218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-20-00-1.3

Current through December 3, 2024

Section 218-RICR-20-00-1.3 - Application Process

1.3.1Introduction

A. The application process begins with a request for an application form and is not completed until notification of the household's eligibility is sent. The date of application is considered to be the date a signed application is received by the agency, or in the case of telephonic applications, the date on which the household member provides verbal assent.

B. The application process includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

1. Ensuring applications are available;

2. Assisting a household in the completion of its application;

3. Interviewing a member of the household or an authorized representative;

4. Performing necessary collateral contacts and verifications; and

5. Entering and maintaining a computer file through which SNAP benefits are issued.

C. The application process is completed promptly. A household must be given notification of eligibility or ineligibility no later than thirty (30) days after an application is filed.

1. Expedited service is available to households in immediate need (See § 1.3.9 of this Part).

2. Benefits are pro-rated and provided retroactively to the date of application for households who have completed the application process and have been determined eligible.

1.3.2Filing an Application

A. Households wishing to participate in the program must file an application for assistance. An application for SNAP benefits must be submitted for each household requesting SNAP assistance. Since the time limit for providing benefits is calculated from the date the application is filed, each household has the right to file an application on the same day it contacts the SNAP office during working hours.

1. The household must also be advised that it does not have to be interviewed before filing its application and that it may file an incomplete application form as long as the form contains the applicant's name, address, and the signature of either a responsible member of the household or the household's authorized representative.

a. The household is encouraged to file the application form the same day the household or its representative contacts the office in person or by telephone and expresses interest in obtaining SNAP assistance.

2. Applications can be filed in person or by an authorized representative at a DHS Regional Office, by mail, online or by facsimile (fax).

a. If the household has contacted a SNAP office by telephone but is unable to come to the office to file the application that same day, or the household has requested SNAP assistance in writing, the application form is mailed to the household on the same day the written request or telephone call is received.

B. Telephonic Signature

1. As outlined in 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(c)(7) (viii), the agency has specified in its State plan to select the use of a telephonic signature as an acceptable means for signing an application.

a. Telephonic signatures are not limited to telephonic applications and can be used to sign any application regardless of the means by which the application is completed (e.g., online, telephonically, paper).

b. Telephonic signatures shall allow a household who inadvertently submits an unsigned application to complete the application process without re-submitting the application with a written or inked signature.

(1) If a household member submits an application without a signature and a worker is able to contact the household member over the phone, the worker will write a casenote within the electronic case file application that verbal attestation of the signature was given.

(2) If DHS' efforts to reach the household member are unsuccessful, the application is considered to be invalid and must be returned to the household with a letter and a self-addressed return envelope explaining that the application must be signed before the agency can establish a file date.

2. To constitute a valid telephonic signature, the agency's telephonic signature system must make an audio recording of the household's verbal assent and a summary of the information to which the household assents.

a. The recording shall clearly indicate agreement or disagreement during the interview over the telephone.

b. The summary of the information to which the household assents is a recording of a reiteration of the household's details agreed to during the telephone conversation.

3. A telephonic signature system shall provide linkage from the audio file of the recorded verbal assent to the application so that the agency has ready access to the household's case file.

4. The agency shall promptly provide to the household member a printed copy of the "Statement of Facts" which summarizes the information and the rights and responsibilities that was attested to through the telephone signature process, along with instructions for correcting any errors or omissions.

C. Joint Application Procedure

1. To facilitate participation in the program, households in which all members are applying for RI Works and/or General Public Assistance (GPA) are allowed to apply for SNAP benefits at the same time they apply for assistance.

a. However, the household's SNAP eligibility and benefit level must be based solely on SNAP eligibility criteria and the household must be certified in accordance with notice and procedural requirements within this Part.

2. RI Works time limits and other requirements that apply to the receipt of RI Works benefits do not apply to receipt of SNAP benefits and households which cease receiving RI Works benefits because they have reached a time limit, have begun working, or for other reasons, may still qualify for SNAP benefits.

3. A household with some RI Works/GPA recipients, and some SSI recipients, is also certified under the joint application procedure.

4. An applicant for, or recipient of, Social Security benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 401 through 433, should be informed at the SSA office of the availability of benefits under the SNAP and the availability of a SNAP application at that SSA office. Such applications must be filed at a SNAP office.

