Library: Policy

340:50-3-2. Interview process

Revised 9-14-24

(a) Interview requirement. All households initially applying for food benefits or completing a certification renewal must have a face-to-face or phone interview with a worker prior to certification, per Section 273.2(e) of Title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulations (7 C.F.R. § 273.2(e)) unless the household meets criteria in (a)(2) of this Section. Staff may conduct 100 percent of all Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) initial and certification renewal application interviews by phone. • 1

(1) A face-to-face interview must be conducted when the household or its authorized representative requests a face-to-face interview.

(2) Certification renewal interviews may be waived for households when all adult members are elderly or disabled and have no earned income. • 2

(b) Who must be interviewed. The person interviewed may be the head of the household, spouse, any other responsible member of the household, or an authorized representative who knows the household's circumstances. When the household chooses to be interviewed face-to-face, the person interviewed may bring any person to the interview.

(c) On-demand interviews. Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) offers all SNAP applicants the right to interview at any time during operating hours. • 3 When an interview does not occur during the application process, the household must contact OKDHS via telephone or in person unless the household qualifies for the interview waiver per (a)(2) of this Section.

(1) A worker only schedules an interview when a person who must be interviewed per (b) of this Section declines the immediate interview options and requests a scheduled interview. The worker uses Form 08AD092E, Client Contact and Information Request, to schedule an interview if necessary. • 4

(2) When an interview does not occur during the application process within two-calendar days of the application date, the worker calls the household to conduct an on-demand interview. • 5 When the household:

(A) answers, the worker offers to complete the interview; or

(B) does not answer, refuses to interview, or does not list a telephone number, OKDHS sends Form 08AD091E, Interview Notice, to inform the household of the interview requirement and schedules the case for follow up 10-calendar days later.

(3) When the household does not interview within 10-calendar days of the application date, the worker calls the household to conduct the on-demand interview. When the household:

(A) answers, the worker offers to complete the interview.

(B) does not answer, refuses to interview, or did not list a telephone number, the worker places case in FDENY reason "59." This process mails the household a Notice of Missed Interview and denies the application 30-calendar days after the application date, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:65-3-2.1. • 6

(4) The worker does not deny the household's application prior to the 30th-calendar day. When the household contacts the worker within the 30-day application processing period, the worker offers to complete the interview.

(d) Worker responsibilities during the interview. During the interview, the worker: • 7

(1) reviews the information on the application with the household and resolves unclear and incomplete information;

(2) inquires if changes occurred in the household's income, deductions, or other circumstances since the application was filed;

(3) informs the household of its rights and responsibilities, including:

(A) work registration responsibilities, per OAC 340:50-5-85;

(B) able-bodied adult without dependents work responsibilities, per OAC 340:50-5-100; • 8

(D) the appropriate application processing standard, per OAC 340:50-3-1(c) and 340:50-11-4;

(E) responsibility to cooperate with SNAP Quality Control (QC) when asked to do so, per (f) of this Section; and

(F) an explanation of the civil rights complaint process, per OAC 340:50-1-5; and

(4) conducts the interview as an official and confidential discussion of household circumstances limited to facts related to food benefit eligibility factors;

(5) gives Form 08MP006E, Information for Benefit Renewal, to the household and explains benefit renewal procedures;

(6) ensures the household's right to privacy is protected;

(7) provides a paper or electronic copy of the completed application in the format the household requests, when requested; and

(8) attempts to verify any necessary eligibility requirements during the interview. The worker gives or sends the household Form 08AD092E to request any verification that could not be verified during the interview. When the household informs the worker it is unable to furnish the required verification, the worker offers to help the applicant obtain the verification.

(A) The worker's assistance may involve explaining how or where to obtain proof when the applicant is unable to do so.

(B) The worker is not required to obtain proof for an applicant who is unwilling to do so.

(e) Household cooperation with eligibility determination. To determine eligibility, the household or authorized representative must complete and sign the application or certification renewal, be interviewed, and provide required information. When the household does not cooperate with the worker in determining:

(1) initial eligibility, the worker denies the application; or

(2) continuing eligibility at mid-certification renewal or certification renewal, the worker closes food benefits.

