federal or State felony for possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs.

 

EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Account

A household’s electronic account where authorized benefits are sent.

 

EBT Card

A North Dakota Department of Human Services and South Dakota Department of Social Services debit card issued to access SNAP benefits from EBT accounts.

 

Elderly Individual

An individual 60 years of age or older. If an individual is 59 years old on the date of application, but will become 60 before the end of the month of application, the individual is considered elderly.

 

Equity Value

The fair market value less amount owed.

 

Excluded Household Member

An individual who resides with a SNAP household who cannot be included in the household size but whose income and assets must be used to determine eligibility and benefit level.

 

FACSES - Fully Automated Child Support Enforcement System

A system interface with North Dakota Child Support Enforcement Unit.

 

Fair Hearings

A formal hearing process conducted by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in which a household or its representatives have the right to further review any action taken on their case. A hearing is conducted, a decision is reached by an ALJ and the household and worker are notified of the decision within prescribed timeframes.

 

Fair Market Value

The value established by the current market.

 

Fleeing Felon

An individual charged or convicted of any felony that has left the jurisdiction of the charging authorities. An individual charged or convicted of any felony in North Dakota who moves within the State of North Dakota is not a fleeing felon.

 

Exception:

A Native American individual charged or convicted of any felony that flees to or from an Indian Reservation within North Dakota is considered a fleeing felon.

 

FNS - Food and Nutrition Services

A federal agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that, among other duties, administers SNAP.

 

Food Distribution Program (Commodities)

A food distribution program for households on or near Indian Reservations.

 

Foster Care Individuals

Adults or children in a licensed foster care home.

 

Funeral Agreement

A bona fide funeral agreement is a pre-paid written agreement between a household member and the funeral home/director to provide burial services/merchandise.

 

Group Home Living Arrangement

A public or private non-profit residential setting that serves no more than 16 residents, is authorized by FNS as a retailer, and is certified or licensed by Developmental Disabilities, or Regional Human Service Centers, including a determination that the Center is a non-profit organization.

 

Homeless Meal Provider

A public or private non-profit establishment (i.e. soup kitchen, temporary shelter) approved to feed homeless individuals.

 

This also includes meals prepared by an authorized restaurant.

 

House Arrest/Confinement

An individual ordered by the court to serve their sentence through house arrest/confinement. The individual is allowed to live in the community, is not considered a resident of an institution and may be eligible for SNAP.

 

IEVS - Income Eligibility Verification System

A system interface with other governmental agencies that provides financial information used to determine eligibility such as unemployment benefits and quarterly wages.

 

Initial Month

Any month in which a new application is required.

 

Exception:

For migrant and seasonal worker households, initial month means the first month a household is certified following a break of one calendar month or more that a household was not certified.

 

Institution

A facility which provides an individual with the majority of their meals (over 50% of three meals daily) as part of the facility’s normal services.

 

Examples:

Hospitals, federally subsidized housing for the elderly, drug/alcohol treatment centers, group living arrangements for blind or disabled individuals, shelters for abused individuals and shelters for the homeless.

 

Institution of Higher Education

A business, technical, trade, or vocational school that normally requires a high school or equivalency certificate for enrollment in the curriculum, or in a regular college or university that offers degree programs regardless of whether or not a high school diploma is required.

 

IPV - Intentional Program Violation

An individual(s) determined to have intentionally:

1. Made a false or misleading statement, or misrepresented, concealed, or withheld facts.
2. Committed any act that constitutes a violation of the Food and Nutrition Act, SNAP Regulations, or any state statute relating to the use, presentation, transfer, acquisition, receipt, or possession of SNAP benefits.

 

Liquid Assets

An asset easily converted to cash.

 

Examples:

Money in checking or savings accounts, stocks or bonds, lump-sum payments, funds held in individual retirement accounts (IRA's), or Keogh plans.

 

Live-in Attendants

Individuals who reside with a household to provide medical, housekeeping, child care or similar personal services.

 

Mass Change

Government initiated changes affecting significant portions of the caseload. They include annual adjustments to income eligibility standards and shelter/dependent care deductions, annual adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan and shelter deductions, annual and seasonal adjustments to the utility standards, periodic social security cost of living adjustments, SSI and other federal benefit adjustments, adjustments to TANF, adjustments to child care and other changes in the eligibility criteria based on legislative or regulatory action.

 

Meals-on-Wheels

A non-profit meal delivery service which prepares and delivers meals to individuals. Meals-on-Wheels is authorized by FNS to accept SNAP benefits.

 

Migrant

An individual that regularly joins the migrant job stream and regularly migrates from one part of the country to another.

 

Negative Case

Initial applications and reviews that are denied or cases closed during the review period.

 

Non-Household Member

An individual residing with a SNAP household who is not included in determining the household size.

 

Non-Liquid Assets

Real or personal property.

 

Examples:

Vehicles, buildings, land, and recreational properties such as boats, campers or lake cabins.

 

Non-Recurring Lump-Sum

Money, both earned and unearned, received in the form of a one time payment which cannot reasonably be anticipated to occur again.

 

Examples:

Retroactive salary increases, back wages, income tax refunds, rebates or credits, retroactive lump-sum Social Security, TANF, child support arrearage, SSI, railroad retirement benefits, lump-sum insurance settlements, mineral leasing bonuses, and refunds of security deposits on rental property or utilities.

 

NUMIDENT - Number Identification

A system interface with the Social Security Administration that verifies social security numbers for North Dakota residents.

 

Parental Control

A minor(s) under age 18, who is dependent financially or otherwise on a household, as opposed to being an independent unit of the household they are residing in.

