Universal Quarterly Reporting Waivers
Subject: FSP - Universal Quarterly Reporting Waivers
To: Program Directors / Food Stamp Program
In July, of 1999, President Clinton announced several new initiatives
to improve access to the Food Stamp Program. One of these initiatives
was an expansion of the existing authority for quarterly reporting waivers.
To this point, quarterly reporting has been limited to households with
earnings. In our memoranda of July 14 and December 9, 1999, we indicated
that we would approve quarterly reporting waivers to allow quarterly reporting
of both earned and unearned income and other factors of eligibility, such
as household composition, deductible expenses, and changes in the household’s
residence for households with earned income. We have received requests
for universal quarterly reporting from State agencies that argued that
it is difficult to change a family’s reporting responsibilities whenever
it moves into or out of employment. In response to these requests, we
have determined that we will now approve requests for quarterly reporting
for all households not prohibited by law from a periodic reporting system.
Accordingly, a State agency may request a waiver to require any category
of households to submit quarterly reports, except migrant or seasonal
farmworker households, households in which all members are homeless individuals,
or households that have no earned income and in which all adult members
are elderly or disabled.
As we stated in the July 14, 1999, memorandum, State agencies desiring
to apply for a quarterly reporting waiver may do so using the regular
waiver request process. In addition to providing the information detailed
in the July 14 and December 9, 1999, memoranda outlining the information
requirements for a quarterly reporting waiver, the request must identify
which categories of households the waiver will cover. State agencies which
already have a waiver for quarterly reporting for households with earned
income may submit a simplified request to the regional office identifying
the additional categories of households which they wish to add to their
quarterly reporting system. Requests for new quarterly reporting waivers
will continue to be approved in this office. Requests for modifications
to add additional categories of households may be approved at the regional
level; please provide this office with updated information on any modifications
requested and approved.
We hope that extending the quarterly reporting waiver will simplify reporting
requirements for both State agencies and low-income families. In addition,
this new policy initiative demonstrates our commitment to providing State
agencies greater administrative flexibility and to harmonizing Agency
policies with effective State agency error reduction strategies.
Please work closely with your State agencies to develop their waiver
requests or modifications. If you have any questions, please contact Larry
Tropp of my staff at (703) 305-2437.
signed 1-10-01
Arthur T. Foley
Director, Program Development Division
Last modified:
02/16/2012
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