HUMAN SERVICES

A. Residents of DAA treatment centers must voluntarily decide to apply for SNAP benefits but must apply and be certified through an authorized representative who is employed by the center and designated for such purpose. B. MDHS requires that the resident also designate the DAA t…

MDHS will make benefits available to residents in DAA treatment centers who are entitled to expedited services no later than seven calendar days following the application filing date. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-23.3 7 CFR §273.2(i)(3)(ii) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amen…

A. Eligible residents living in DAA treatment centers must be certified as a one-person household from others living in the center. B. Exception: If their children are living with them, then the children must be included in the household. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-23.4 7 CFR §27…

Eligible residents of a DAA treatment center may use SNAP benefits to purchase food prepared for them during the course of their stay by a private non-profit organization or a publicly operated community mental health center that is a FNS authorized retailer. Notes 18 Miss. Code.…

A. The staff member who is designated as the authorized representative must be aware of SNAP applicant's circumstances. B. Such authorized representative must use the SNAP benefits for food prepared by or served to the resident addict and/or alcoholic. C. If the DAA treatment cen…

A. Notify the county MDHS office. B. Upon a scheduled departure, the DAA treatment center must provide the household with a change reporting form and advise the resident to complete and return the form to MDHS within 10 days. C. The center must provide the household its EBT card …

Upon departure, the individual must complete and return the change reporting form provided by the DAA Treatment Center and return it to MDHS within 10 days to notify the agency of the individual's new address. The change reporting form is also available and can be uploaded on the…

A. MDHS must clearly communicate the protocol DAA treatment centers must meet when making application on behalf of its residents. B. MDHS must also verify that the DAA treatment center meets the SNAP standards for certification prior to determining if any residents are eligible f…

In order for a resident of a GLA to be eligible to participate in SNAP, the GLA must provide proof that it is either: A. 1. A public or private non-profit residential setting; 2. That serves no more than 16 residents; and 3. Is certified by the appropriate state agency under the …

A. MDHS must verify that the GLAs meet the SNAP standards for certification prior to determining if any residents are eligible for SNAP benefits. B. MDHS must conduct random periodic on-site visits to the GLAs to ensure the accuracy of the monthly list and consistency with MDHS r…

A. MDHS will suspend a GLA's status as an authorized representative for the same period as FNS' disqualification period. B. Residents applying on their own behalf will still be able to participate in SNAP if otherwise eligible. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-24.11 7 CFR §273.11(f)(1)…

Residents of GLAs will not receive an individual notice of adverse action when MDHS has terminated the eligibility of one of the residents due to the facility losing either: A. Its certification from the appropriate agency of the state of Mississippi; or B. Its status as an autho…

A resident of a group living arrangement must either: A. Receive supplemental security income (SSI) benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act; B. Receive disability or blindness payments under Title I, II, X, XIV or XVI of the Social Security Act; C. Receive federal or …

A. Residents of GLAs may either apply: 1. On their own behalf; 2. Through an authorized representative who is employed by the GLA and designated for such purpose; or 3. Through an authorized representative of their choice. B. The GLA decides whether an individual may apply on his…

MDHS will make benefits available no later than seven calendar days after the date of application to residents in GLAs who are entitled to expedited service. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-24.4 7 CFR §273.2(i)(3)(ii) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17…

A. If residents apply through the use of the GLA authorized representative, then their eligibility must be determined as a one-person household from others living in the center. B. Exception: If their children are living with them, then the children must be included in the househ…

A. If the residents are certified on their own behalf, food may be purchased either: 1. By the facility through a benefit representative card for meals served either communally or individually to eligible residents; or 2. By eligible residents through use of their own EBT cards f…

A. The staff member who is designated as the authorized representative must be aware of SNAP applicant's circumstances. B. The GLA must notify MDHS of all changes in the household's circumstances, including when the residents leaves the group living arrangement if it is acting as…

A. The GLA must return any EBT cards in their possession and provide the personal identification number to the household so that the household may have access to any remaining funds on the card. B. Any EBT cards not provided to the household upon departure must be returned to MDH…

Upon departure, the individual must complete and return the change reporting form provided by the GLA (if it acted as the authorized representative) and return it to MDHS within 10 days to notify the agency of the individual's new address. If the resident of the GLA acted on his …

For residents of shelters for battered persons to be eligible to participate in SNAP, the shelter must either be: A. A public or private non-profit residential facility that serves battered persons; or B. Authorized as a retailer by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). C. If the…

A. A resident of a shelter for battered persons may be entitled, if otherwise eligible, to an allotment in the same month the individual moves into the shelter provided that the abuser was included in the previous household. B. Such additional allotments can only occur once a mon…

MDHS will make benefits available to residents in shelters for battered persons who are entitled to expedited service no later than seven calendar days following the application filing date. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-25.3 7 CFR §273.2(i)(3)(v); 7 CFR §273.11(g)(4) Adopted 3/15/2…

