Training for Verification of Free and Reduced Price

Meals

Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsDepartment of Food & Nutrition

2013-2014

Verification

Confirming a household’s eligibility for free and reduced price meals by requiring

documentation to support information listed on the meal application.

Federal Mandates

• Error prone sample selected on October 1st

(3% of applications on file)

• Process completed by November 15th • ZERO tolerance for errors• Results of verification apply to all students on

application

Verification Steps

1. Error prone sample selected

2. Households notified of selection

3. Documents collected and reviewed

4. Households notified of status change

5. Automatic termination for no response

6. Completion of record keeping

Selection of Error Prone Sample

ITS will send copies of Notification Letters and the Meal Verification List to the school.

Letters will be addressed to the parents of the youngest student on the family application. School sites will only receive Notification Letters if the youngest student attends that school.

Schools Must Do the Following:

• Print the applications selected for verification from the Department of Food and Nutrition website http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification

• Attach Notification Letters to applications• Create the following files for Verification:

1. Meal Verification List2. Meal Applications

Notifying the Household• The Department of Food and Nutrition sends the

Notification Letters to the households.

• Parents have two (2), ten (10) day periods to respond with documents. The first period is operating days. The second period is calendar days.

• All Notification Letters should be received byhouseholds by October 10th.

• Start of the first ten (10) operating day period is October 10th.

Collecting Documents from the Family

• Income

• SNAP/TANF/FDPIR*

*Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/Temporary Assistance to Needy Families/Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Income Verification

• Proof of each income listed on application

• Based on GROSS income amount when application was submitted and up to time of verification

Income Documents• Paycheck stub (overtime counts if it is the norm)• Official dated letter from the employer• Supplemental Social Security Income Notice• Unemployment Compensation Notice• Tax Return for self-employed ONLY• Social Security Retirement Benefits• Court Decree (child support/alimony)• Disability Award/Compensation• Workers’ Compensation• Veterans’ Administration Benefits• Other dated, confirmed and documented information

SNAP/TANF/FDPIRRequirements:• Official, dated documents from the Department of

Children and Families or FDPIR Officeo Letter of Eligibilityo Notice of Case Action Lettero Other letters showing name of parent or child’s

case number with benefit eligibility dates• Electronic Benefit Transfer cards are not accepted• Directly Certified students are not verified• Households without proper documents may complete

a new application providing income documentation.

Collected Documents• Attach copies of documents to the copy of the

student’s application – DO NOT USE STAPLES.• A new application is required if a family changes from

income to SNAP/TANF/FDPIR (or vice versa).• A new application is not required if documents show a

different income amount. ($200 monthly income reported; pay stub shows $500 per month – a new application is not required).

Send Copies of Documents to The Department of Food and Nutrition

• Send copies of verification documents with the application ID number noted on each document.

• If the frequency of the income is unclear, clarify withthe household and note it on the document prior to sending to the Department of Food and Nutrition.

Status Updates

• The Department of Food and Nutritionis responsible for updating all verification student activity.

• Positive benefit changes are effective immediately upon entering into ISIS.

• Negative benefit changes are held in suspense for ten (10) days.

Schools must send home the Verification Status Letter(generated by ITS) notifying parents of the negative

change effective in 10 days.

Households with No Response

• If households do not respond by Friday, October 23rd, students are moved into the ISIS suspense file

• Schools MUST send home the Verification Status Letter immediately upon receipt from ITS or from Control-D Web to students who have not yet responded

This starts the second ten (10) day calendar period • Households have until Saturday, November 2nd to

respond with appropriate documents.

Transfer and Withdrawal Students

• Applications remain in the Verification File

• School sites must add incoming transfer students and note withdrawal students on the Meal Verification List

• Transfer students are required to complete the verification process at the school they have transferred to

Transfer Students

If the transfer student has not completedverification at his/her previous school, thereceiving school must follow the procedures forthe verification process:• Print the application• Add student to the Meal Verification List• Collect and review documents• Send documents to Food and Nutrition

After Saturday, November2nd, AUTOMATIC TERMINATION of

Meal Benefits to Students Who Have Not Responded!

• File the final Meal Verification List on the following dates from Control-D Web on:• Monday, November 4th (students who had not

responded)• Tuesday, November 12th (students who are pending

negative status change updates)

• Notify any gifted school sites, alternative programs, magnet centers, etcetera of the student’s change in benefit (print the ISIS screen) .

