Duplicate Participation
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This subject is about receiving benefits more than once during any month. For staff, it also includes the procedures to contact other states for public assistance information.
Policy
Duplicate participation is when a participant is currently receiving benefits for the same month in another case or another state.
A participant may not receive duplicate NA or CA benefits for the same month. Duplicate benefits include when a participant receives any of the following:
●NA benefits and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) in the same month.
NOTE Budgetary units approved for NA and receiving zero benefits can receive FDPIR benefits.
●NA benefits in Arizona in more than one case.
●CA benefits in Arizona in more than one case.
●NA benefits from more than one state.
●CA benefits from more than one state.
●A participant who receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and CA benefits.
When a participant moves to Arizona and receives NA or CA benefits from another state, potential eligibility begins the month after benefits from the other state stop. (See Example 1)
When living in a domestic violence emergency shelter, a participant may be eligible to receive duplicate NA benefits in the same month when all of the following apply:
●The participant must have received NA benefits with the person who abused them.
●The participant no longer resides with the person.
●The participant applies for NA benefits without the abusive person.
A participant is eligible for NA or CA benefits when receiving any of the following commodities in the same month:
●The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)
NOTE Any budgetary unit receiving NA benefits is categorically eligible to receive TEFAP commodities at no cost.
●Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)
NOTE CSFP provides low-income, elderly participants with USDA food commodities at no cost.
TEFAP or CSFP commodities are not considered duplicate benefits. For more information about these commodity programs, see USDA Food Distribution Programs (Commodities).
When a participant receives duplicate benefits for the same month, the participant may be required to pay back benefits.
Procedures
See Public Assistance State Contacts for state contact information.
The approval period in some states may not begin on the first day of each month. In those states, approval periods vary for each budgetary unit depending on the date a budgetary unit files an application. In Arizona, the approval period is based on a calendar month.
For NA, when a budgetary unit that applies in Arizona was approved in another state or another case, prorate benefits from one of the two following dates, whichever is later: (See Example 4)
●The date after the expiration date in the former state.
●The date of the application.
For CA, prorate benefits from the date of the application.
The Able Bodied Adult Without Dependents(g) (ABAWD) time limit applies to NA participants who do not meet an exemption or the ABAWD work requirement. These participants are limited to three full months of NA benefits in a fixed three-year period. The ABAWD three-year period is the same three years for all NA budgetary units in Arizona. The current three-year period began on 01/01/2022 and ends on 12/31/2024. The new ABAWD three-year period begins 01/01/2025.
NOTE All months before 07/2023 are not countable due to the federal suspension of the ABAWD time limits as a result of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.
When a participant moves to Arizona and received NA or CA benefits in another state before the application date, complete all of the following when appropriate:
●For NA, verify receipt of all months ABAWD participants received NA in the current three-year period. Verify benefits have stopped.
●For CA, verify benefits have stopped. Verify receipt of all the CA months received that count toward the Lifetime Benefit Limit (LIBL) for any of the following:
The PI
The spouse of the PI
Any adult participant for whom benefits are being applied
NOTE Contact the FAA Systems Help Desk when a participant has countable LIBL months from another state. Request FAA Systems Help Desk to update the OT STATE LIBL CNTR field on CODE with benefits received in another state after 09/2002. For contact information, see FAA Systems Help Desk.
●Use the Verification of Out-of-State Benefits (FAA-1475A) form to verify the date benefits from out of state stopped. Fill in the top section of the FAA-1475A form with the participant's information, and complete one of the following:
Make a collateral contact to the appropriate state agency and complete the bottom section of the FAA-1475A form.
For states that prefer requests for verification by email or fax, complete the top section of the FAA-1475 form and include the FAX Cover Sheet (DES-1078A) form.
●Document the case file(g) with the participant's statement regarding the type of benefits, state, county, and the month they last received benefits.
When NA benefits from out of state or from another case stop after the NA application date, use the same NA application for one of the following:
●During the first 30 calendar days, prorate benefits to the first day of the month after benefits stop.
Deny the application using the OC Denial Closure Reason Code.
Send the appropriate denial closure notice.
Reopen the application on REPT using the 60IN REPT Reason Code.
Change the benefit proration date to the first day of the month after benefits from out of state stop.
NOTE Do not wait until the NA timely denial date to deny the NA application when verification has been received. The application must be denied and reverted to open (REPT) to prorate benefits to the second or third month. (See Example 2)
When CA benefits from out of state or from another case stop after the application date, use the same CA application and complete one of the following:
●During the 45 calendar days after the date of application, prorate benefits to the first day of the month after benefits stop.
●On the 45th calendar day, when verification is not received, or benefits from out of state or from another case have not stopped, deny the CA application. Send the appropriate Denial Closure notice.
For more information about verification of LIBL from out of state, see Verification of Other State LIBL.
Public Assistance State Contacts
This information for state contacts is for agency use and must not be shared with the public.
See the following lists provided by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to find state contact information:
NOTE The phone number for Sacramento County changed to (800) 560-0976.
●FNS' National Directory of Contacts for the remaining U.S. states and territories
NOTE North Dakota (ND) no longer does phone verification. Contact ND via email at [email protected] and include “out of state inquiries" in the subject line.
NOTE Many of the above lists and some state websites on the Internet are broken down by county. It is helpful to ask the participant in which county they lived.
When the Participant is Receiving Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
When the participant states they have received FDPIR benefits within the three months before the application date or they are currently receiving FDPIR benefits, use the Food Distribution/Nutrition Assistance Program Participation (FAA-0559A) form to request all of the following:
●The budgetary unit’s FDPIR participation status
●The status of an FDPIR intentional program violation (IPV)
To send the FAA-0559A to the Arizona tribe that administers the FDPIR, see Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Contacts for contact information.
