N.M. Admin. Code § 8.139.610.15

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 8.139.610.15 - NATIONAL REDUCTION OR SUSPENSION

If funding for SNAP is depleted, Section 18 of the Food Stamp Act of 1977, as amended, provides for reduction, suspension or cancellation of SNAP benefits for one or more months, or a combination of these three actions.

A. Reduction:

(1) If a reduction in SNAP allotments is deemed necessary, the maximum SNAP allotments amounts for all household sizes is reduced by a percentage specified by FNS. The maximum SNAP allotments amounts for each household size are reduced by the same percentage. This results in all households of a given size having their benefits reduced by the same dollar amount. The dollar reduction is smallest for a one-person household and greatest for the largest households. Since the dollar amount is the same for all households of the same size, the rate of reduction is lowest for zero net income households and greatest for the highest net income households.

(2) All one- and two-person households affected by a reduction action are guaranteed a minimum monthly SNAP benefit, unless the action is a cancellation of SNAP benefits, suspension of SNAP benefits, or reduction in SNAP benefits of ninety percent or more of the total amount of benefits projected to be issued in the affected month. The benefit reduction notice issued by USDA specifies whether the minimum SNAP benefit amount will be provided.

(3) SNAP benefits shall also be able to be adjusted to provide for the rounding of benefit levels of one dollar ($1.00), three dollars ($3.00) and five dollars ($5.00) to two dollars ($2.00), four dollars ($4.00) and six dollars ($6.00), respectively.

B. Suspension or cancellation:

(1) If a decision is made to suspend or cancel the distribution of SNAP benefits in a given month, FNS shall notify HCA of the date the suspension or cancellation will take effect. If SNAP benefits are suspended or cancelled, the minimum benefit provision for one- and two-person households is disregarded and all households will have their benefits suspended or cancelled.

(2) Resumption of benefits: Upon notification by FNS that a benefit suspension has ended, HCA shall act immediately to resume benefit issuance to certified households.

C. Notices: SNAP benefit reductions, suspensions, and cancellations are considered a federal adjustment to SNAP benefits. HCA shall notify all households of benefit reductions, suspensions, or cancellations in accordance with adequate notice provisions in Subsection A of 8.139.120.13 NMAC. HCA shall not provide an adverse action notice to a household affected by a benefit reduction, suspension, or cancellation.

D. Effect of reduction on certification:

(1) Normal processing: Eligibility determination for applicant households under normal (non-expedited) processing will not be affected by a benefit reduction, suspension, or cancellation. HCA shall accept and process applications during a month(s) in which a reduction, suspension, or cancellation is in effect in accordance with 8.139.110.12 NMAC, application processing. The determination of eligibility will also be made according to these provisions. If an applicant household is determined eligible for SNAP benefits and a reduction is in effect, the benefit amount is calculated by reducing the maximum SNAP allotments amount by the appropriate percentage for the applicant's household size and then deducting thirty percent of the household's net SNAP income from the reduced maximum SNAP allotments amount. If an applicant household is determined eligible for SNAP benefits while a suspension or cancellation is in effect, no benefits will be issued to the household until issuance is again authorized by FNS.

(2) Expedited service: Expedited processing continues during the months in which reductions, suspensions or cancellations are in effect.

(a) Reductions: Households receiving expedited service in months in which reductions are in effect and that are determined eligible will be issued reduced benefits. The reduced SNAP benefit amount will be made available within the time frame specified for expedited issuance.

(b) Suspension: Households receiving expedited service in months in which a suspension is in effect and that are determined eligible will have a benefit determination made within the time frames for expedited issuance. If a suspension remains in effect at the time issuance is authorized, the issuance will be suspended until FNS lifts the suspension.

(c) Cancellations: Households eligible for expedited processing which apply for SNAP benefits during months in which cancellations are in effect will receive expedited service. The deadline for completing the processing is five calendar days or the end of the month of application, whichever date is later. All other rules for providing expedited service are applicable.

(3) Certification periods: The reduction, suspension, or cancellation of SNAP benefits in a given month will have no effect on the certification period assigned to a household. Those households with certification period expiring during a month in which SNAP benefits have been reduced, suspended or cancelled will be recertified and have a new certification period assigned.

E. Fair hearings: Any household that has its SNAP benefit amount reduced, suspended or cancelled as a result of an order issued by FNS may request a fair hearing if the household disagrees with the action. The fair hearing process is subject to the following conditions:

(1) Basis for fair hearings: HCA is not required to hold fair hearings unless the request is based on a household's belief that the SNAP benefit amount was computed incorrectly under suspension, reduction, or cancellation rules or that such rules were applied or interpreted incorrectly. HCA shall deny a fair hearing to a household that is merely disputing the fact that a reduction, suspension, or cancellation was ordered.

(2) Continuation of benefits pending fair hearing: Since the reduction, suspension, or cancellation is necessary to avoid an expenditure of funds beyond those appropriated by congress, households do not have a right to continuation of SNAP benefits pending a fair hearing.

(3) Retroactive benefits: A household will receive retroactive SNAP benefits in an appropriate amount if it is found that its SNAP benefits were reduced by more than the amount by which HCA was directed to reduce SNAP benefits.

F. Restoration of benefits:

(1) HCA shall have issuance services available to serve households receiving restored or retroactive SNAP benefits for a previous, unaffected month if benefit reduction, suspension or cancellation has been ordered.

(2) Households whose SNAP benefits are reduced, suspended or cancelled as a result of these procedures will not be entitled to restoration of lost benefits at a future date. However, if there is a surplus of funds as a result of the reduction or cancellation, FNS will direct HCA to restore benefits to affected households, unless the secretary of agriculture determines that the amount of surplus funds is too small for this to be practical.

(3) HCA shall design procedures to implement the restoration of SNAP benefits promptly if FNS directs the restoration of benefits.

N.M. Admin. Code § 8.139.610.15

02/01/95; 8.139.610.15 NMAC - Rn, 8 NMAC 3.FSP.635, 5/15/2001; A, 2/28/2007, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 14, July 24, 2018, eff. 7/24/2018, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, July 16, 2024, eff. 7/16/2024