5. When a resident of a public institution applies for both SSI and SNAP under the SSA's Pre-release Program for the Institutionalized, the filing date of the SNAP application is recorded as the date the applicant is released from the institution.

1.3.3Withdrawing Applications

A. A household may voluntarily withdraw its application at any time prior to the determination of eligibility.

1. The agency representative must document in the case file the reason for withdrawal, if any was stated by the household, and that contact was made with the household to confirm the withdrawal.

2. The household must be advised of its right to reapply at any time subsequent to a withdrawal.

1.3.4Interview Requirements

A. All households must have an interview with a qualified agency representative in a SNAP office, other certification site or on the telephone prior to initial certification and subsequent recertification. Households comprised solely of elderly (age sixty (60) and older), and/or disabled individuals with no earned income (also known as Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP) households, will be informed at the initial certification interview that a recertification interview will not be required unless the household meets the circumstances outlined in § 1.23.4 of this Part.

1. Applicants (and recipients at recertification or for any other reason) who miss their first (1st) scheduled appointment, must be notified that they have missed a scheduled appointment and that rescheduling another interview appointment within the necessary time frame to ensure an application can be acted upon within thirty (30) days or before the end of the certification period is the responsibility of the household.

2. The individual interviewed may be the head of household, spouse, any other responsible member of the household, or an authorized representative who is an adult and who knows the household's circumstances.

3. The applicant may bring any person they choose to the interview. The interview is conducted as an official and confidential discussion of household circumstances.

4. The face-to-face interview can be waived in favor of a telephone interview.

a. The agency must notify all SNAP households (applicant and recipient) that the face-to-face interview can be waived in favor of a telephone interview upon request by any household.

(1) The applicant/recipient will be provided the opportunity to choose a telephone interview or a face-to-face interview. If the applicant/recipient does not indicate which method they would prefer to be interviewed, the department will automatically schedule a telephone interview.

(2) The agency must grant a face-to-face interview to any household which requests one.

(3) Waiver of the face-to-face interview does not exempt the household from the verification requirements, although special procedures may also be used to permit the household to provide verification and thus obtain its benefits in a timely manner, such as substituting a collateral contact in cases where documentary verification would normally be provided.

(4) Verifications may be faxed or uploaded to the household's online account. If the agency is unable to open any attachment(s), the attachment(s) is not considered to have been received by the agency. Waiver of a face-to-face interview does not affect the length of the household's certification period.

5. The agency representative may offer households for whom the office interview is waived the alternative of either a telephone interview or a home visit.

a. However, home visits are used only if the time of the visit is scheduled in advance with the household.

6. The DHS-2 or recertification form is reviewed with the applicant or adult representative of the household, and the appropriate information is verified through documentation supplied by the applicant, or if not supplied by the applicant, by obtaining the document or information.

7. The applicant is required to read, or have read to him/her, the information on the signature page of the DHS-2, and sign the form.

a. The DHS-2 must be completed and signed by an adult representative of the household applying for SNAP benefits certifying, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained in the application is true.

B. The agency representative must conduct a single interview at the initial application for both public assistance (PA) and SNAP purposes. PA households are not required to see a different agency representative or otherwise be subjected to two (2) interview requirements in order to obtain the benefits of both programs.

1. Following the single interview, the application may be processed by separate workers to determine eligibility and benefit levels for SNAP and PA. A household's eligibility for the SNAP out-of-office interview provision does not relieve the household of any responsibility for a face-to-face interview in order to be certified for public assistance.

1.3.5Household Failure to Cooperate

A. To determine eligibility, the application forms are completed and signed, the household or its authorized representative is interviewed, and certain information on the application is verified. If the household refuses to cooperate with the agency in completing this process, the application is denied at the time of refusal.

1. For a determination of refusal to be made, the household must be able to cooperate, but clearly demonstrates that it will not take actions which it can take and which are required to complete the application process.

2. For a decision of noncooperation to be made, the household must fail to submit the requested verification by the tenth (10th) day from which the information was requested. If there is any question as to whether the household has merely failed to cooperate, as opposed to refused to cooperate, the household is not denied until the thirtieth (30th) day from the date of the application.

3. The household is also determined ineligible if it refuses to cooperate in any subsequent review of its eligibility, including reviews generated by reported changes and application for recertification. Once denied or terminated for refusal to cooperate, the household may reapply but is not determined eligible until it cooperates.