Verification
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
Proof that benefits from out of state have stopped is required. Verification includes any of the following:
●Written notification from the agency, including the date benefits from out of state stopped.
●A collateral contact by the FAA to the appropriate state agency.
●FAA received a completed Verification of Out-of-State Benefits (FAA‑1475A) form the out-of-state agency. The FAA may need to send this form depending on the other state agency’s requirements.
NOTE When verification is not available at the time of the interview, the participant is allowed 10 calendar days to verify.
A participant statement may be used when all of the following occur:
●Documented verification is not available.
●Collateral contact verification is not available.
●The participant contacts FAA for assistance.
AZTECS Keying Procedures
Affecting an Entire Budgetary Unit
For NA, when benefits received by the budgetary unit from another state stop more than 60 calendar days after the application, the participant needs to reapply. Send the NA – Ineligible (F210) notice.
When a budgetary unit is not eligible in the month of application because they received benefits in another state or in another case, for both NA and CA complete all of the following:
●Change the BEN PRORATION DATE field to the first day of the month after the benefits stop on APMA.
●Do not change the original application date.
●Process through the AZTECS Road Map beginning with the month keyed in the BEN PRORATION DATE field on APMA.
When benefits from out of state or from another case stop after the NA 30-day timely denial date, it is not necessary to wait to deny the NA application. A new NA application is not required. Complete all of the following:
●Key the OC Denial Closure Reason Code on FSED.
●Send the F210 notice.
●Revert the program to open on REPT using the 60IN REPT Reason Code.
●Change the BEN PRORATION DATE field on APMA to the first day of the month after the month benefits stop.
●Process through the AZTECS Road Map beginning with the month keyed in the BEN PRORATION DATE field on APMA.
●Send the NA Denied for the First Month and Approved for the Second Month (F124) notice when benefits are approved.
For CA applications, when verification that benefits from out of state or from another case have stopped is not received by the notice due date, complete all of the following:
●Deny the CA application on the timely denial date
●Key the OC Denial Closure Reason Code on AFPD
●Send the Cash Assistance Denial Closure (A200) notice
Affecting One or More Participants in the Budgetary Unit
To add a participant currently receiving benefits from out of state or in another case, see AZTECS Procedures for Adding a Participant.
Examples
1) Jane moved to Arizona from Ohio at the end of 8/28/2021 and applied for NA and CA benefits on 09/05/2021 in Arizona. Jane applied for NA and CA benefits in Ohio on 07/06/2021, and Ohio approved her benefits.
The Ohio agency provided a Verification of Out-of-State Benefits (FAA‑1475A) form showing that Jane’s NA and CA benefits stopped 09/30/2021. Jane’s Arizona NA and CA benefits would start on 10/01/2021, which is the month after her Ohio benefits stopped. Jane is sent the F124 notice when all the verification is provided, and the application is approved.
2) John moved to Arizona on 03/15/2022. John received NA benefits from Texas in March 2022. John applied for NA benefits in Arizona on 03/28/2022. According to John’s letter from Texas, his Texas NA benefits stopped on 04/30/2022.
The Arizona NA 30-day timely denial date for his application is 04/27/2022.
The NA application is denied using the OC Denial Closure Reason Code for currently receiving benefits for March and April. The same NA application is reopened on REPT, and benefits are prorated on APMA to 05/01/2022.
John is potentially NA eligible in Arizona on 05/01/2022. John does not need to submit another application. John is sent the F124 notice when all the verification is provided, and the application is approved.
3) Betty moved to Arizona on 02/15/2022. Betty received NA benefits from Oregon in 02/2022. Betty applied for NA benefits in Arizona on 02/20/2022. Her application is screened as an expedite because she had no income for the month of 02/2022. According to Betty’s letter from Oregon, her Oregon NA benefits stopped on 02/28/2022.
The Arizona NA 30-day timely denial date for her application is 03/22/2022.
Betty is not eligible for NA in Arizona in the month of application because she received NA benefits in Oregon. The NA application is no longer considered as an expedite. The application is denied using the OC Denial Closure Reason Code for currently receiving benefits in February. The same NA application is reopened on REPT, and benefits are prorated on APMA to 03/01/2022.
Betty is potentially NA eligible in Arizona on 03/01/2022. Betty does not need to submit another application. Betty is sent the F124 notice when all the verification is provided, and the application is approved.
4) Jake and his family move to Arizona and apply for NA in Arizona on 07/15/2022. The state they moved from has an approval period that does not begin on the first day of each month so their NA in the other state ends on 07/19/2022. The NA benefits are prorated to 07/20/2022 because the date after the benefits end in the other state is later than the application date.
5) Susie was receiving NA benefits in her mother’s case. Susie moved out of her mother’s home on 04/01/2024. Susie’s mother received benefits for her for the month of 04/2024. Susie applied for NA benefits on 04/15/2024 for herself only.
Susie is not eligible for NA in the month of application because she received NA benefits in her mother’s case. The NA application is no longer considered as an expedite. The application is denied using the OC Denial Closure Reason Code for currently receiving benefits in April. The same NA application is reopened on REPT, and benefits are prorated on APMA to 05/01/2024.
Susie is potentially NA eligible on 05/01/2024. Susie does not need to submit another application. Susie is sent the F124 notice when all the verification is provided, and the application is approved.
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 272.4(e)
7 CFR 273.2(i)(4)(iii)(D)
45 CFR 233.40(a)(1)
AAC R6-12-304
last revised 06/03/2024