SNAPQA FOCUS POINTS Worker Caused Errors SNAPQA is providing actual examples of errors caused by CBMS worker data entry as an information sharing and training tool for county workers in an effort to prevent similar errors and increase the payment accuracy rate for the State of Colorado. Please share with staff who enter data into CBMS. Shelter and Homeless Shelter Disregard Errors Example 1: Agency received an RRR on 11/12/13 for November recertification (late). At RRR, the household reports he is homeless and provides a mailing address. The household declares he has paid his friends $200 in the last month to let him stay in their homes. Agency requested verification of the $200 rent on 11/15 with a due date of 11/27, but did not receive any documentation. On 11/15/13 the worker added a “Shelter Billing” record under the “homeless” shelter type and entered an Effective Begin Date of 11/12/13, an amount of $200 and verification source of “client statement” to trigger a request for verification. This data entry is correct in order to generate a Verification Checklist.

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$200

200

Incorrect Data Entry on 12/6 - $200 was not allowed by system.

Correct Data Entry

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On 11/21/13, the worker data entered an Effective End Date for the current homeless record and created a new homeless record using an Effective Begin Date of 11/12/2013 under the “Homeless Summary” of the window below and correctly indicated “yes” to pays for shelter.

The worker ran and authorized the correct benefits on 11/15 allowing the $143 Homeless Shelter Disregard. The $200 rent was not allowed as it was correctly coded as “client statement.” CBMS programming was updated in June 2013 to allow the logic to give the Homeless Shelter Disregard or the verified shelter expense, whichever is larger. In this case, since the shelter expense had not been verified at the time of authorization, CBMS correctly allowed the $143 per Volume IV-B, section B-4223.5(C). No further action or data entry was needed on this case. However, on 12/6/13, the worker incorrectly updated the Shelter Billing window by changing the $200 to $0 as the household did not verify the rent. This step is not necessary as the $200 was not being allowed and updating the data and leaving the Effective Begin Date as 11/12/13, triggers CBMS to rerun November 2013 and potentially issue Notice of Adverse Action (NOAA) that would likely be cited as an invalid negative action by SNAPQA.

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Example 2: A household applied on 8/3/2010 and declared on her application that she was “homeless,” but also reported during her interview that she lived with her boyfriend (she is pregnant with his child) and paid him $350 a month rent and that she purchased and prepared her food separate from him. A lease was received for $550. The worker incorrectly coded the household as homeless with an Effective Begin Date of 8/3/2010 and “yes” to pays for shelter. This household does not meet the definition of homeless and should not be coded as homeless. To correct the data entry, a worker would need to enter an Effective End Date of 8/3/2010 to prevent the household from receiving the Homeless Shelter Disregard of $143. The worker correctly entered a rent expense with an Effective Begin Date of 8/3/2010.

This data entry is correct.

This data entry is incorrect and nothing should be entered for a person who shares a residence.

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Due to the incorrect data entry this household incorrectly received $143 Homeless Shelter Disregard instead of $275 rent (household’s share of the $550) from August 2010 through October 2010.

Due to multiple data entry errors on the Shelter Billing window with incorrect rent amounts and overlapping Effective Begin and End Dates (“open”) records, the rent of $550 + $350 was averaged and the household was given $450 rent in wrapup. Data Entry Date 1/31/2011 4/15/2011 5/16/2011 9/13/2011 9/6/2013

EBD 8/3/2010 4/15/2011 3/1/2011 8/1/2011 9/5/2013

Amount $550 $350 $550 $550 $350

Data Entry Date 5/16/2011 9/6/2013 9/13/2011 9/6/2013

EED 2/28/2011 8/31/2013 7/31/2011 8/31/2013

However, the household received the $143 Homeless Shelter Disregard instead of the higher rent amount due to the open shelter record and overlapping Effective Begin and End Dates for rent. Below is the wrap-up showing September 2011 and where the errors can be seen.

This shows averaged rent (incorrect amounts)

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This indicates the error in data entry.

Allotment was calculated as follows: $364 Public Assistance - $142 Standard Deduction - $143 Homeless Shelter Disregard $ 79 Adjusted Income

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The household’s SNAP case closed 9/30/2011. This household applied again on 9/5/2013 and the worker correctly entered the rent amount on the Shelter Billing window of $350 with an Effective Begin Date of 9/5/13, but failed to end date the open homeless record. Both allowances appear for 2013, but the correct rent is used in the calculation due to the change in CBMS programming in June 2013. The Homeless Summary record should be ended with an Effective End Date of 8/3/2010 to correct the prior years payment calculations and establish any claims or restorations.

Needs to be ended using 8/3/2010.

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Example 3: The household applied for SNAP on 2/7/11 and reported he was homeless. RRR completed on 10/17/11 and household reports an address and verifies rent of $13. The household completes a RRR on 8/19/13 and declares living at same address with rent of $146 and provides verification. The household has been at this address since 10/17/2011. The household was last homeless March 1, 2011. Workers have incorrectly ended and then reopened the Homeless Summary record.

The correct Effective End Date is 9/30/2011.

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The most recent action on 8/19/2013 ended the open homeless record as of 8/31/13 and then 20 minutes later updated the Effective End Date to 5/31/2015 (in the future). The correct Effective End Date is 9/30/2011 when the household reported a permanent residence. It is necessary to enter the correct Effective End Date, re-run eligibility and payment, and establish any required claims or restorations.

Wrap-up for September 2013 shows both the $146 rent and the $143 Homeless Shelter Disregard, but CBMS correctly allows the rent as it is the higher amount. PLEASE note - if the rent was less than $143, the system would give the incorrect Homeless Shelter Disregard and cause a hardship on a disabled person who would be required to repay a claim.

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