4. The agency must not determine a household to be ineligible when a person outside of the household fails or refuses to cooperate with a request for verification.

a. Individuals identified as non-household members under § 1.5.6 of this Part are not considered individuals outside the household.

1.3.6Providing Notices of Eligibility/Ineligibility

A. Eligible Households

1. Every applicant household found eligible is provided a written notice of eligibility as soon as a determination is made but no later than thirty (30) days after the date of initial application. Refer to § 1.3 of this Part for information on the thirty (30) day processing standard.

2. The notice informs the household of the following:

a. Amount of the allotment

b. Beginning and ending date of the certification period

c. The right to a hearing and the availability of free legal representation

d. The household's obligation to report changes in circumstances and of the need to reapply for continued participation at the end of the certification period

B. Ineligible Households

1. Each household denied eligibility is provided a written notice of denial explaining:

a. The basis for the denial

b. The household's right to request a hearing

c. The telephone number of the DHS Office

d. The name of a person to contact for additional information

e. The availability of free legal service

1.3.7Denying an Application Prior to the Thirtieth (30th) Day

A. Cases can be denied prior to the thirtieth (30th) day of application in the following instances:

1. When the Department has all the required information and verification and can determine that the applicant household is ineligible

2. When the household overtly refuses to cooperate with the agency representative in completing the application process

3. When the household requests in writing that the application for SNAP benefits be withdrawn

4. When an agency representative issues a Request for Documentation, and the client does not provide the requested information

B. If the household has failed to avail itself for a scheduled interview and has made no subsequent contact with the agency to express interest in pursuing the application, the household is denied and sent a notice of denial on the thirtieth (30th) day following the date of application. The household must file a new application if it wishes to participate in the program.

C. For a case in which an interview was conducted, the application may be denied prior to the thirtieth (30th) day from the date of application. In this instance the application may be denied on the tenth (10th) day following the date of request for verification if:

1. At the time of the intake interview, the agency representative provided the household with a list of the missing required verification necessary to determine eligibility for the SNAP; and,

2. The agency informed the household in writing by means of a request for documentation of the ten (10) day requirement for submission of missing verification; and,

3. The agency representative notified the household in writing of the date by which any missing verification must be provided; and,

4. The agency representative offered assistance to the household in obtaining verification; and,

5. The household failed to provide the requested verification within the ten (10) day time frame.

1.3.8Delayed Eligibility Determinations

A. A notice either of denial or of pending status is provided for applications which are delayed in processing, depending upon the cause of the delay.

1. If the Department cannot make an eligibility determination within thirty (30) days from the date of application, the cause of delay is determined, and a notice of pending status is sent to the household on the thirtieth (30th) day.

a. If the application is pending because action by the agency representative is necessary to complete the application process, the notice informs the household that its application has not been completed and is being processed.

b. If the application is pending because action by the household is necessary to complete the application process, the notice explains what action the household must take and that its application will be denied if the household fails to take the required action within sixty (60) days of the date the application was filed.

B. Determining Cause for Delay: The agency representative shall determine the cause of the delay using the following criteria:

1. Household caused delay: A delay shall be considered the fault of the household if the household has failed to complete the application process even though the agency has taken all the action it is required to take to assist the household. The agency must have taken the following actions before a delay can be considered the fault of the household:

a. For households that have failed to complete the application form, the agency must have offered, or attempted to offer, assistance in its completion.

b. If one (1) or more members of the household have failed to register for work, as required in § 1.11 of this Part, the agency must have:

(1) Informed the household of the need to register for work

(2) Determined if the household members are exempt from work registration

(3) Given the household at least ten (10) days from the date of notification to register these members

c. In cases where verification is incomplete, the agency must have:

(1) Provided the household with a statement of required verification and offered to assist the household in obtaining required verification

(2) Allowed the household sufficient time to provide the missing verification; sufficient time shall be at least ten (10) days from the date of the agency's initial request for the particular verification that was missing.

d. For households that have failed to appear for an interview, the agency must notify the household that it missed the scheduled interview and that the household is responsible for rescheduling a missed interview.

(1) If the household contacts the agency within the thirty (30) day processing period, the agency must schedule a second (2nd) interview.

