99. What is Change Reporting for cash assistance households?

Also in

Listen

Show Endnotes

SNAP Advocacy Guide

By

Massachusetts Law Reform Institute

Reviewed

January 2024

Text

Reporting requirements are different for households where all household members also get cash assistance from DTA¹. If everyone in your household receives TAFDC or EAEDC (or SSI and TAFDC), you are on “Change Reporting” and have to report more changes than households who are on Simplified Reporting or EDSAP.

If just some of the people in your SNAP household receive cash assistance (TAFDC, EAEDC, or SSI), you need to follow the Simplified Reporting rules. See Simplified Reporting and when you must report changes to DTA.

Example

If you are a grandparent living with your teenage child and grandchild, and your child and grandchild get TAFDC together, your SNAP household is on Simplified Reporting.

If you are on Change Reporting, you must report the following within 10 days of the change:

Your income (earned or unearned) goes up or down by more than $125 per month. This is the rule for SNAP regardless of how your income is treated for TAFDC (even if DTA is disregarding 100% of your income for TAFDC).
You start or stop a job.
You move and what your new rent, mortgage or utilities are.
Who lives with you changed (for example, someone moved in or out, or a baby was born).
You are legally obligated to pay child support and your obligation changed. See the child support exclusion.

If your SNAP benefits will go down or end because of a change, DTA must give send you a notice at least 10 days in advance of the date your SNAP will change. Your benefits will not be decreased or stopped until after this ten day period².

Example

Mary usually receives her SNAP benefit on the 2nd of the month. On 11/15, she reports an increase in income. By November 25, DTA must send her a written notice that her SNAP will go down. DTA cannot reduce her benefits until 12/5, 10 days after that notice. Since Mary will already have received her next SNAP on 12/2, her benefits will not decrease until January.

DTA does not have to give you a 10 day notice of a change when DTA has confirmed information that a household member has died, when there is a mass change (such as a Social Security cost of living adjustment) or in certain other situations³^,⁴. In some situations, your benefits can be reduced or ended right away⁵. You still have the right to appeal. See Part 6: Appeal Rights.