1412 Interview Process
1412.1 Face-to-Face Interview - All applicants for cash and/or food stamps, including those submitting applications on-line or by mail, shall have a face-to-face interview in the SRS office or other mutually acceptable location with a qualified eligibility worker prior to initial certification and all reviews. The applicant may bring any person he/she chooses to the interview. For exceptions to the face-to-face interview requirements, see 1412.4.
The agency shall schedule an interview for each applicant that is not interviewed on the day the application is submitted. Interviews shall be scheduled as promptly as possible to insure that eligible households receive an opportunity to participate within timely processing standards. The agency must notify each household that misses it's interview appointment that it missed the scheduled interview and that the household is responsible for rescheduling the missed interview. If the household contacts the agency within the 30 (food stamp) or 45 (cash) day application processing period, the agency must schedule a second interview.
NOTE: The notice of missed interview is automatically sent by the KAECSES system when the Interview Complete date on INDA is either blank or coded with an "N".
NOTE FOR CHILD CARE: A face-to-face interview is recommended at the time of the initial application for the purpose of developing the childcare plan, and providing program information and information on choosing quality child care. If the client is unable to come to an in-person interview the face-to-face interview shall be waived. See1412.4 and 1412.5.
1412.2 Who May Be Interviewed - The individual to be interviewed may be any one of the following:
Primary Information Person (PI);
Spouse;
Any other responsible member of the household.
NOTE: The household will normally designate the responsible member to represent them. However, the worker may call that designation into question, particularly if the member is unable to complete the application process. In that case, the worker shall request that the household designate another person or find an alternate means to conduct the interview. The ability of the individual to accurately portray the household's circumstances should be emphasized, rather than the legal age of the representative.
1412.3 Agency's Responsibilities For the Interview - The agency shall:
Schedule all interviews as promptly as possible to insure eligible households receive an opportunity to participate within timely processing standards.
Review the information on the application.
Explore and resolve with the applicant any unclear, incomplete, or inconsistent information.
Advise the applicant of his/her rights and responsibilities during the interview, including the appropriate application processing standard and the household's responsibility to report changes.
Conduct the interview in private as an official and confidential discussion of household circumstances.
Protect the applicant's right to privacy during the interview. Facilities shall be adequate to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of the interview.
Provide households subject to change reporting with an oral and written explanation of their responsibility to report changes, what changes to report, what verification must accompany the report, and a change report form.
Provide households subject to simplified reporting with an oral and written explanation of their responsibility to report changes, how to complete and return an interim report, and what verification must accompany the interim report.
Provide households subject to work related requirements with an explanation of performance expectations, individual responsibility, employability, and available agency and support services. Households exempt from work related requirements should be advised of the opportunity to volunteer for these services. TAF households should be advised of the 60 month time limit.
Inform clients of all types of child care available and how to access each type. Assist families in selecting an appropriate, quality child care provider and provide the name and number of the local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency.
Notify all potential TAF applicants of their rights under the Family Violence Option and screen them at the time of application to determine whether current or former domestic violence/sexual assault issues are involved in the individual's current need for assistance. This includes applicants who have exhausted 60 months of TANF assistance. The federal Family Violence Option requires that all DV/SA victims have access to TANF assistance when needed and if otherwise eligible. Notification includes information about extension of time limits for domestic violence/sexual assault victims and confidentiality for disclosures. Suggested screening questions for the application process are located in the KEESM Appendix Item E-5). OARS services are to be focused on TAF cash recipients who are work program participants. TAF applicants who have not been approved for TAF benefits as well as applicants who are not eligible for cash benefits are to be referred to local subcontracting agencies that address the needs of DV and SA issues by the EES case worker. Local services are available on the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence web site: http://www.kcsdv.org.
1412.4 Waiver of Face-to-Face Interview - The office interview may by waived in favor of a telephone interview or a home visit that is scheduled in advance in the following situations:
Households which have no earned income and all members of the household are elderly or disabled.
On a case-by-case basis because of household hardship situations which include but are not limited to: illness, transportation difficulties, care of a household member, hardships due to residency in a rural area, prolonged severe weather, or work or training hours which prevent the household from participating in an in-office interview. The case file must be documented to show when a face-to-face interview was waived due to hardship.
A face-to-face interview must be granted to any household which requests one.
1412.5 Requirements When a Face-to-Face Interview is Waived - Either a telephone interview or a home visit shall be conducted for households for whom the face-to-face interview is waived. The telephone interview or home visit shall meet all agency requirements outlined in 1412.3. Home visits shall be used only if the time of the visit is scheduled in advance with the household. (Advance notice of the home visit is only required for food stamps).
Waiver of the face-to-face office interview does not exempt the household from the verification requirements, although special procedures may be used to permit the household to provide verification and thus obtain its benefits in a timely manner, such as substituting a collateral contact in cases where documentary evidence would normally be provided.
Waiver of the face-to-face interview shall not affect the length of the household's certification period.
The application must be signed by the head of the household, spouse, a responsible member of the household, or an authorized representative prior to certification of the household, even though a waiver of the face-to-face interview is granted.
NOTE FOR CHILD CARE: If the client cannot be reached by phone and a home visit is not feasible, the interview may be waived on a case-by-case basis.