Prior to certifying any residents, MDHS must verify that the shelter meets the definition of a shelter for battered persons. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-25.4 7 CFR §273.11(g)(1) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/2025

SNAP benefits may be used by shelter residents in any of the following ways: A. The residents may use the benefits to purchase meals prepared especially for them at the shelter, which is authorized by FNS to redeem benefits. B. The residents may designate the shelter as a benefit…

A. Shelter residents who apply as a separate household shall be certified only on the basis of their income, resources and expenses for which they are responsible, and their former household's income, resources and expenses shall be disregarded. B. Jointly owned resources with a …

An individual who lacks a fixed and regular nighttime residence or whose primary nighttime residence is one of the following: A. A supervised shelter designed to provide temporary accommodations; B. A halfway house or similar location that provides a temporary residence for indiv…

A homeless meal provider is either: A. A public or private nonprofit establishment that feeds homeless people; or B. A restaurant that contracts with an appropriate state agency to provide meals at low or reduced prices to homeless people. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-26.2 7 CFR §2…

Homeless meal providers may not act as authorized representatives for homeless SNAP recipients. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-26.3 7 CFR §273.2(n)(4)(i)(D) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/2025

In addition to purchasing unprepared foods from retailers, homeless SNAP households will be permitted to use their SNAP benefits to: A. Purchase prepared meals from homeless meal providers authorized by FNS; or B. Purchase meals from restaurants authorized by FNS for such purpose…

A. MDHS must offer a standard homeless deduction to households where all members are homeless and not receiving free shelter throughout the month. B. Homeless households may claim actual costs instead of the standard homeless shelter deduction if the actual costs are higher and v…

Homeless households may be certified for one or two months due to the unpredictable changes in income or household status. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-26.6 7 CFR §273.10(f) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/2025

Migrant or seasonal farmworker households may be classified as destitute and in need of expedited services even though they may receive more income during the month of application. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-27.1 7 CFR §273.10(e)(3) Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12…

A. Destitute status only applies to households consisting of migrant or seasonal farm workers. B. Households whose only income for the month of application was received prior to the date of application and was from a terminated source will be considered destitute and provided exp…

A. Destitute households will have their eligibility and benefit levels calculated for the month of application by considering only income that is received between the first of the month and the date of application. B. Any income from a new source that is anticipated after the day…

A. Receipt of travel advances will not determine when a household is destitute. B. The travel advance will be considered income if:1. The travel advance is by written contract an advance of wages, rather than a reimbursement, and 2. The advance of wages will be subtracted from wa…

A. A household member who changes jobs, but continues to work for the same employer will be considered as receiving income from the same source. B. A migrant farmworker's source of income will be considered the grower for whom the migrant is working for at a particular point in t…

If employers of migrant or seasonal farmworkers are designated as authorized representatives or a single authorized representative has access to a large number of EBT accounts, MDHS must ensure that: A. Each household has freely requested the assistance of the authorized represen…

MDHS has received federal approval to implement ESAP, a demonstration project, which is designed to simplify the SNAP application process for households whose members are entirely sixty years of age or older. The goal of the project is to promote SNAP enrollment among eligible el…

A. To be determined eligible for ESAP, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. All household members are age 60 or over; 2. No household members receive earned income; 3. The household is not mandatory to receive SNAP benefits through Mississippi Combined Applic…

A. Interviews at initial certification are required; however, a face-to-face interview is not required. B. Recertification interviews are not required unless the case is being denied or the household specifically requests an interview. C. No case will be denied without an attempt…

A. Households will self-declare information used to determine eligibility, such as identity and residence. B. Computer matches will be used to the greatest extent possible to verify income and social security numbers. C. ESAP clients are required to verify non-citizen status, liq…

There will be a thirty-six (36) month certification period for ESAP households. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-28.5 7 U.S.C. 2026; MS Waiver Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/2025

A. An interim contact form is mailed to every ESAP household on an annual basis. Note: The household will be under no obligation to respond if there have been no changes in circumstances and the household wishes to continue to receive SNAP benefits. B. The Interim Contact Form is…

A. MDHS provides SNAP applicants and/or recipients an opportunity to appeal adverse administrative decisions and provide supporting documentation challenging the adverse or noncompliant action. Please refer to Title 18 of the Administrative Code, Part 23, Programmatic Administrat…

MSCAP is a demonstration project and a cooperative effort between MDHS, FNS and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to streamline the application procedures for individuals who are receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits and choose to apply for SNAP benefits. N…

The MSCAP Unit will receive information from SSA regarding persons in the state who meet MSCAP criteria and are not currently receiving SNAP benefits. Notes 18 Miss. Code. R. 14-29.10 7 U.S.C. 2026; MS Waiver Adopted 3/15/2022 Amended 10/20/2023 Amended 12/9/2024 Amended 2/17/202…