Completion of the Verification Process

• Notify the food service manager of eligibility status updates (print the ISIS screen).

• Have a plan for those students who show up Monday, November 4th and Tuesday, November 12th without money (e.g. alternate meal plan).

Completion of the Verification Process (continued)

Record KeepingThe following Verification Files should be maintainedat each school site:

Meal Verification List (include all lists) Meal Applications

Printed copies of verification applications attached to copies of:

Notification of Verification Letter Verification Documents Verification Status Letter(s)

Report of Verification Students with No ISIS Activity

Reapplication for Meal Benefits

• Verification Students must submit a new application and all documentation that was required during the verification process.

• Send a new application along with documents to the Department of Food and Nutrition, Attention: FAST Center.

Reapplication for Meal Benefits (continued)

• Copies of all applications and verificationdocuments remain in the Meal Application File (Verification).

• Do not record reapplication results on the MealVerification List.

Remember: meal applications are accepted anytime during the school year.

• Print applications and place in Meal Application file.• Attach Notification Letters to applications.• Collect and review all documents.• Attach copies of documents to application and

maintain in Meal Application file. • Send copies of documents with the application ID#

noted on each page to the Department of Food and Nutrition.

Summary of School Responsibilities

• Send Verification Status Letter(s) home with student.• Place verification lists in Meal Verification List file.• Document Transfers/Withdrawal students on the

Meal Verification List.• The receiving school is responsible for completing

the verification process for transfer students if the process has not been completed.

• Reapplications must include the Verification application ID number.

Summary of School Responsibilities (continued)

Accessing Applications On-linehttp://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification

Available October 10, 2013

Log-In Page

ENTER:1. EMPLOYEE #2. E-MAIL PASSWORD

School Site Verification List Click Printer Icon to print all applications

Sample Income Application

Sample SNAP/TANF/FDPIR Application

Control-D Web

Final Meal Verification List:Product # T0514P83-01

Control-D Web Viewer Handbook:

http://ehandbooks.dadeschools.net/user_guides/11.pdf

http://intranet.dadeschools.net

Control-D Web Report Viewer

Control-D Web Report Viewer

Procedure for Viewing Student Lunch Information

in ISIS

Verification Questions and Answers

Questions from ParentsQ. What is verification?

A. An audit that is required by the federal government to certify eligibility conducted by the Local Educational Agency (LEA).

Q. Why was I selected? A. Your application fell within the required criteria for

review and was randomly selected.

SNAP/TANF/FDPIR Documents

Q. Is a copy of a SNAP/TANF/FDPIR debit cardacceptable?

A. No. Only an official, dated document from the Department of Children and Families showing the case number, name of recipient(s) and date of eligibility is acceptable.

Accessing and Printing Applications

Q. How do I obtain student applications for my file?A. You may access the applications on-line at http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/verification (see verification presentation for further instructions).

Reapplication for Meal Benefits

Q. Do parents need to fill out a new application if the income isdifferent than what is on the application?

A1. A new application is not required if verification information is a change in income (e.g. a check stub shows more/less income than reported on the application).A2. A new application is required when a student changes from income eligibility to a SNAP/TANF/FDPIR qualifying number or vice versa (e.g. a student brings in a Notice of Case Action for food stamps when an income is reported on the application).

Income ReportingQ. How is overtime income counted?

A. If the income is a one time or sporadic source of income, it should be calculated based on regular monthly income without overtime. If the overtime is typical, it should be included (ask the parents and document conversation on the documents provided).

Q. If a household is paid weekly and submits a pay stub for a week,must I go back and ask for pay stubs for an entire month?

A. No. If the weekly pay stub is representative of what the household normally receives, one pay stub is sufficient. If pay frequency and/or pay period are not provided, contact household for clarification.

Q. Is a copy of a tax return acceptable?

A. For self employed ONLY. Monthly income should be determined by taking the reported gross earnings and dividing by 12.

Submitting DocumentsQ. Should I collect my documents and send them in allat once?

A. No. Send in documents for each household as you collect them, even if it is for only one family application. Include Application ID number on all documents submitted.

Q. Where should I send my documents?A. Send documents to Location #9025, Department of Food and Nutrition, Attention: FAST Center.

Department of Food and Nutrition(786) 275-0400, Ext. 5000

Please call if you have

any questions.

Thank You!

This presentation may be accessed on-line at http://nutrition.dadeschools.net/Verification