3730 Periodic Reporting | SNAP

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
SNAP Policy Manual

Policy Title:

Periodic Reporting

Effective Date:

January 2025

Chapter:

3700

Policy Number:

3730

Previous Policy Number(s):

Updated or Reviewed in MT:

MT-80

Requirements

A review of AU circumstances is required at the midpoint, or an established frequency, during the certification period for the continuation of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Periodic reporting is required for households that are certified for longer than 6 months. Households must file a periodic report in the 6^th month of their certification period for households certified for 12 months and in the 12^th month of their certification period for households certified for 24 months.

If a household reports certain changes in circumstances during the certification period, the frequency of the periodic report may change. For example, if a customer has a 24-month certification period and reports earned income at interim change, the periodic report will be due every 6 months even though the AU keeps the same 24-month certification period.

Basic Considerations

The periodic report process includes filing and completing a periodic report, having certain information verified, discrepancies resolved, and processing information in the eligibility system within the required standard of promptness. An interview is not required for a periodic report.

The periodic report process consists of a review of the AU’s household composition, change of address, ABAWD work requirements, income changes, including lottery and gambling winnings, child support deductions and resources. The customer must address all these sections on the form.

A periodic report form is considered filed when it is signed, completed in its entirety, and received by the agency. Unlike applications and recertifications, a periodic report form is not considered filed with only a name, address, and signature. If the customer does not address all the above sections and only signs the form, it is considered incomplete.

Benefits are not continued if the household fails to complete and submit a periodic report and required verification.

Verification

At periodic report, if no changes are reported and there are no discrepancies, then verification is not required.

At Periodic Report verify the following information IF it has changed:

household composition
address and applicable shelter costs
ABAWD work requirements
gross income (earned and self-employment)
unearned income (if it has changed by more than $100 or the income will cause the case to terminate)
lottery and gambling winnings
child support deductions

At Periodic Report, if a change is reported that impacts work registration status then it must be reviewed, and verification may be required based on the policy for the specific work registration status. Refer to 3350 Work Registration.

Any information that is incomplete, inaccurate, inconsistent, or questionable must be verified.

Refer to Chart 3035.1, Summary Verification Chart for verification requirements at periodic reporting.

Reported Changes

Changes reported during the periodic report process are effective in the first month of the new reporting period.

Periodic reporting is currently waived for Senior SNAP households, unless during the certification period, a Senior SNAP household reports a change that makes the household ineligible for Senior SNAP but remains eligible for SNAP. The household will be converted to a regular SNAP AU and will be required to submit periodic reports until the current certification period ends. Refer to 3725 Senior Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Senior SNAP).

The certification period is not shortened or extended during the periodic reporting process. Certification periods are only updated at recertification.

Expedited Services

Periodic reports are not considered applications, therefore, expedited processing is not applicable.

Standard of Promptness (SOP)

Eligible AUs must receive notification of their eligibility and notification of receipt of their benefits by the next issuance cycle. Ineligible AUs must receive adequate notification of their termination by the end of the month in which the periodic report is due.

Periodic Report Notices

A periodic report notice is system-generated on the 15^th of the month before the periodic report due month. The notice is used to notify the AU that the household is due for a periodic report. The notice includes the following information:

the date by which the AU must file a periodic report to receive uninterrupted benefits
the consequences of failing to file a periodic report and/or complying with the periodic report process
the potential delay in SNAP benefits due to a late periodic report submission
the date the SNAP case is due to close for failure to submit a completed periodic report form
the right to receive a periodic report form and have it accepted if it contains a name, address, and signature, and is completed in its entirety
the right to request a periodic report form by mail or in person
the ways to submit a periodic report
that the AU must complete the periodic report process and provide required verification
the name and telephone number of the eligibility worker
the right to request a fair hearing

An additional periodic report notice is system-generated on the 5th of the periodic report month IF the AU has not submitted a completed periodic report form. This notice is to notify the AU that the agency has not received its completed periodic reporting form. The notice combines the reminder notice and adequate notice of termination/change into one correspondence. In addition to the above information, the reminder notice includes the following:

a completed periodic report form has not been received by the agency
the required actions to continue receiving SNAP benefits
the required actions to re-apply for benefits if the case terminates
the termination reason if the completed form is not received

The AU will not receive another reminder notice or termination notice if the household does not comply with the periodic report process.

