Section 470IAC6-0.5-1. Food stamp terms defined

   The following definitions apply throughout this article:

(1) "Assistance group" means those persons determined potentially eligible or eligible to receive benefits together.

(2) "Broad based categorical eligibility" means any assistance group receiving a TANF maintenance of effort (MOE) funded benefit or service, such as an informational packet or 800 number. These assistance groups are eligible without verification of resources; however, gross income limits must be applied and cannot exceed two hundred percent (200%) of the federal poverty level.

(3) "Categorical eligibility" means any assistance group in which all assistance group members are certified as eligible for SSI or TANF or a combination of both. These assistance groups are eligible without verification of:

(A) resources;

(B) income;

(C) Social Security number;

(D) residency; or

(E) sponsored alien status;

because the verifications obtained when TANF and SSI were approved are below the food stamp guidelines.

(4) "Certification period" means the period of time, in calendar months, for which a household is determined eligible for food stamps, including months during which the household's participation is suspended or prorated to zero (0).

(5) "Code of Federal Regulations" or "CFR" means the codification of the rules published in the Federal Register by the United States government.

(6) "Contractor" means the:

(A) person;

(B) firm;

(C) corporation; or

(D) other entity;

that has a contract with the division to implement and operate an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) program.

(7) "Division" means the division of family resources established by IC 12-13-1-1.

(8) "EBT card" means a magnetic-stripe plastic card issued to a recipient which enables the recipient to purchase food items from a retailer through a point of sale (POS) terminal operated by the retailer and connected to a central computer maintained by the contractor for distribution of food stamp benefits to recipients.

(9) "Eligibility worker" means an employee of the division responsible for determining eligibility for food stamps.

(10) "Food and Nutrition Service" or "FNS" means the federal agency responsible for the overall administration of the food stamp program.

(11) "Interviewee" means:

(A) an applicant;

(B) a participating member of the assistance group; or

(C) an authorized representative.

(12) "Nonassistance (NA) household" means all households other than public assistance (PA) households.

(13) "Notification date" means the date on which a household is notified of any additional activity required of them or of changes in their eligibility or benefit level. This date may be established by the:

(A) personal delivery to the household; or

(B) mailing date;

of a written notice.

(14) "Prospective budgeting" means the computation of a household's food stamp allotment for an issuance month based on a reasonable anticipation of income and circumstances that will exist in the issuance month or months.

(15) "Public assistance (PA) household" means a household in which all members have applied for or received cash assistance, including households not receiving cash benefits because the grant is less than ten dollars ($10) or recoupment is occurring.

(16) "Recertification" means a certification pursuant to an application filed in a month where the household:

(A) is currently certified; or

(B) was certified for the month prior to the month of application.

(17) "Recipient" means a household that the division has determined, pursuant to 7 CFR 273, is eligible to receive food stamp benefits in a certification period.

(18) "Retailer" means a store that:

(A) sells food items to consumers; and

(B) has been authorized by the FNS pursuant to 7 CFR 278 to participate in the food stamp program.

(19) "Suspension" means the interruption of the participation of a certified household that is categorically eligible but not eligible for a food stamp allotment.

(20) "Thrifty food plan" means the diet required to feed a family of four (4) persons consisting of a:

(A) man and woman twenty (20) years of age through fifty (50) years of age;

(B) child six (6) years of age through eight (8) years of age; and

(C) child nine (9) years of age through eleven (11) years of age;

determined in accordance with the Secretary of Agriculture's calculations. The cost of the diet shall be the basis for uniform allotments for all assistance groups regardless of their actual composition. In order to develop maximum food stamp allotments, the Secretary of Agriculture shall make assistance group size and other adjustments in the thrifty food plan taking into account economies of scale and other adjustments as required by law.

(21) "Verification" means the use of documentation or a contact with a third party to confirm the accuracy of statements or information.

(Division of Family Resources; 470 IAC 6-0.5-1; filed Apr 12, 1984, 8:24 a.m.: 7 IR 1502; filed Jul 16, 1987, 2:00 p.m.: 10 IR 2662; errata, 10 IR 2741, filed Jun 1, 1989, 10:00 a.m.: 12 IR 1854; filed Oct 6, 1997, 5:25 p.m.: 21 IR 372; readopted filed Jul 12, 2001, 1:40 p.m.: 24 IR 4235; readopted filed Oct 24, 2007, 11:25 a.m.: 20071121-IR-470070448RFA; filed Mar 24, 2009, 11:38 a.m.: 20090422-IR-470080278FRA; filed Jul 5, 2011, 1:33 p.m.: 20110803-IR-470100243FRA; readopted filed Aug 23, 2013, 3:36 p.m.: 20130918-IR-470130306RFA)