(2) If the household fails to schedule a second (2nd) interview or the subsequent interview is postponed at the household's request or cannot otherwise be rescheduled until after the twentieth (20th) day but before the thirtieth (30th) day following the date the application was filed, the household must appear for the interview, bring verification, and register members for work by the thirtieth (30th) day; otherwise, the delay shall be the fault of the household.

(3) If the household has failed to appear for the first (1st) interview, fails to schedule a second (2nd) interview, and/or the subsequent interview is postponed at the household's request until after the thirtieth (30th) day following the date the application was filed, the delay shall be the fault of the household.

(4) If the household has missed both scheduled interviews and requests another interview, any delay shall be the fault of the household.

2. Agency Caused Delay

a. Delays that are the fault of the agency include those cases where the agency failed to take the actions described in §§ 1.3.8(B)(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) of this Part, and/or the following:

(1) If the household met its obligations in a timely manner but the agency failed to complete the application process promptly

(2) If the agency representative fails to provide required assistance or fails to give the household sufficient time

C. Action taken if the Household or Agency Causes a Delay

1. Household Caused Delay

a. If a request for documentation notice was issued and the client does not respond within ten (10) days, the case is denied.

b. If the Department cannot make an eligibility determination by the thirtieth (30th) day of the original application filing date, due to the fault of the household, the household loses its entitlement to benefits for the calendar month of application.

c. If the household takes the required action within sixty (60) days following the date the application was filed, the Department reopens the case without requiring a new application.

(1) No further action by the Department is required after the notice of denial or pending notice is sent if the household failed to take the required action within sixty (60) days following the date the application was filed.

d. If the household was at fault for the delay in the first thirty (30) day period, but is found to be eligible during the second (2nd) thirty (30) day period, the Department provides benefits from the date the household provides the required documentation.

(1) The household is not entitled to benefits for the calendar month of application when the delay was the fault of the household.

2. Agency Caused Delay: Whenever a delay is the fault of the Department, immediate corrective action occurs. The agency shall not deny the application if it caused the delay but shall instead notify the household by the thirtieth (30th) day following the date the application was filed that its application is being held pending. The State agency shall also notify the household of any action it must take to complete the application process.

a. If verification is lacking the agency will hold the application pending for ten (10) days following the date of the initial request for the particular verification that was missing.

(1) If the case remains pending after thirty (30) days, but the ten (10) day period to provide verification has not passed and the client provides the documentation within the ten (10) days, benefits are restored from the date of the original application.

(2) If, however, the household is found to be ineligible, the agency denies the application.

b. If the agency is at fault for not completing the application process by the end of the second thirty (30) day period, and the case file is otherwise complete, the Department shall continue to process the original application until an eligibility determination is reached.

(1) If the household is determined eligible, and the agency was at fault for the delay in the initial thirty (30) days, the household shall receive benefits retroactive to the month of application.

(AA) However, if the initial delay was the household's fault, the household shall receive benefits retroactive only to the month following the month of application.

(BB) The agency uses the original application to determine the household's eligibility in the months following the sixty (60) day period, or it may require the household to file a new application.

(2) If the agency is at fault for not completing the application process by the end of the second thirty (30) day period, but the case file is not complete enough to reach an eligibility determination, the agency may continue to process the original application, or deny the case and notify the household to file a new application.

(AA) If the case is denied, the household must be advised of its possible entitlement to benefits lost as a result of agency caused delays in accordance with § 1.18 of this Part.

1.3.9Expedited Service

A. The following households are eligible for expedited service:

1. Households with less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) in monthly gross income, provided their liquid resources (i.e., cash on hand, checking or savings account, savings certificates and lump sum payments as specified in § 1.5.5 of this Part) do not exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00);

2. Migrant or seasonal farmworker households who are destitute as defined in § 1.3.9(H) of this Part, provided their liquid resources (see above) do not exceed one hundred dollars ($100.00); or

3. Eligible households whose combined monthly gross income and liquid resources are less than the household's monthly rent (or mortgage) and utilities.

B. Timeframes for expedited service

1. Expedited service procedures apply at initial application. Application procedures are designed to identify a household eligible for expedited service at the time a household requests assistance. An agency representative is assigned responsibility for screening the application when it is filed or on the day the individual comes in to apply.

