(1)
When the department gets your basic food application, we look at your
circumstances at the time you applied to see if you may get basic food benefits
within seven calendar days. This is called "expedited service."
(2) To get expedited service, you must
provide proof of who you are and meet one of the following conditions:
(a) Have gross monthly income (before taxes),
minus exclusions as defined in WAC
388-450-0015,
of under one hundred fifty dollars and have available liquid resources as
defined in WAC
388-470-0055
of one hundred dollars or less;
(b) Have gross monthly income (before taxes),
minus exclusions as defined in WAC
388-450-0015,
plus available liquid resources as defined in WAC
388-470-0055
of less than your total shelter costs (rent or mortgage and the utility
allowance you are eligible for under WAC
388-450-0195
); or
(c) Be a destitute migrant or
seasonal farm worker household under WAC
388-406-0021,
and your household's available liquid resources as defined in WAC
388-470-0055
is one hundred dollars or less.
(3) If you are eligible for expedited service
and are not required to have an office interview under WAC
388-452-0005,
you may have a telephone interview and still get benefits within seven
days.
(4) If you are applying for
basic food, "day one" of your seven-day expedited service period starts on the:
(a) Day after the date you filed your
application;
(b) Date you are
released from a public institution; or
(c) Date of your interview if you:
(i) Waived your expedited interview and we
decide you are eligible for expedited service during your rescheduled
interview; or
(ii) Were screened as
ineligible for expedited service and we later determine you are eligible for
the service during your interview.
(5) If you get expedited service, we only
require verification of your identity to provide your first benefit issuance
within seven days. Other required verifications may be postponed.
(6) All postponed verification must be
provided for your ongoing eligibility to be determined and any additional
benefits to issue. If you applied:
(a) On or
before the 15th of the month, we issue one month's benefits and you have up to
thirty days from the date of application to give us any postponed verification;
or
(b) On or after the 16th of the
month, we issue two months' benefits and you have until the end of the second
month to give us any postponed verification.
(7) If we may determine ongoing eligibility
at your interview and do not need to postpone any required verifications, we
will assign you a regular certification period as described in WAC
388-416-0005.
(8) If you have received expedited service in
the past, you can get this service again if you meet the requirements listed in
subsection (2) of this subsection and you:
(a) Gave us all the information we needed to
determine ongoing eligibility for your last expedited service benefit period;
or
(b) Were certified under normal
processing standards after your last expedited certification.
(9) If you reapply for benefits:
(a) Before your certification period ends,
you are not eligible for expedited service;
(b) After your certification period ends,
your seven-day expedited service period is the same as a new
application;
(c) While you receive
transitional food assistance as described in chapter
388-489 WAC, you are not
eligible for expedited service.
(10) If you are denied expedited service, you
may ask for a department review of our decision. We review the decision within
two working days.