 

Parole/Probation Violator

An individual determined by the court to have violated the terms of their parole or probation.

 

Proration of Benefits

A partial benefit for the month of application based on the day of the month the household applies for benefits.

 

Prospective Budgeting

Computation of a household's SNAP benefit based on an estimate of income and circumstances for the benefit month.

 

Prospective Eligibility

Determination of a household's eligibility to participate for the benefit month based on the household's and worker's best estimate of income and circumstances for the benefit month.

 

Prudent Person Judgment

Reasonable judgment made by a worker based on experience and knowledge of the program and surrounding community. Documentation must support that judgment.

 

Public Institution

A facility which provides an individual with the majority of their meals (over 50% of three meals daily) as part of the facility’s normal services, and the facility has not been authorized to accept SNAP benefits.

 

Examples:

Prisons, jails, work release, state hospitals, developmental centers, individuals on work release or those on approved leave who have not been discharged and residents of the Burdick Job Corp.

 

QIR - Quality Improvement Review

A review of all counties to determine if the county is administering and operating SNAP in accordance with SNAP requirements.

 

Review

Filing a signed form SFN 407B - Application for Review for SNAP Eligibility with the county to determine continuing eligibility and establish a review period.

 

Review Period

A period of time a household is approved to participate in SNAP.

 

Regular Issuance Deadline

The second to the last working day of each month. Any processing done after this date results in an adjustment to the SNAP benefit.

 

Reservation

The geographically defined area over which an Indian Tribal Organization (ITO) exercises governmental jurisdiction as long as the area is legally recognized by the Federal or State government as being set aside for the use of Indians.

 

Residents of Institutions

Individuals residing in an institution when the institution provides them with the majority of their meals (over 50% of three meals daily) as part of the institution's normal services.

 

Roomer

An individual to whom a household furnishes lodging, but no meals, for compensation.

 

SAVE - Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlement

A database that is accessed online for alien status verification provided by USCIS.

 

SDX - State Data Exchange

A system interface with Social Security Administration, which verifies supplemental security income (SSI), for North Dakota residents.

 

Seasonal Worker

An individual who works in agricultural employment of a seasonal or temporary nature but does not migrate from one part of the country to another seeking employment.

 

SNAP Household

Individuals living together who buy and prepare food together. 

 

Sponsor

An individual who signs an affidavit or other statement accepted by INS agreeing to support an alien as a condition of the alien's admission into the United States as a permanent resident.

 

Spouse

A person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.  One man and one woman can become husband and wife through marriage (a legal union).  For purposes of SNAP, members of a same sex marriage and being partners in a civil union are not considered spouses.

 

Striker

An individual involved in an agreed upon stoppage of work by employees including expiration of a collective bargaining agreement and any slowdown or other agreed upon interruption of operations by employees.

 

Student of Higher Education

An individual who is enrolled in a business, technical, trade, or vocational school that normally requires a high school or equivalency certificate for enrollment in the curriculum, or in a regular college or university that offers degree programs regardless of whether or not a high school diploma is required.

 

Student Under the Age of 18

An individual who attends elementary or secondary school, General Equivalency Diploma (GED) classes, English classes as a secondary language, or attends elementary or secondary classes through a home-school program recognized or supervised by the student’s state or local school district at least half time (as determined by the school district).

 

Supplement

An additional benefit issued to a household when there is a decrease in gross monthly income of $50 or more or there is an addition of a new household member.

 

SVES - State Verification and Exchange System

An online inquiry to the Social Security Administration System to obtain verification of qualifying quarters of work.

 

TANF - Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

North Dakota public assistance program that provides Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), TANF Diversion, TANF Pay After Performance and TANF Transition Assistance.  

 

TANF Information and Referral

A county will provide individuals with information and referrals to various other agencies, programs, organizations and community/county resources that could be of benefit to the household (i.e. housing, Child Care Assistance, Salvation Army, Community Action, Job Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs).

 

10-Day Advance Notice

A notice that must be sent to a household at least 10 days before the effective date of an action that reduces, suspends or terminates a household’s benefit.

 

10-10-10

A household has 10-days to report mandatory changes, the worker has 10-days to act on the change and the worker must allow for a 10-day advance notice to the household.

 

TPQY - Third Party Query

Online inquiry to Social Security Administration to obtain verification of social security, SSI benefits or quarters of work information.

 

Trafficking

The buying or selling of EBT cards, ATP cards, or other benefit instruments for cash or consideration other than eligible food; or the exchange of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substances.

 

Underpayment

A benefit issued to a household, whenever a loss was caused by worker error, when an IPV disqualification is later reversed, or when specifically required by federal regulations.

 

USCIS - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

A Federal Agency of the U.S. Department of Justice that, among other duties, registers and monitors non-citizens entering or leaving the U.S.

 

Vendor Payment

A full or partial money payment made by an individual who is not a household member or by a public or private organization directly to a third party for a household expense.

 

Verification

Third-party information or documentation used to establish the accuracy of statements.

 

Voluntary Quit

 

When an individual quits or loses a job through their own actions or reduces their work effort voluntarily and after the reduction is working less then 30 hours per week.

1. If the quit or reduction in hours occurred within 30 days prior to the date of initial application or within 30 days prior to the date of receipt of the application for review.  
2. If the individual was a mandatory work registrant at the time of the quit.
3. If the individual was hired for employment of 30 hours or more per week (can be averaged), regardless of the length of employment.

Example:

A mandatory work registrant was hired to work 30 hours per week at minimum wage. The individual quit the second day of employment without good cause. This would be considered a voluntary job quit.

4. If the individual received weekly earnings at least equivalent to the federal minimum wage currently in effect multiplied by 30 hours.
5. If the quit was without good cause.