2. For households entitled to expedited service, the agency shall make SNAP benefits available to the recipient no later than the seventh (7th) calendar day following the date an application was filed.

a. If the agency fails to identify a household as being entitled to expedited service and subsequently discovers that the household is entitled to expedited service, the agency shall provide expedited service to households within the seven (7) day processing standard, except that the processing standard shall be calculated from the date the agency discovers the household is entitled to expedited service.

C. Interview Requirements for expedited service

1. If a household is entitled to receive expedited service, the agency representative must attempt to conduct the interview by the sixth (6th) calendar day following the date the application was filed. The first (1st) day of this count is the calendar day following application filing.

2. If the agency representative conducts a telephone interview and must mail the application to the household for signature, the mailing time involved is not calculated in the expedited service standards.

a. Mailing time only includes the days the application is in the mail to and from the household and the days the application is in the household's possession pending signature and mailing.

D. Verification Procedures -Expedited Service

1. The identity of the person making the application and, whenever possible, the household's residency in accordance with § 1.6.1 of this Part, must be verified through a collateral contact or readily available documentary evidence.

a. Once an acceptable collateral contact has been designated, the agency representative must promptly contact the collateral contact in accordance with § 1.6.3 of this Part. Although the household has the primary responsibility for providing other types of verification, the agency representative must assist the household in promptly obtaining the necessary verification.

2. A household entitled to expedited service is asked to furnish an SSN for each person or apply for one (1) for each person before the second (2nd) full month of participation.

a. A household unable to provide the required SSNs, or who does not have one prior to its next issuance, must be allowed thirty (30) days from the first (1st) day of the first (1st) full month of participation to obtain the SSN in accordance with § 1.4.12 of this Part.

3. All reasonable efforts must be made to verify within the expedited processing standards, the household's residency, income statements (including a statement that the household has no income), liquid resources and all other factors required by § 1.6 of this Part, through collateral contacts or readily available documentary evidence. However, benefits must not be delayed beyond the processing standards described in this Subsection, solely because these eligibility factors have not been verified.

4. A household entitled to expedited service must meet the resource criteria in § 1.5.5 of this Part, although verification of resources for expedited service must not cause a delay.

5. Postponed Verification: The agency representative should attempt to obtain as much additional verification as possible during the interview, but should not delay the certification of households entitled to expedited service for the full timeframes when it is determined that it is unlikely that other verification can be obtained within these timeframes.

a. Except for a migrant household needing out-of-State verification, when the postponed verification is not completed within thirty (30) days of the date of the application, the agency representative must terminate the household's participation and issue no further benefits.

E. Work Registration

1. The agency representative must, at a minimum, require the applicant to register (unless exempt or unless the household has designated an authorized representative to apply on its behalf).

a. The agency representative may attempt to register other household members but must postpone the registration of other household members if it cannot be accomplished within the expedited service timeframes.

F. Certification Periods

1. Households which are certified on an expedited basis and have provided all necessary verification required in § 1.6 of this Part prior to certification are assigned a normal certification period.

2. Non-migrant households eligible for expedited service and applying after the fifteenth (15th) of a month and who are assigned a certification period of longer than two (2) months must be notified in writing that they must provide postponed verification before a third (3rd) month's benefits are issued.

3. A migrant household eligible for expedited service and applying after the fifteenth (15th) of a month and who is assigned a certification period of longer than two (2) months must be notified in writing that they must provide postponed verification from sources within the State before a third (3rd) month's benefits are issued, and must provide all verification from out-of-State sources before being issued benefits for the third (3rd) month.

a. The notice must also advise the household that if verification results in changes in the household's eligibility or level of benefits, the agency representative must act on these changes without advance notice of adverse action.

b. Migrants must be entitled to postpone out-of-State verification only once each season. If a migrant household requesting expedited service has already received this exception during the current season, the agency representative must grant a postponement of out-of-State verification only for the initial month's issuance and not for the second (2nd) month's issuance if the household is applying prior to the fifteenth (15th) of the month.

4. Certification Period-Postponed Verification: If verification was postponed, the agency representative certifies the household for the month of application and for those households applying after the fifteenth (15th) of the month, the month of application and the following month. When certified only for the month of application and the following month, the household must complete the verification requirements which were postponed.

a. When a certification period of longer than two (2) months is assigned, the agency representative must notify the household in writing that no further benefits will be issued until the postponed verification is completed.