(f) Household cooperation with a QC review. When the household is selected for a QC review, the household must cooperate with the QC reviewer, per 7 C.F.R. § 273.2(d)(2). When the household refuses to cooperate, the SNAP QC administrator informs SNAP program field representative staff of the non-cooperation and SNAP program field representative staff closes the food benefit for refusal to cooperate. • 9

(1) To determine the household refuses to cooperate, the household must be able to cooperate and clearly demonstrate that it will not take the necessary actions required to complete the QC review process.

(2) The household may reapply following food benefit closure, but may not be determined eligible until it cooperates with the QC review unless (3) of this subsection applies. • 10

(3) When food benefits were closed for refusal to cooperate with the QC reviewer and the household waits to reapply until after 125-calendar days from the end of the QC review period, October 1 through September 30, the household must provide verification of eligibility factors for the new application only. • 11

INSTRUCTIONS TO STAFF 340:50-3-2

Revised 9-15-24

1. Workers document whether the interview was face-to-face or by phone in Family Assistance/Client Services (FACS) case notes.

2. (a) Certification renewal interviews may be waived for households in which all adult members are elderly or disabled and have no earned income, when:

(1) Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) receives a complete and timely certification renewal timely, per Oklahoma Administrative Code (OAC) 340:50-9-3 and 340:50-9-4;

(2) the household or an authorized representative did not request an interview;

(3) all required verification, when requested on Form 08AD092E, Client Contact and Information Request, is acceptable and received within 10-calendar days; and

(4) the household continues to be eligible to receive benefits.

(b) An interview is completed, when:

(1) the household or authorized representative requests an interview;

(2) any information appears questionable, contradictory, or incomplete; or

(3) it appears the household is ineligible for continued benefits.

(c) Unless all household members are exempt from work registration and able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) work requirements, per OAC 340:50-5-86 and 340:50-5-100 respectively, the worker must orally explain the ABAWD or work registration work requirements or make a "good faith effort" to contact the household to provide the explanation. The worker documents both the exemptions and the attempts to contact the household in FACS case notes.

3. (a) Operating hours are 7 AM to 6 PM via telephone and 8 AM to 5 PM in person, Monday through Friday excluding state-approved holidays or office closures.

(b) When a household submits an application via OKDHSLIVE!, the Application Submitted page informs the household of the on-demand interview and to contact OKDHS Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) staff by telephone or in person.

4. OKDHS SNAP staff provides the telephone interview option, but if the person insists on a face-to-face interview, SNAP staff schedules the interview using Form 08AD092E.

5. When Current assigns a pending SNAP application to a worker, the worker:

(1) screens the application for expedited service, per OAC 340:50-11-1(b);

(2) calls the household to ask the household to complete the interview;

(3) interviews the household when the household is available and willing to complete the interview; and

(4) enters a case note to document the expedited service screening and the outcome of the attempted outbound attempt.

6. (a) The Notice of Missed Interview indicates the interview must occur by the:

(1) 30th-calendar day from application date to avoid a denial; and

(2) end of the certification period for certification renewals to avoid a break in eligibility.

(b) The worker enters a case note to document the attempted outbound attempt and its outcome.

7. To conduct an in-depth interview, the worker reviews previous applications, other information contained in the food benefit case record, and all related case records prior to the interview.

8. The worker must explain that ABAWD work responsibilities also apply to adult household members who lose their exemption status during the certification period.

9. SNAP program staff documents in FACS case notes that food benefits were closed on reason 44Q because the client refused to cooperate with Quality Control (QC) and for the worker to contact SNAP program field representative staff when the client decides to cooperate.

10. When the client reapplies within 125-calendar days of the QC review period and did not cooperate with QC, the worker denies the application.

11. For example, when the household had a QC review during the October 2024 through September 2025, annual QC review period and food benefits were closed for refusal to cooperate with the QC review, the household is required to only provide verification for the new application when it is filed after February 2, 2026.