Address - Effecting Changes
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This section includes information about what happens when a budgetary unit member, the primary informant (PI), or the authorized representative reports a change of address.
Policy
CA Two Parent Employment Program (TPEP) participants are assigned to Standard Reporting and are required to report a change of address.
NOTE Reporting the address change may result in a change of shelter costs. (See Shelter Costs - Effecting Changes for additional procedures when a change in shelter costs is reported with the change of address.)
Though it is not required to report a change of address when assigned Simplified Reporting, it is suggested to report a change of address to FAA and the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ensure the budgetary unit receives all information and notices that may affect their eligibility. In order for participants to receive notices and EBT cards, the address in the case file must be correct.
When a change of address is reported, FAA updates the information in the eligibility operating system as follows:
●By the close of business on the day the change is received.
●For the appropriate benefit month when the move is in the future.
NOTE Returned Mail is not verification that a participant has moved. For more information, see Returned Mail Procedures.
When a change of address is reported by a third-party source(g), FAA considers the reported change as unclear information. When unclear information is received, FAA determines what action is required. See Verifying Reported Changes for more information.
Procedures
Address changes must be keyed in HEAplus and AZTECS by the close of business on the day the change is reported.
NOTE Returned Mail is not verification that a participant has moved. For more information, see Returned Mail Procedures. The procedures listed below apply to change of address reports made by any of the following:
●A budgetary unit member
●The primary informant (PI)
●The authorized representative
To ensure the budgetary unit receives all information and notices that may affect their eligibility, remind the PI(g) or Representative reporting changes in their address to also report the change to the United States Postal Service (USPS).
NOTE When FAA receives a change of address report from any other source, it is considered unclear information. When unclear information is received, determine what action is required. See Verifying Reported Changes for more information.
Change of Address - Open Cases
When an address change is reported on an open case, take the appropriate keying actions in AZTECS and complete all of the following actions:
●Review PRAP for any program and person alerts
●Review ACTS, and work any outstanding alerts
●When the client also reports a change in their shelter expenses, complete all of the following:
Send the Change of Address Information (C008) notice when the participant is required to provide any necessary information
Complete an eligibility determination using the new information, when possible
When benefits decrease send a notice allowing for NOAA
Change of Address - Moved Out of State
When any of the following occur, consider the change of address report as unclear information:
●FAA receives information that indicates a participant in the budgetary unit was identified on the Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) Interstate Match Report.
●FAA is notified by a third-party source that a participant in the budgetary unit has moved out of state.
When unclear information is received, determine what action is required. See Verifying Reported Changes for more information.
Consider participants to have left the state when the budgetary unit member, the primary informant (PI), or the authorized representative reports that all participants in the budgetary unit have moved out of Arizona. Complete all of the following:
●Complete the appropriate keying actions
●Deny pending applications
●Send adequate notice when adequate notice requirements are met. Otherwise, NOAA must be allowed
Address Change - Pending Applications
Applicants may report a change of address (within the state) when their application is pending.
When the change of address is reported before the interview, complete all of the following:
●Ensure the address is updated.
●Review notices in AZTECS and HEAplus with the participant and provide any notices that have not been received.
When the change of address is reported at the interview, complete all of the following:
●Ensure the address is updated.
●Review notices in AZTECS and HEAplus with the participant and provide any notices that have not been received.
●Complete the interview.
●Process the application and complete the determination, when possible.
When the change of address is reported after the interview, but before an eligibility decision is made, complete all of the following:
●Verify the address and any changes in expenses.
●Ensure the address if updated.
●Process the application and complete the determination, when possible.
●Review notices in AZTECS and HEAplus with the participant and provide any notices that have not been received.
When the participant is homeless(g) and has no residential address obtain a participant statement containing all of the following:
●A description of the location where they sleep.
●Directions to the location where they sleep.
Verification
The participant has the primary responsibility for providing verification. (See Participant Responsibilities – Providing Verification for additional policy.)
Verification sources must be current and contain the name and address of any of the case participants.
FAA does not request verification of the actual residential address of an Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) participant. Any document that shows the actual address of an ACP participant is not to be uploaded into OnBase or HEAplus.
When a participant is considered homeless, FAA will need a description of where the applicant is residing or where they sleep.
Any of the following may be used to verify an address change:
●Collateral contact
●Current driver's license
●Department of Motor Vehicles documents
●Lease agreement
●Ownership of property documentation
●Rent or mortgage receipt
●School records
●Statement from a non-relative which includes signature and phone number
●Statement from a non-relative employer which includes signature and phone number
●Statement from a non-relative landlord which includes signature and phone number
●Tax office records
●Utility bill
●Utility company records
●Verification of Living Arrangement/Residential Address (FAA-0065A) form
Use the signed or documented Change Report (FAA-0412A) as verification of a move out of state.
AZTECS Keying Procedures
Open Cases
When an address change is reported on an open case by an authorized representative or a participant of the budgetary unit, take all of the following actions:
●Key the new address in AZTECS on ADDR
●Update the address by close of business on the day the change is reported.