Periodic Report Forms

Form 528, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Periodic Report Form
Form 859, SNAP Consolidated Work Requirements Notice, if work registrants are in the AU (must be mailed manually if not automatically sent by Gateway)
Form 846, Change Report Form, if requested by the AU

If a household submits a form 297 or 508 for a periodic report, the household will not be required to submit a form 528 to complete their periodic report. If the customer uses a form 297 or 508, all the areas that apply to the submission of a periodic report must be completed to be considered a valid periodic report. Those areas are household composition, change of address, and applicable shelter costs, ABAWD work requirements, income changes, lottery/gambling winnings, child support deduction, and resources. Case note documentation must be added to explain the use of the form 297 or 508 to complete the household’s periodic report.

Electronic Signatures

Electronic signatures utilizing Adobe Signature or other E-Signature software will be acceptable for all SNAP forms. Examples of electronic signatures are the use of a Personal Identification Number (PIN), a computer password, clicking on an “I accept these conditions” button on a screen, or clicking on a “Submit” button on a screen. Adobe Signature, DocuSign, and Dropbox Sign are common software that offer E-Signature. A typed name on the signature line of a paper application is not acceptable.

If an authorized representative applies on behalf of a customer, the application must be signed by either a responsible member of the household or the household’s authorized representative.

Procedures

An AU may file and submit a completed periodic report in one of the following ways:

in person
through an authorized representative (Refer to 3120 Authorized Representative)
by fax or other electronic transmission
by mail
during a home visit with DFCS staff
through a SNAP outreach partner
through the Georgia Gateway system

An interview is not required for a periodic report.

Follow the steps below to complete a periodic report.

Step 1: Mail the AU a periodic report notice in the month preceding the month in which the periodic report is due so that the AU may submit a periodic report by the 5^th day of the due month.

If a periodic report is not received by the 5^th day of the due month, a system-generated periodic report combined notice will be mailed to the household.

Step 2: Examine the periodic report form to determine if the form is incomplete or not signed. If the form is incomplete or not signed, the worker must enter “No” on the Periodic Report Details page to indicate such. This will trigger the periodic report combined notice to be sent, which is a reminder to the customer that the agency has not received a completed Periodic Report by the 5th of the due month.

Step 3: Determine if verification is required to complete the Periodic Report. If so, send a VCL allowing the customer 10 calendar days to return the information. Refer to Chart 3035.1, 3035 Verification, for verification requirements at periodic reporting.

Step 4: Review the last initial application, renewal, or periodic report prior to completing the periodic report.

Third-party verification is only required if the household has reported a change in their household circumstances. An interface should only be accessed if verification is required to complete the periodic report and the interface accessed provides results that are considered verified upon receipt. Contact the customer to resolve any discrepancies.

Step 5: If the form and all required information are received by the appropriate SOP, document the information obtained and verified during the periodic reporting process in the Gateway system and indicate that the periodic report is complete. DO NOT assign a new certification period.

Step 6: If the form is not returned or all required verification is not received by the end of the appropriate SOP, close the case.

Use the information in the chart below to process SNAP Periodic Reports.

CHART 3730.1 - PROCESSING SNAP PERIODIC REPORTS
IF THE	THEN
AU files a periodic report on or before the 5^th day of the month in which the periodic report is due AND has met all periodic report requirements	Process the periodic report by the end of the periodic report due month. If the end of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, process the periodic report by the last workday prior to the end of the periodic report due month.
AU files a periodic report on or before the 5^th day of the month in which the periodic report is due AND fails to return the required verification by the requested deadline (This does not include allowable deductions.)	Terminate the AU after the verification deadline, but no later than the end of the periodic report due month. If the end of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, terminate the AU by the last workday prior to the end of the periodic report due month. If verification is submitted before the last day of the periodic report due month, reinstate the case, and provide a full month of benefits beginning with the first month of the new reporting period. Benefits must be made available to the AU no later than ten days after its next issuance date.
AU files a periodic report after the 5^th day of the month in which the periodic report is due AND has met all periodic report requirements	Process the periodic report to allow the AU to receive its SNAP allotment no more than ten days after its next issuance cycle.
AU files a periodic report and the AU was terminated for failure to return verification, and/or the SOP has expired BUT Verification was returned within 30 days following the periodic report due month. AND has met all periodic report requirements	Reopen and prorate benefits from the date the verification is received, and all periodic report requirements are met. Process the case within 5 workdays after receipt of the verification.
AU fails to file a periodic report in the month in which the periodic report is due during the current certification period but files a periodic report within 30 days following the periodic report due month of the current certification period	Reopen and prorate benefits from the date the periodic report is received. Process the case to allow the AU to receive their benefits by the 30th day from the date the periodic report was received. Expedited processing is not applicable.

The agency must give assistance units (AU) at least 10 days to provide any required verification. Refer to 3035 Verification.