SNAP Rule #225P - Overpayments during the PHE

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This rule change would halt collection of SNAP overpayments that resulted from errors originating from March 1, 2020 through May 11, 2023, the end of the Federal Public Health Emergency related to CoViD-19 (the PHE), unless they were the result of an Intentional Program Violation (IPV) on the part of the household. The ongoing ramifications of the PHE dictate that Department staff focus their efforts on issuing the correct benefits going forward rather than devote time and effort to recouping benefits that were inadvertantly over paid during the PHE. This rule change allows Maine’s Overpayment Unit and Eligibility Staff to operate more effectively and efficiently. Maine residents are positively impacted as Eligibility Specialists will have more time to process applications, recertifications and reported changes.

OFI resources were strained during the PHE due to implementation of Pandemic EBT, online purchasing, and Maximum Emergency Allotments. Emergency allotments require many manual supplements that are both error prone and time consuming. Benefits offered by other state agencies including increased unemployment benefits added to the probability of increased errors. Maine was approved for waivers of interview at application and recertification and implemented telephonic signatures for the first time. Maine extended certification periods and delayed periodic reports for some months. All of these rapid paced changes allowed us to serve the residents of Maine more effectively and efficiently. The swift and drastic nature of these changes and changes to other programs led to pandemic caused SNAP benefit errors.

Maine’s SNAP caseload jumped 7%, from 89,398 households and 165,097 individuals on SNAP in February 2020 to 95,494 and 176,094 respectively in April 2020. The increase in applications, new programs and the myriad of fast paced changes for OFI and Maine residents are the root causes of pandemic payment errors. It is in the best interest of our applicants and recipients to waive pandemic related claims that are not the result of an IPV. This waiver would improve the effective and efficient administration of SNAP and not further harm Maine residents during a period of economic healing and restoration.

Additional changes are part of an ongoing effort to modernize the chapter and improve its readability. This section would be reorganized to better match the flow of the process of determining, collecting and closing overpayments. Wording would be updated to provide a universal description of rights and requirements rather than instructions for Department staff. “Food Supplement” and related appreciations would be modernized to “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program” or “SNAP”. Redundancies would be removed.

Office: Office for Family Independence

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