Moved Out of State
Complete all of the following when all participants in the budgetary unit have moved out of state:
●Key the out of state address on ADDR.
●Key the RS Denial Closure Reason Code.
●For NA, key the first day of the month and year that the participant became prospectively ineligible on the FSED screen. NA benefits are stopped the first month possible after the reported move.
NOTE No notice is required when all budgetary unit participants move out of state. NOAA is not required.
●For CA, key the actual date the participants moved out of Arizona on AFED and stop all benefits the first month possible after the month of the reported move.
NOTE When the actual date of the move is not known, key the date the change is reported, and document the case file.
Keying Attention on ADDR
Use the ATTENTION field to key information that is not part of the physical address, such as the name of a representative. Do not key the name of the PI(g).
Do not key additional telephone numbers or anything other than the actual address information in the ATTENTION field. The wording displays in the mailing address and on the notices and it may be a breach of confidentiality. Document any additional address information (shelter names, telephone numbers, homeless sleeping location, etc.) in the case file.
When mailing in care of someone other than the participant, key C/O and the person’s name in the ATTENTION field.
NOTE A space must be keyed before the C for AZTECS to process the address. (See Example 1)
Keying Addresses on ADDR
When entering residential and mailing address information on ADDR, complete all of the following to ensure the participant receives notices and EBT cards:
●When the residential and mailing addresses are the same, only key the RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS fields. The MAILING ADDRESS fields must be left blank. AZTECS sends mail to the participant’s residential address.
●When the residential and mailing addresses are different:
Key the RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS fields.
Key the MAILING ADDRESS fields.
●Document the case file with the reasons for using a mailing address.
●When a participant’s physical residence does not have a valid mailing address, complete all of the following:
In the case file, describe how to locate the residence. (See Example 2)
Key SEE MAILING ADDRESS in the STREET ADDRESS field under RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
Key the MAILING ADDRESS field.
When the participant is homeless, see General Delivery Service for additional instructions.
Consider all of the following when keying the residential and mailing address fields:
●Key the RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS field with the physical address where the budgetary unit resides.
●Key the MAILING ADDRESS field when a PO Box, General Delivery, or another mailing address that is different from the budgetary unit’s residential address.
NOTE A General Delivery or a PO Box address must only be keyed in the MAILING ADDRESS field on ADDR.
●Do not key the physical address of a domestic violence shelter in AZTECS. Complete all of the following:
Key SEE MAILING ADDRESS in the STREET ADDRESS field under RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
Key the PO Box number of the shelter or the address of the FAA Office in the MAILING ADDRESS fields.
●Do not split the address between more than one field. When the complete address does not fit in one field, key as much of the address as possible. When Finalist displays a match, all the characters may not fit in the fields. In this situation, notices are printed with as much information as displays.
●Key only one place identifier (apartment, unit, or lot number, etc.) in the APT-UNIT-ETC field.
●Key all abbreviations using the USPS recognized address abbreviations.
●Do not use punctuation in any part of the address.
●Do not use double spacing.
●Do not use the backward slash (\).
●Do not use the letter O in place of a zero.
●Do not key the additional Plus Four digits of the ZIP Code anywhere on ADDR. Only key the first five digits of the ZIP Code.
●Do not include the names of building complexes, trailer parks, tribal lands, etc.
●Review a utility bill, rental receipt, or mortgage statement to assist in identifying the correct address. Validation can also be completed through the USPS website.
●The AZTECS ZIP CODE/CITIES tables in LISTCODES allow for 20 characters in a city name. As a result, the CITY field on ADDR allows for 20 characters. When the length of a city name exceeds 20 characters, Finalist compares the 20 characters against the complete city name and determines the address invalid. Finalist displays the same address keyed on ADFF as the closest match and requires the worker to select a function and process through to ADDR.
NOTE To prevent Finalist from unnecessarily creating a new address record, key Petrified Forest National Park (86028) as PETRIFIED FOREST NA on ADDR.
Keying General Delivery Service on ADDR
When a participant is homeless and does not have a valid mailing address, complete ADDR as follows:
●Key SEE MAILING ADDRESS in the STREET ADDRESS FIELD under RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
●Key the CITY, STATE, and ZIP fields where the homeless participant sleeps
●In the MAILING ADDRESS field, key GENERAL DELIVERY in the STREET ADDRESS field and the CITY, STATE, and ZIP fields with a USPS General Delivery location.
HEAplus Procedures
When an address change is reported on an open case, take all of the following actions:
●Key the new address in HEAplus on the Contact Information page.
●Update the address by close of business on the day the change is reported.
Examples
1) When keying C/O in the ATTN field on ADDR, use the following format:
ATTENTION: c/o Mary Poppins
2) Examples on keying the residential address of a homeless person include:
●Second house on the left at the Smith farm.
●Fourth house on the road behind the tractor dealership on HWY 89.
Legal Authorities
7 CFR 273.12
7 CFR 273.12(a)(1)(ii)
7 CFR 273.12(a)(1)(iii)
7 CFR 273.12(a)(3)
last revised 03/04/2024