DATE: | January 10, 2001 |
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 Dec. 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 Dec. 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.
Arthur T. Foley
Director
Program Development Division