CHANGES IN CIRCUMSTANCES
ISSUE DATE: 03/2026
The count agency or Tribal Nation may become aware of changes through various sources:
● | Program participant reporting. See 0007 (Reporting) for reporting responsibilities, timeliness, and methods. Requirements for frequency of reporting may vary by program. |
● | Information reported by other people or agencies. |
● | Information from IEVS or other computer matches. See 0005.12.15.03 (Delays in Processing Applications), 0026.48 (Notices - IEVS). |
● | Upcoming or potential changes the county agency or Tribal Nation has been tracking through MAXIS or other tracking methods. |
Review all reported changes regardless of the participants reporting method. See 0007.12 (Agency Responsibilities for Client Reporting).
When you become aware that a change in circumstances has occurred or will occur, follow these steps:
1. | Review all reported changes and determine if more information is needed. See 0008.03 (Changes - Obtaining Information). |
2. | Determine if the change affects any eligibility factors. See 0011 (Technical Eligibility), 0012 (Procedural Eligibility). |
3. | Determine if the change affects the budgeting cycle. See 0022.03 (How and When to Use Prospective Budgeting), 0022.06 (How and When to Use Retrospective Budgeting), 0022.09 (When to Switch Budget Cycles - Cash). |
4. | Determine if the change affects the benefit amount. See 0008.06.15 (Removing or Recalculating Income), 0022.12 (How to Calc. Benefit Level- MFIP/ GA), 0022.12.01 (How to Calculate Benefit Level - SNAP/MSA/HSP), 0025.09 (Correcting Underpayments), 0025.12 (Types of Overpayments). |
5. | Determine if the change affects the payment method. See 0024 (Payments). |
6. | Apply the change to the case. See 0008.06 (Implementing Changes - General Provisions), 0008.06.01 (Implementing Changes - Program Provisions). |
If the county agency or Tribal Nation becomes aware of a future change which may affect eligibility, track the expected change.
Schedule a special eligibility review if necessary. See 0009.03 (Length of Recertification Periods), 0009.03.03 (When to Adjust the Length of Certification).
When a change is anticipated, request all information needed to determine eligibility. Notify the program participant of the effect of changes before the effective date. For cash assistance programs, this may reduce the number of overpayments and underpayments that may otherwise need to be determined. See 0010 (Verification), 0026 (Notices).
There may be special procedures for people who get assistance from another state, who are in another assistance unit, or who receive another type of assistance. See 0011.21 (Receipt of Other Assistance).
When the county agency or Tribal Nation becomes aware of a change, additional information or verification may need to be requested before determining if the change affects the case. Act on changes without requiring verification if they cause a program participant to be prospectively ineligible for some programs.
● | For changes which units report on a Household Report Form (HRF) or Combined Six-Month Report (CSR), follow HRF or CSR processing requirements. See 0007.12 (Agency Responsibilities for Client Reporting). | |
● | For changes reported or discovered by a method other than on an HRF or CSR for which additional information or verification, give program participants at least 10 days to provide the information or verification following the guidance below: | |
- | Send a Verification Request Form (DHS-2919) (PDF). Write the due date in the “Return by:” field. See 0010.21 (Verification Due Dates). | |
- | Create a system reminder for the due date for the household to return the verifications. See TEMP Manual TE19.056 (QTIP #56 - DAIL/TIKL). | |
- | Record the change in household circumstances (including how you became aware of the change), what verification(s) is requested, and the due date in case notes. | |
See 0010 (Verification), 0010.21 (Verification Due Dates), 0026.12 (Timing of Notices).
MFIP, MSA, GA, HSP:
Follow general provision.
SNAP:
Follow general provisions. Also see 0008.06.01 (Implementing Changes – Program Provisions) for specific instructions on how to act on changes during the certification period.
PREVIOUS REVISIONS
| Date | Notes |
|---|---|
| 07/2025 | in SNAP, adds policy updates for how eligibility workers act on changes known during the certification period. Also updates six-month budgeting due to legislative changes. |
| 09/2020 | in the last bullet deletes "CSRS". Updates the name and hyperlink for Verification Request Form (DHS-2919). |
| 09/2018 | in the last paragraph adds and deletes information about requesting and documenting requested verifications. |
| 12/2014 | Removed WB. This program was suspended 12/1/14. |
| 06/2013 | update cross-references to 0022.09.03 (When to Switch Budget Cycles - SNAP), 0022.12.01 (How to Calculate Benefit Level - SNAP/MSA/GRH). No policy was changed. |
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