Ohio: COVID-19 Waivers & Flexibilities

USDA intends to use all available program flexibilities and contingencies to serve our program participants across our 15 nutrition programs. We have already begun to issue waivers to ease program operations and protect the health of participants.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Emergency Allotments

Request Received 3/25/2020 | Initial Approval 3/26/2020 | May Extension Approved | June Extension Approved | July Extension Approved | August Extension Approved | September Extension Approved | October Extension Approved

Pandemic EBT

Approved 5/11/2020 | August-September Amendment 9/11/2020

Application Processing

• Extended Certification Periods; Waive Periodic Reporting
  Initial Request Received 3/20/2020 | Initial Request Approved 3/20/2020 | June Extension Approval 
  July Extension Request 6/25/2020 | July Extension Denial 7/9/2020
• Adjustment to Interview Requirements
  Note: Approvals for April through June included waiving initial and recertification interviews, waiving face-to-face interviews, and postponing expedited service interviews.
  Offered to All States 3/26/2020 | June Extension Approved
       - Waive Face-to-Face Interviews 
          July Extension Approval 6/12/2020
          August Extension Approval 7/22/2020
          September Extension Approval 8/4/2020
       - Waive Initial and Recertification Interviews 
          July Extension Request 6/16/2020 | July Extension Denied 7/9/2020
• Suspend In-Person Application Submission; Suspend In-Person Verification Submission 
  Received 3/20/2020 | Approved 4/24/2020 | June Extension Approval | July Extension Approval | August Extension Approval | September Extension Approval

Claims

• Temporary Suspension of Claims Collection 
  Approved 4/13/2020 | June Extension | July Extension | August Extension Approved | September Extension Approved

Fair Hearing

• Waive Fair Hearing Timelines
  Approved 4/13/2020 | June Extension

Quality Control

• SNAP Flexibility for Quality Control Interviews
  Offered to All States 3/13/2020 | June Extension Approved
• QC Case Review Extension
  Offered to All States 3/19/2020 | Offered for All States for June Cases  9/02/2020
• Suspend Face to Face QC Interviews
  Offered to all States 8/31/2020
• Due Date Extension for June 2020 Case Reviews
  Offered to All States 9/2/2020

Other

• Adjust Verification Requirements 
• Received 3/20/2020 | Mass Denial 4/10/2020
• Extend SSN Good Cause Periods
  Received 4/16/2020 | Approved 4/20/2020 | June Extension Approval | July Extension Approval | August Extension Approval | September Extension Approval
• Exclude Unearned Income 
  Received 4/17/2020 | Denial 4/23/2020
• Give All New HHS 4 Month Cert Periods
  Received 3/20/2020
• Periodic Report Flexibility for Non-Extended Recertification Cases
  Received 8/24/2020 | Approved 8/24/2020
•  Process All Cases as Expedited; Postpone Expedited Service Interview 
  Received 3/20/2020 | Mass Denial 4/10/2020
   

Child Nutrition Programs

Nationwide Waivers and Flexibilities

• Meal Times
  Nationwide Waiver issued 3/20/2020 | Extended through August 31 | Approved for 2020-21 School Year 6/25/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended in SFSP/SSO through June 2021
• Non-congregate Feeding
  Nationwide Waiver issued 3/20/2020 | Extended through May 31 | Extended through August 31 | Extended through September 30 | Approved for 2020-21 School Year 6/25/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended in SFSP/SSO through June 2021
• Nationwide Meal Pattern Waiver
  Offered to All States 3/25/2020 | Extended through May 31 | Extended through June 30 | Extended through July 31| Extended through August 31 | Extended through September 30 | Extended through December 31
       - Approved for School, After-school and Day Care Programs for 2020-21 School Year 6/25/2020 | Extended in School After-School and Day Care Programs through June 2021
• Nationwide Parent/Guardian Meal Pickup Waiver
  Offered to All States 3/25/2020 | Extended through August 31 | Extended through September 30 | Approved for 2020-21 School Year 6/25/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended through June 2021
• Offer Versus Serve Flexibility for Senior High Schools for the School Year 2020-21
  Nationwide Waiver Issued 6/25/2020
• Afterschool Activity
  Nationwide Waiver issued 3/20/2020
• Nationwide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Data Waiver
  Offered to All States 3/25/2020
• Nationwide Waivers of Child Nutrition Monitoring
  Offered to All States 3/25/2020 
• SFSP/SSO Area Eligibility Waiver
  Approved 3/28/2020 | Extended through Aug 31| Extended through September 30 | Extended Through December 31 | Extended through June 2021
• SFSP/SSO extension 
  Offered to All States 8/31/2020 | Extended through June 2021
• 60 Day Reporting Requirement Waiver
  Offered to All States 4/1/2020
• CACFP State Agency Monitoring (Annual Review)
  Offered to All States 4/24/2020
• Local School Wellness Policy Triennial Assessment
  Offered to All States 5/1/2020
• SFSP/SSO Meal Service Times (Regular Summer)
  Offered to All States 4/21/2020
• SFSP/SSO Closed Enrolled Sites (Regular Summer)
  Offered to All States 4/21/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended through June 2021
• SFSP Offer Versus Serve (Regular Summer)
  Offered to All States 4/21/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended through June 2021
• SFSP First Week Site Visits (Regular Summer)
  Offered to All States 4/21/2020 | Extended through December 31 | Extended through June 2021
• SFSP Sponsor Onsite Monitoring
  Offered to All States 4/11/2020
• SFSP State Agency Onsite Monitoring
  Offered to All States 4/11/2020
• Pre-approval Flexibility
  Offered to All States 9/11/2020 | Extended through June 2021
• Nationwide At-risk Afterschool Area Eligibility Waiver
  Nationwide Waiver issued 9/18/2020 | Extended through June 2021

Additional Waivers and Flexibilities

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program Parent Pickup SY 2020-21
  Approved 8/12/2020
• Pandemic EBT
  See above under SNAP
• Provision 2 Base Year
  Approved 8/27/2020

 

USDA Foods Programs

• Disaster Household Distribution
  Approved 4/7/2020 | Extension 5/2/2020 | Extension 2 6/4/2020
• Entitlement Waiver for SY 2020-21
  Approved 9/11/2020

WIC Program

• Extension of Approved Waivers
  Extended through June 30 | Extension 2 | Extension 3
• FMNP Training
  Approved 5/28/2020
• FMNP Monitoring
  Approved 6/11/2020
• Food Package Substitution Waiver
  Approved 3/26/2020 
• Four Month Issuance Waiver
  Approved 4/15/2020
• Local Agency Monitoring
  Approved 4/30/2020 
• Minimum Stock Waiver
  Approved 3/30/2020 
• Physical Presence Waiver (includes lab work)
  Approved 3/20/2020
• Separation of Duties
  Approved 3/30/2020
• Vendor Preauthorization
  Approved 4/22/2020
• Vendor Compliance Investigations Annual 
  Approved 9/25/2020
• Vendor Routine Monitoring Annual  
  Approved 9/25/2020
• Vendor Onsite Routine Monitoring  
  Approved 9/29/2020