Definitions 430-05-10
(Revised 10/01/2018 ML3532)
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Amended IM 5348
IM 5348
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. This interface data is located in NDVerify under the Other Benefit tab.
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.
Individuals or groups of individuals residing with others and paying reasonable compensation for lodging and meals.
Business Day
The official working days of the week defined as the days between and including Monday to Friday, but do not include weekends and those public holidays during which the North Dakota Department of Human Services is closed. If an application or review is filed, a change is reported or verification is provided on a day in which the county is closed but the Department is open, it will be considered received on that date.
Tangible property used in the operation of a business such as buildings, machinery, fixtures, furniture, equipment, livestock and chattel.
Categorically Eligible
Any household in which all members receive or are authorized to receive TANF and/or SSI. These households are income and asset eligible.
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.
A migrant or seasonal worker household whose:
- Income for the month of application was received before the date of application and was from a terminated source.
- 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.
- 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.
A member of a household who meets one of the following criteria:
- Eligible to receive SSI benefits, including presumptive SSI payments, or is eligible as a 1619B under SSI criteria.
- Is determined disabled by SSA and in receipt of disability payments.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Is in receipt of a Railroad Retirement disability annuity and has been determined to qualify for Medicare.
- 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.)
- 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.
EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) Account
A household’s electronic account where authorized benefits are sent.
EBT Card
A North Dakota Department of Human Services debit card issued to access SNAP benefits from EBT accounts.
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.
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.
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.
A tradable asset of any kind; either cash, evidence of an ownership interest in an entity, or a contractual right to receive or deliver cash or another financial instrument.
An individual will be considered a fleeing felon when a Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity presents an outstanding felony arrest warrant that conforms to one of the following National Crime Information Center Uniform Offense Classification Codes:
- Escape (4901);
- Flight to Avoid (prosecution, confinement, etc.) (4902); or
- Flight-Escape (4999).
A warrant, containing one of these codes would be presented to the County by law enforcement to obtain information on the location of and other information about the individual named in the warrant. Only information allowed by policy at 430-05-05-35 – Disclosure of Information can be released.
An individual will be considered in violation of probation or parole imposed under Federal or State law if Federal, State, or local law enforcement authorities are actively seeking the individual to enforce the conditions of the probation or parole.
Actively seeking is defined as:
- A Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency presenting a felony arrest warrant AND the County is informed they intend to enforce an outstanding felony warrant or to arrest an individual for a probation or parole violation within 20 days of submitting a request for information about the individual.
- A Federal, State, or local law enforcement agency presenting a felony arrest warrant AND the County is informed they intend to enforce an outstanding felony warrant or to arrest an individual within 30 days of the date of a request from an Eligibility Worker about a specific outstanding felony warrant or probation or parole violation.
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.
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
An individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; and includes individuals who;
- Share the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals or awaiting foster care placement;
- Have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used a regular sleeping accommodations for human beings (bus station, lobby) ;
- Live in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
- Are migratory and live in any of the circumstances as described above
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.
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. Individuals that reside in these facilities are not eligible to participate as separate households or as a member of any household.
Examples:
Hospitals, 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.
Exception:
Individuals living in in the following institutions may be eligible to participate as a separate household even when a majority of their meals are provided as part of the facilities normal services.
• Federally subsidized housing for the elderly
• Drug/alcohol treatment centers
• Group living arrangements for blind or disabled individuals
• Shelters for abused individuals
• 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:
- Made a false or misleading statement, or misrepresented, concealed, or withheld facts.
- 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.
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.
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 and identity for North Dakota residents.
Ongoing Case
A case is ongoing after the application or review has been processed.
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.
PARIS (Public Assistance Reporting Information System
The Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) is a computer data matching and information exchange system administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This system provides states with a tool to improve program integrity and administer Public Assistance and Medicaid Programs. PARIS is designed to match state enrollment data from TANF, SNAP and Medicaid Programs with data from other participating states and from a select group of federal databases.
An individual determined by the court to have violated the terms of their parole or probation.
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.
An individual who consistently exhibits good judgment in requesting, reviewing and weighing information provided by an applicant or recipient or a person representing an applicant or recipient.
Workers must use this concept to:
- Exercise judgment in requesting, reviewing and weighing information provided by an applicant, recipient or any source of verification.
- Be attentive, vigilant, cautious, perceptive and governed by reason and use common sense.
- Quickly and accurately determine that the information is adequate for making an eligibility decision or that further exploration of the circumstances is necessary.
QIR - Quality Improvement Review
A review of all counties to determine if the county is administering and operating SNAP in accordance with SNAP requirements.
Filing a signed form SFN 407 - Application for Review for SNAP Eligibility with the county to determine continuing eligibility and establish a new 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.
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.
A system interface with Social Security Administration, which verifies supplemental security income (SSI), for North Dakota residents. This interface data is located in NDVerify under the Other Benefit tab.
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.
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
Is a person of the opposite or same-sex who is legally married to another person.
In order for a marriage performed in North Dakota to be considered valid in North Dakota, couples are required to obtain a marriage license through the County Recorder’s Office.
Marriages that occur outside of North Dakota are considered valid in North Dakota if:
- The marriage was legally performed in another state;
- The marriage is a common law marriage that occurred in another state and was considered a valid marriage in that state (the couple would be required to provide documentation verifying that the common-law marriage was considered valid by the state in which it took place);
- The marriage occurred in another country and the marriage was considered valid according to the law of the country where the marriage was contracted, unless the marriage violates the strong public policy of North Dakota.
- Polygamous marriages violate the strong public policy of North Dakota. In situations where polygamy has occurred, the first marriage is considered valid in north Dakota in the marriage meets the criteria in numbers 1, 2, or 3 above. Any additional spouse(s) claimed after the first marriage are considered non-relatives.
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).All members receive or are authorized to receive TANF I&R by signing the application or application for review. These household are asset eligible and must meet the 200% gross income and net income tests.
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.
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.
Online inquiry to Social Security Administration to obtain verification of social security, SSI benefits or quarters of work information.
- The buying, selling, stealing, or otherwise affecting an exchange of SNAP benefits issued and accessed via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, card numbers and personal identification numbers (PINS) or by manual voucher and signatures for cash or consideration other than eligible food, either directly, indirectly, in complicity or collusion with others, or acting alone;
- The exchange of firearms, ammunition, explosives, or controlled substances for SNAP benefits;
- Purchasing a product with SNAP benefits that has a container requiring a return deposit with the intent of obtaining cash by discarding the product and returning the container for the deposit amount, intentionally discarding the product, and intentionally returning the container for the deposit amount;
- Purchasing a product with SNAP benefits with the intent of obtaining cash or consideration other than eligible food by reselling the product, and subsequently intentionally reselling the product purchased with SNAP benefits in exchange for cash or consideration other than eligible food; or
- Intentionally purchasing products originally purchased with SNAP benefits in exchange for cash or consideration other than eligible food.
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.
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 than 30 hours per week.
- 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.
- If the individual was a mandatory work registrant at the time of the quit.
- 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.
- If the individual received weekly earnings at least equivalent to the federal minimum wage currently in effect multiplied by 30 hours.
- If the quit was without good cause.
