Proving Continuing Eligibility

How long will I get benefits before I have to reapply (recertify)?

Once DTA decides you are eligible for SNAP/food stamp benefits, it will approve or "certify" you for a certain number of months. This is called your "certification period." You need to reapply or "recertify" at the end of this time frame to continue getting benefits.

The length of your certification period

Certification periods are based on your household situation:

• If you are receiving Bay State CAP benefits, your benefits will be certified for 36 months. 106 C.M.R. § 366.910(J). See What are Bay State CAP benefits and how can SSI recipients get them?
• If your household includes adults who are all elders (age 60+) or persons with disability and have stable income (such as SSI or Social Security), your SNAP/food stamp benefits are certified for 24 months. 106 C.M.R. § 364.700(B).
• All other households are generally certified for 12 months, 106 C.M.R. § 364.700(A), with the following exceptions:
  • expedited benefit household-certified for 1-2 months (if no follow-through on the regular application and verifications);
  • transitional benefits alternative (TBA)-certified for 5 months;
  • non-citizens awaiting verification of work history quarters from SSA-certified for 6 months.

Reporting changes

The rules also vary on when you need to report changes that occur during your certification period. It depends on whether DTA puts you on change reporting, semi-annual reporting, or if you are getting TAFDC benefits or just lost your TAFDC benefits. When do I have to report changes during a certification period? through When do I have to report changes if I am on change reporting? discuss these different rules.

What happens at the end of your recertification period

When your certification period ends, your SNAP/food stamps will stop unless you reapply or "recertify" for benefits. About 45 days before the end of your certification period, DTA will send you a notice and a recertification form to fill out. 106 C.M.R. § 366.310. The form will be pre-filled with the information DTA has about your household including the names, SSN, citizenship and date of birth of all members, your address, your shelter costs and medical expenses. You need to tell DTA if you have new household members, if people have left, if you have moved, if your expenses have changed. You also need to tell DTA about your current income and dependent care expenses.

When it is time to recertify, you need to take three steps:

• Fill out, sign, and return the recertification form and;
• Send in verifications of anything that has changed, as well as copies of your most recent wage stubs or other recent proof of income; and
• Be available for interview with a DTA worker (usually done by phone unless you want one in person or there is some good cause reason for you to go to DTA). See Do I need to have an interview to continue benefits? DTA will schedule the interview directly.

DTA should give you enough time (usually 20 days) to complete and return the recertification process to continue getting SNAP/food stamp benefits. 106 C.M.R. § 366.320(A). If you do not return the form, your benefits will end. There are no additional notices from DTA. If you get the form back but after the DTA deadline, you may have an interruption in benefits.

Continued benefits

If you complete the recertification process timely, DTA must make sure your benefits continue on the usual schedule without interruption. If for some reason your deadline to recertify is after the end of your current certification period, you will get benefits for the full month, not just a portion of the month, once you are recertified. 106 C.M.R. § 366.330 (B).

• DTA has an important policy in place to protect households from loss of benefits managing the huge growth in the Massachusetts SNAP/food stamp caseload. DTA will not terminate benefits if you return a completed SNAP recertification form before the end of its certification period— even if DTA cannot fully process your recertification right away. See DTA Field Operations Memo 2009-29 (May 20, 2009).

Getting a closed case reopened

Suppose you completed your recertification form and had an interview, but you did not get all of your proofs in before your recertification deadline (for example, you did not send any wage stubs). If your case closes because of the missing proofs, you can ask DTA to reopen your case as long as: (a) you started recertifying before the deadline, and (b) you get your proofs in within 30 days of the date your case closed. You do not have to start a new application. 106 C.M.R. § 361.700(B)(2). This reopening rule applies to both applications and recertifications since a recertification is, in fact, a new SNAP/food stamp application. If more than 30 days has elapsed since the end of your certification period, it's best to reapply.

Additional Policy Guidance on Certification Periods