(Revised 01/01/04 ML2893)
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The policies and procedures throughout this manual are guides for SNAP certification and are written within the limits imposed by the Food and Nutrition Act and Regulations. Policies allow workers to exercise reasonable judgment in executing their responsibilities. It is impossible to write a procedure that will cover every possible contingency that specific cases may present to the worker.
The concept of the "prudent person" is helpful to a worker. The term refers to the reasonableness of the judgments made by a worker in a given situation. In making a certification decision, a worker should ask if this judgment is reasonable based on their experience and knowledge of the program.
Examples:
- If the client's shelter expenses, as they state them, are out of line with rentals charged in the community, the worker must ask for an explanation.
- The worker is responsible to exercise reasonable judgment in determining if a given number of individuals who apply for SNAP as a single household fit the program's concept of a household.
If a worker encounters a problem in a specific case it should be referred to the immediate supervisor or Regional Representative.