G. Limit on Expedited Service

1. There is no limit to the number of times a household can be certified under the expedited procedures provided that, prior to each expedited certification, the household either completes the verification requirements which were postponed at the last expedited certification or has been certified under normal processing standards since the last expedited certification.

H. Destitute Households

1. Destitute Households are migrant or seasonal farmworker households who may have little or no income at the time of application and may be in need of immediate food assistance, even though they receive income at some other time during the month of application.

a. A household whose only income for the month of application was received prior to the date of application, and was from a terminated source, must be considered a destitute household and provided expedited service.

2. Special procedures are used to determine when migrant or seasonal farmworker households in these circumstances may be considered destitute and, therefore, entitled to expedited service and special income calculation procedures. Households other than migrant or seasonal farmworker households must not be classified as destitute.

3. A household's source of income is its employer, or, in the case of self-employed persons, the self-employment enterprise.

a. A household member who changes jobs but continues to work for the same employer is considered as still receiving income from the same source.

b. A migrant farmworker's source of income is considered to be the grower for whom the migrant is working at a particular point in time, and not the crew chief. A migrant who travels with the same crew chief but moves from one grower to another is considered to have moved from a terminated to a new source.

c. If income is received on a monthly or on a more frequent basis, it must be considered as coming from a terminated source if it will not be received again from the same source during the balance of the month of application or during the month following the month of application.

(1) If income is normally received less often than monthly, the non-receipt of income from the same source in the balance of the month of application, or in the following month, is inappropriate for determining whether or not the income is terminated.

(2) Therefore, for households that normally receive income less often than monthly, the income is considered as coming from a terminated source if it will not be received in the month in which the next payment would normally be received.

d. A household whose only income for the month of application is from a new source is considered destitute and must be provided expedited service if income of more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) will not be received from the new source by the tenth (10th) calendar day after the date of application.

(1) Income, which is normally received on a monthly or more frequent basis, is considered to be from a new source, if income of more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) has not been received from that source within thirty (30) days prior to the date the application was filed.

(2) If income is normally received less often than monthly, it is considered to be from a new source if the income of more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) was not received within the last normal interval between payments.

e. A household may receive income from a terminated source prior to the date of application and income from a new source after the date of application, and still be considered destitute if no other income is received in the month of application from the terminated source and if income of more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from the new source will not be received by the tenth (10th) calendar day after the date of application.

f. Households whose only income for the month of application was received prior to the date of application, and was from a terminated source, shall be considered destitute households and shall be provided expedited service.

(1) A household may receive income from a terminated source prior to the date of application and income from a new source after the date of application, and still be considered destitute if no other income is received in the month of application from the terminated source and if income of more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) from the new source will not be received by the tenth (10th) calendar day after the date of application.

4. Determining Eligibility and Benefits

a. A destitute household must have its eligibility and level of benefits calculated for the month of application by considering only income which is received between the first (1st) of the month and the date of application. Any income from a new source which is anticipated after the day of application must be disregarded for that month.

b. Some employers provide travel advances to cover the travel costs of new employees who must journey to the location of their new employment. To the extent that these payments are excluded as reimbursements, receipt of travel advances does not affect the determination of when a household is destitute.

(1) However, if the travel advance is by written contract an advance on wages which will be subtracted from wages later earned by the employee, rather than a reimbursement, the wage advance must count as income. Nevertheless, the receipt of a wage advance for the travel costs of a new employee does not affect the determination of whether subsequent payments from the employer are from a new source of income, nor whether a household is considered destitute.

I. Special Processing - Expedited Service

1. For residents of drug addiction or alcoholic treatment and rehabilitation centers who are entitled to expedited service, the agency must make the SNAP benefits available no later than seven (7) calendar days following the date the application was filed.

2. For a resident of a public institution who applies for benefits prior to their release from the institution and who is entitled to expedited service, the date of filing of the individual's SNAP application is the date of release of the applicant from the institution.

218 R.I. Code R. 218-RICR-20-00-1.3

Amended effective 4/4/2019
Amended effective 12/24/2019
Amended effective 8/1/2021
Amended effective 9/23/2021
Amended Effective 12/4/2021
Amended effective 11/10/2022
Amended effective 1/1/2023
Amended effective 5/14/2023
Amended effective 10/1/2023
Amended effective 12/15/2023
Amended effective 9/22/2024
Amended effective 10/1/2024
Amended effective 10/24/2024